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SB-317 • 2026

Wastewater surveillance.

Wastewater surveillance.

Privacy
Vetoed

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

Sponsor
Hurtado
Last action
2026-03-02
Official status
Veto sustained.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's status as vetoed means that while its provisions are described, they do not have legal force until overridden.

Wastewater Surveillance

This law requires the California Department of Public Health to maintain a network that tests wastewater for health threats, allows local health departments and treatment facilities to join voluntarily, and lets the department share information with the public.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the State Department of Public Health to keep testing wastewater for harmful substances like pathogens or toxins.
  • Allows local health departments and wastewater treatment plants to choose whether they want to be part of this network.
  • Lets the department work with health care providers, local health departments, and emergency response agencies to use the data from the tests to help prevent diseases and respond to outbreaks.
  • Requires the department to share information about what it finds in the wastewater on a public website.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The California Department of Public Health
  • Local health departments and wastewater treatment facilities
  • Health care providers, local health departments, and emergency response agencies

Terms To Know

Pathogens
Disease-causing organisms like viruses or bacteria.
Toxins
Poisonous substances that can harm health.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill was vetoed by the governor, so it is not currently a law.
  • It does not specify how much money will be spent on this program or where exactly the funding will come from.
  • Local health departments and wastewater treatment facilities can choose whether to join the network.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-02 California Legislative Information

    Veto sustained.

  2. 2026-03-02 California Legislative Information

    Stricken from file.

  3. 2025-10-06 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.

  4. 2025-10-06 California Legislative Information

    Vetoed by the Governor.

  5. 2025-09-22 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m.

  6. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2890.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  7. 2025-09-08 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  8. 2025-09-08 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3001.) Ordered to the Senate.

  9. 2025-09-03 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  10. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  11. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 29).

  12. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  13. 2025-07-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  14. 2025-06-18 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.S & T.M.

  15. 2025-06-17 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on E.S & T.M. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (June 17).

  16. 2025-06-05 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and E.S & T.M.

  17. 2025-05-29 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  18. 2025-05-29 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1324.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  19. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  20. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  21. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1196.) (May 23).

  22. 2025-05-16 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 23.

  23. 2025-05-12 California Legislative Information

    May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  24. 2025-05-02 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 12.

  25. 2025-04-28 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  26. 2025-04-24 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 868.) (April 23).

  27. 2025-04-10 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

  28. 2025-04-02 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 23.

  29. 2025-03-26 California Legislative Information

    April 2 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.

  30. 2025-03-17 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 2.

  31. 2025-02-19 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

  32. 2025-02-12 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 14.

  33. 2025-02-11 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 317, Hurtado.
Wastewater surveillance.
Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health to implement various programs throughout the state relating to public health. The department administers the California Wastewater Surveillance Dashboard that provides an overview ​of data from testing wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 virus in California. The data in the dashboard is generated by those participating in the department’s California Surveillance of Wastewaters (Cal-SuWers) network, including the Cal-SuWers program, WastewaterSCAN, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Wastewater Surveillance System, wastewater utilities, and academic, laboratory, and other state and federal partners.
This bill would require the department, in consultation with participating wastewater treatment facilities, local health departments, and other subject matter experts,
to maintain the Cal-SuWers network to test, as appropriate for public health use, for pathogens, toxins, or other public health indicators in wastewater. The bill would require participation in the Cal-SuWers network from local health departments and wastewater treatment facilities to be voluntary. The bill would authorize the department to coordinate with health care providers, local health departments, and emergency response agencies to ensure wastewater surveillance data is used for early intervention, outbreak response, epidemiological investigations, and public health planning. The bill would
authorize the department to communicate to the general public, through a publicly accessible internet website, as specified, to provide transparency and public awareness of wastewater-based disease monitoring. The bill would authorize the department to utilize external funding sources, in addition to the department’s existing, noncontinuously appropriated funding sources, to implement these provisions. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF