California AB 2469 data center water disclosure before permits (2026)

AB 2469 (Papan), 2025-26 Reg. Sess.; adds Gov. Code § 65964.7. Ch. 436, Stats. 2026; approved and chaptered Sept. 21, 2026. Assembly concurrence Aug. 31, 2026 (Ayes 61, Noes 12). OPERATIVE RULE (§ 65964.7(b)): notwithstanding any other law, a city, county or city and county shall not approve a discretionary OR MINISTERIAL permit or other entitlement that would result in construction, or an expansion that increases maximum peak water use, of a data center unless: (1) the applicant provides (A) a water supply assessment under Water Code § 10910 et seq.; (B) beginning Jan. 1, 2028, a 'water scarcity plan' (measures for abnormally dry through exceptional drought years per the U.S. Drought Monitor, including staged withdrawal reductions, nonessential use curtailment, recycling/reuse, thermal load reductions and temporary load shedding); (C) projected water use and efficiency measures; (D) workforce disclosures (composition, job classifications, duration, wages/benefits, share residing in county and in state); and (2) the applicant assumes the full cost of required water conveyance, treatment, storage or distribution improvements as determined by the water supplier (further conditions in the bill text not reviewed in full). Declared a matter of statewide concern applying to charter cities; severable; state-mandated local program. EFFECTIVE DATE 2027-01-01 per Foley & Lardner alert (package 'primarily take[s] effect on January 1, 2027'); not stated on leginfo; non-urgency statute. Companion AB 2619 (Papan, Ch. 437) signed the same day.