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Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa) announced that Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 1008, renewing a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption that allows the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to close unsafe at-grade rail crossings without first completing a CEQA review.
“When an at-grade rail crossing is determined to be unsafe, the state should be able to act promptly to protect the public,” said Senator Ochoa Bogh. “SB 1008 restores a proven exemption that allows the CPUC to address unsafe crossings without unnecessary delays. I’m grateful Governor Newsom signed this commonsense public safety measure into law.”
SB 1008 restores an exemption that expired on January 1, 2025. Without the exemption, the CPUC is required to complete CEQA reviews before closing at-grade rail crossings, which can delay needed safety actions and leave communities exposed to avoidable risks associated with unsafe crossings.
California law gives the CPUC authority over railroad crossings, including the power to alter, relocate, or abolish a crossing through physical closure. A standalone CEQA exemption for these closures was first established in 2012 through AB 1665 and later reinstated in 2019 through AB 1824. That exemption sunset on January 1, 2025.
SB 1008 renews the exemption, enabling the CPUC to carry out its authority to close at-grade rail crossings without a CEQA review delaying the closure.