AB 2870 (Muratsuchi) – dubbed the “anti-dairy” bill – failed to get a hearing by the Assembly Agriculture Committee. Since this action caused the measure to miss the required deadline to advance it the legislative process, it is now “dead” for the year.

After passing its first committee in Assembly Natural Resources on April 22, AB 2870 was scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Agriculture Committee two days later, which would have been the last hearing prior to the April 26 legislative deadline. Most of the members on this committee represent districts that include the Central Valley region, where many of the state’s dairy industry is located.

AB 2870 would have eliminated the incentives for dairy digester projects under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). These digesters are an effective tool that is enabling farmers to meet their statutory requirement of reducing methane emissions 40 percent by 2030 (SB 1383). According to a University of California Davis report, the industry is on track to reach that goal. However, AB 2870 would have jeopardized this progress and potentially forced policymakers to regulate dairy compliance. Such a request is currently pending again before the California Air Resources Board (CARB).