California Legislature Faces August 31 Deadline on Climate Funds, Antitrust and Wildfire Bills

California lawmakers returned for the final weeks of the 2026 legislative session with several major measures unresolved ahead of the August 31 adjournment date, according to The Business Journal. The disputes include how to allocate the state’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and a proposed expansion of state antitrust law.

The Business Journal reports that revenue for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is estimated at roughly $4 billion annually and could be cut in half, with Assembly Budget Committee Chair Jesse Gabriel describing the allocation question as “at the top of the list” for summer negotiations.

Assembly Bill 1776, known as the COMPETE Act and carried by Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, had a hearing on August 10. The bill would create a private right of action for antitrust lawsuits against large companies. The California Chamber of Commerce, which opposes the measure, called it “the largest expansion of antitrust law in world history.”

On wildfire liability, state Sen. Ben Allen urged colleagues against proposals that would “simply shift around the costs consumers pay.” Separately, backers of the California Forever development in Solano County are seeking a carve-out from environmental rules for farmland development; the group has spent $455,000 on lobbying since last year.

What is not yet settled: none of these measures had passed as of this report, and the outcome of each depends on negotiations before the August 31 adjournment.

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Sources

• The Business Journal — Five California legislative fights to watch in August

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