AB-93 • 2026

Water resources: data centers.

Crime Education

Vetoed

The latest official action shows the governor vetoed this bill. Check the bill history to see whether lawmakers later overrode that veto.

Sponsor: Papan
Last action: 2026-01-22
Official status: Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill was vetoed by the governor, but there is no information provided about whether lawmakers will attempt to override it.

Water Resources: Data Centers

The bill requires data center owners to estimate and report their water use to local authorities before getting licenses or permits, and it allows the Department of Water Resources to set efficiency standards for different types of data centers.

What This Bill Does

Requires data center owners to provide an estimate of expected water use to their water supplier under penalty of perjury before applying for a business license, equivalent instrument, or permit from a city or county.
Requires data center owners to self-certify on applications that they have provided an estimate of expected water use to the water supplier under penalty of perjury.
Requires data center owners to report annual water usage when renewing licenses or permits and self-certify this information under penalty of perjury.
Allows the Department of Water Resources to set different efficiency standards for various types of data centers based on their water consumption.

Who It Names or Affects

Data center owners and operators
Local governments issuing business licenses
Water suppliers

Terms To Know

Perjury: Telling a lie while under oath or in a legal document.
Efficiency standards: Rules set by the Department of Water Resources to help data centers use water more wisely.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill was vetoed by the governor, but lawmakers might try to override it.
It does not specify how much money will be spent on enforcing these rules or helping data centers meet them.

Bill History

2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
2025-10-11 California Legislative Information
Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2025-10-11 California Legislative Information
Vetoed by Governor.
2025-09-23 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
2025-09-11 California Legislative Information
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 59. Noes 16. Page 3288.).
2025-09-10 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-10 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 10. Page 2811.).
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-05 California Legislative Information
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).
2025-08-18 California Legislative Information
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-07-17 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-16 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (July 16).
2025-07-09 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.
2025-06-24 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.
2025-06-11 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and L. GOV.
2025-05-29 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-05-29 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 51. Noes 14. Page 1780.)
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (May 23).
2025-05-14 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
2025-05-06 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-05-05 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2025-05-01 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 1.) (April 30).
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.
2025-04-10 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2025-04-09 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. (Ayes 10. Noes 1.) (April 8).
2025-03-25 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on W. P., & W.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on W. P., & W. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on W. P., & W. and L. GOV.
2025-01-08 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee February 7.
2025-01-07 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 93, Papan.
Water resources: data centers.
Existing law authorizes the legislative body of an incorporated city and the county board of supervisors to license businesses carried on within their respective jurisdictions and to set license fees, as specified.
This bill would require a person who owns or operates a data center, prior to applying to a city or a county for an initial business license, equivalent instrument, or permit, to provide its water supplier, under penalty of perjury, an estimate of the expected water use. When applying to a city or county for an initial business license, the bill would require a person who owns or operates a data center to self-certify, under penalty of perjury, on the application that the person has provided its water supplier an estimate of the expected water use. When applying to a city or county for a renewal of a business license, equivalent
instrument, or permit, the bill would require a person who owns or operates a data center to self-certify, under penalty of perjury, on the application, that they have provided the data center’s water supplier with a report of the annual water use. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize the
Department of Water Resources, as part of any efficiency standard adopted under a specified provision of law, to identify different tiers of data centers, based on factors affecting water consumption, and appropriate standards for each data tier. The bill would define terms for purposes of these provisions.
The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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