As 2025 came to a close, the Proposition 65 (Prop 65) landscape in California continued to evolve rapidly, reflecting shifting enforcement patterns, major litigation outcomes, and significant regulatory developments. This year-end review highlights some of the important Prop 65 developments from 2025 and what they may mean for businesses moving into 2026.
December 2025 has brought a pivotal shakeup in European sustainability regulations. On December 9, 2025, European legislators reached a provisional agreement on the Omnibus I simplification package, amending both the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D). The final text of the agreement has not yet been published. Nonetheless, the press
New York City voters ushered in sweeping changes to land use policy in the November mayoral election, approving four major City Charter amendments recommended by the Charter Revision Commission convened by Mayor Eric Adams in December 2024.
After months of high drama, California Senate Bill 79 (“SB 79”) was signed by Governor Newsom on October 10—the latest salvo in a year of ambitious legislation to increase housing supply in California. Effective July 1, 2026 (within incorporated cities[1]), the new law opens new residential building opportunities near existing rail and bus
California Senate Bill 92 (“SB 92”), introduced in January 2025 by Senator Catherine Blakespear and having been passed by both the California State Assembly and State Senate was approved by the Governor on October 10, 2025. SB 92 amends California’s Density Bonus Law (Government Code Section 65915 et seq.) (“SDBL”) to limit a developer’s ability to
On Friday, September 19, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a package of bills adopted by the California Legislature. Key among these were AB 1207 and SB 840, which extend the state’s Cap-and-Trade — now rebranded as the Cap-and-Invest — Program through 2045 while making modest changes to it.
The recent wave of executive orders issued under the Trump Administration marks a dramatic shift in the landscape of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policy, sustainability initiatives, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs at the federal level. From rescinding previous climate-related directives to terminating DEI programs and altering federal enforcement priorities, these sweeping changes
California’s Commercial Tenant Protection Act (SB-1103) took effect on January 1, 2025. Conceived as a transparency and displacement prevention measure for small businesses, the new law creates tenant protections for small enterprises and nonprofits leasing commercial property that resemble those more typically found in residential leases. A tenant who self-attests that it is a “Qualified
On Monday, June 30, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law two bills, AB 130 and SB 131, which provide new exemptions from, and streamlines the process, under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). AB 130 creates a statutory exemption for qualifying infill housing projects, streamlines the CEQA review process for residential projects in the
On June 16, 2025, the San Diego City Council voted 5-4 to cap the number of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) that can be built on single-family lots. The decision reverses the City’s 2020 implementation of a program allowing developers to build a nearly unlimited number of ADUs—a robust incentive previously heralded as a solution to
