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SB-545 • 2026

High-speed rail: economic opportunities.

High-speed rail: economic opportunities.

Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Cortese
Last action
2025-08-29
Official status
August 29 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details about the specific economic opportunities or recommendations that must be included in the report.

High-Speed Rail Economic Study

This law requires certain government offices to study economic opportunities along high-speed rail corridors and submit reports on their findings.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to commission a study by January 1, 2027, about economic benefits from high-speed rail projects in California.
  • Asks these offices to submit progress reports on their study to transportation committee chairpersons for feedback.
  • Requires the completion of the study and submission of a final report with findings and recommendations to policy and fiscal committees by January 1, 2028.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Government offices like the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
  • Local agencies that establish infrastructure districts for high-speed rail projects

Terms To Know

Infrastructure District
A special district created to fund and manage large-scale infrastructure projects, like high-speed rail.
High-Speed Rail Corridor
The area along the planned route of a high-speed train system where economic development is expected.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how much funding will be provided for the study.
  • Does not detail what kind of economic opportunities or recommendations must be included in the report.
  • The bill has passed both chambers but its final approval and implementation are pending executive action.

Bill History

  1. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    August 29 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

  2. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

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

  3. 2025-07-17 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 1.) (July 16). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. 2025-07-08 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. (Ayes 10. Noes 3.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

  5. 2025-07-08 California Legislative Information

    Coauthors revised.

  6. 2025-06-27 California Legislative Information

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

  7. 2025-06-09 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on TRANS. and L. GOV.

  8. 2025-06-03 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  9. 2025-06-02 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 27. Noes 9. Page 1375.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  10. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  11. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  12. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1203.) (May 23).

  13. 2025-05-20 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 23.

  14. 2025-05-19 California Legislative Information

    May 19 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  15. 2025-05-09 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 19.

  16. 2025-05-01 California Legislative Information

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

  17. 2025-04-30 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 968.) (April 30).

  18. 2025-04-23 California Legislative Information

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

  19. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 30.

  20. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. (Ayes 11. Noes 1. Page 710.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

  21. 2025-04-01 California Legislative Information

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

  22. 2025-03-25 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 8.

  23. 2025-03-05 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on TRANS. and L. GOV.

  24. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.

  25. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

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

Official Summary Text

SB 545, as amended, Cortese.
High-speed rail: economic opportunities.
Existing law establishes the
Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation with specified powers and duties related to long-range planning and research.
Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth.
Existing law creates the High-Speed Rail Authority, with specified powers and duties related to the development and implementation of a high-speed train system.
This bill would require the
Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation,
Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development,
on or before January 1, 2027, to commission a study on economic opportunities along the corridor of the California high-speed rail project, as defined, and other high-speed rail projects in California that are planned to directly connect to the California high-speed rail project, as provided, and to submit a progress report to the chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Transportation and the Assembly Committee on Transportation for input. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2028, the study to be completed and a report on the study’s findings and recommendations to be submitted to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature. The bill would require an infrastructure district, as defined, that uses its revenue to finance the construction of the high-speed rail project to dedicate a majority of its revenue to infrastructure projects within the jurisdiction of the local agencies that establish
the district.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF