20250SCR_005097CHP INTRODUCED 2025-03-26 PASSED_ASSEMBLY 2025-07-10 PASSED_SENATE 2025-05-27 ENROLLED 2025-07-15 CHAPTERED 2025-07-18 FILED 2025-07-18 2025 SCR CHP CHR 0 Introduced by Senator Stern (Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Ahrens, Alvarez, Arambula, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Caloza, Connolly, Davies, Elhawary, Fong, Gabriel, Garcia, Gipson, Mark González, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Irwin, Jackson, Kalra, Krell, Lee, Lowenthal, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Ransom, Celeste Rodriguez, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Valencia, Ward, Wilson, and Zbur) LEAD_AUTHOR SENATE Stern COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Addis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Aguiar-Curry COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ahrens COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Alvarez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Arambula COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ávila Farías COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bains COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bennett COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Berman COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Boerner COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bonta COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bryan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Calderon COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Caloza COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Connolly COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Davies COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Elhawary COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Fong COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gabriel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Garcia COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gipson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Mark González COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Haney COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Harabedian COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hart COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Irwin COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Jackson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Kalra COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Krell COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lee COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lowenthal COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY McKinnor COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Muratsuchi COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Nguyen COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ortega COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Pacheco COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Papan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Pellerin COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Petrie-Norris COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Quirk-Silva COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ramos COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ransom COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Celeste Rodriguez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Michelle Rodriguez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Rogers COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Blanca Rubio COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schiavo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schultz COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Sharp-Collins COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Solache COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Soria COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Stefani COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Valencia COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ward COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wilson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Zbur Relative to climate change. climate change Maladaptation.

This measure would, among other things, recognize the serious and urgent threat maladaptation poses to the success and cost effectiveness of the state’s climate resilience actions. NO

WHEREAS, California is experiencing the unprecedented effects of a changing climate that are projected to worsen with even moderate increases in carbon dioxide emissions over the currently estimated parts per million, far above the baseline for a stable environment of parts per million; and

WHEREAS, Exceptionally dry conditions and hurricane-force winds caused the recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area and led to the deaths of people, the destruction of more than 5,000 structures, the displacement of over 100,000 people, a sixteenfold rise in hospital visits due to smoke exposure, and a projected economic loss of over $250 billion; and

WHEREAS, The duration and severity of multiyear wet or dry periods impact California’s social, economic, and natural systems throughout the state and is expected to be another drought year; and

WHEREAS, Researchers from the University of California, Davis, estimate that in alone the drought cost California’s agricultural economy $1.84 billion and led to the loss of over 10,000 jobs; the University of California, Los Angeles, found the 22-year-long southwest North American megadrought is the region’s driest two decades in 1,200 years; and

WHEREAS, Climate change is predicted to increase both the strength of atmospheric rivers and the frequency of 1-in-1,000-year storms, like those that struck the central coast City of Pajaro in and the City of Los Angeles in 2024; and

WHEREAS, Extreme heat events are becoming longer lasting, more frequent, and more intense. In the California coastal inland event alone, there were nearly deaths, more than adverse birth outcomes, over 2,000 hospitalizations, and over 4,200 emergency department visits, all attributable to the extreme heat that affected 34,000,000 people over 14 days with most of the impacts experienced in the health and safety sector; and

WHEREAS, While climate change affects everyone, people of color, immigrants, the elderly, women, California Native American tribes, and lower-income populations experience increased exposure and sensitivity to climate hazards and a reduced capacity to adapt; and

WHEREAS, California’s climate adaptation strategy recognizes that climate change threatens communities and natural places in every part of our state for centuries to come; and

WHEREAS, Avoiding maladaptation means examining any action taken by the state that is ineffective or increases the adverse risk of climate-related outcomes and is crucial to facing the climate crisis our state faces; and

WHEREAS, Only two state planning documents, the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation’s (GO-LCI) Planning and Investing for a Resilient California and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services’ California Adaptation Planning Guide, cite processes that avoid maladaptation, indicating that maladaptation-avoidant strategies are not widely dispersed nor comprehensive and deliberate; and

WHEREAS, The costs associated with direct climate impacts by 2050, totaling approximately $113 billion per year, are predominately composed of human mortality, damages to coastal properties, and the threat of droughts and megafloods; and

WHEREAS, These costs will continue to grow, but by taking proactive steps now and integrating a deliberate approach intended to avoid maladaptation, California can minimize future disruption and enable communities, infrastructure, and natural systems to withstand changing average conditions and extreme events; and

WHEREAS, According to a Climate Resiliency Report, every $1 spent preparing for climate disasters is worth $13 in saved economic costs for the community; and

WHEREAS, Because adaptation investments are primarily publicly funded, the costs of adaptation programs and their resulting benefits must be carefully considered to justify efficient spending and resource allocation;

now, therefore,

be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature recognizes the serious and urgent threat maladaptation poses to the success and cost effectiveness of the state’s climate resilience actions; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature calls on the GO-LCI to work with other state departments, researchers, and communities to develop and adopt a statewide policy with an agreed upon definition for maladaptation and to evaluate the effectiveness of measures to improve climate resilience; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature calls upon GO-LCI to review its policies and plans in the state’s Adaptation Clearinghouse database and evaluate their progress to determine if any have or are likely to be maladapted; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.