Attorney General Bonta Co-Leads Multistate Letter on Permitting Reform Bill, Calls for Bipartisan Work and State Engagement with Lawmakers

OAKLAND - California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led a multistate coalition of attorneys general in sending a letter to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works and Energy and Natural Resources Committees regarding the proposed Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026. The draft bill, introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, is a wide-ranging package with the goal of reducing energy costs, creating jobs, and promoting clean energy and environmentally responsible growth. In the letter, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition commend the legislation's important goals, but express substantial concerns with the bill as currently drafted. The letter also states that the coalition will continue to engage with stakeholders on the details of the legislation to share additional perspectives and adjustments to ensure appropriate environmental and public health protections.

"As I've said before, building a clean energy future is a team effort that requires everyone - Republican and Democrat - to step off the sidelines. While the goals of the bill are noble, the legislation as drafted would undermine progress by reducing state authority to safeguard our resources and communities," said Attorney General Bonta. "As a former legislator, I understand the importance of sharing perspectives and working to build laws that work for everyone. With this letter, we aim to do just that. We will work tirelessly to build an energy future on behalf of Americans, not Big Oil."

The current draft bill is a varied package that would transform energy permitting and infrastructure. Without amendment, some of the bill's provisions will unnecessarily intrude upon states' rights, harm critical resources in our states, and create uncertainty in ways that undermine the purposes of the bill. These provisions will add to historical inequities and limit the ability of states - as well as Indigenous peoples and communities - to ensure appropriate environmental and public health protections for their residents.

The coalition states are home to a wide variety of natural resources, including wind and solar resources, waterways, large landscapes, cultural districts, and parks, along with Tribal resources. In the letter, the states offer a unique and diverse perspective, as they possess significant existing authority under the Clean Water Act and National Historic Preservation Act that the bill would undermine. The states also regularly participate in National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act processes that would be affected by the bill, and the bill's permitting certainty provisions would impact countless projects in the states.

In sending the comment letter, Attorney General Bonta, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown co-lead the attorneys general of Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Vermont, Oregon, and Maine.