On the final day of California's 2025–26 legislative session, the Governor's actions split two measures by Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria of Fresno (September 30 legislative update).
| Bill | Subject | Action, September 30, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AB 1486 (Soria) | Climate-resiliency research farms | Signed |
| AB 2739 (Soria) | Water: affordability and system stabilization | Vetoed |
AB 1486 concerns research farms dedicated to climate resiliency, a subject with direct relevance to Valley agriculture as heat, drought and water limits reshape farming. AB 2739 addressed the affordability and stability of water systems, an issue felt acutely by small rural systems across the Valley. The Governor's veto message is posted with his September 30 legislative update.
The rest of the Valley's session
Other measures with Valley relevance were signed in the final weeks: AB 2270 on farmworker housing tax credits; AB 2706 on acidified and low-acid foods; AB 2728 on groundwater fees for small extractors; and AB 2646 on minimum wages for agricultural workers.
Two health-workforce measures failed earlier in September. The Governor vetoed AB 1547, which would have funded a feasibility study for a University of California medical-school branch campus in Kern County, and AB 2301 by Assemblymember Soria, which would have created a community-college pilot for a bachelor's degree in nursing.
AnalysisFor Valley health care, the session's lasting effect may be what it did not do. The region's shortage of physicians and nurses was not addressed by new training capacity in 2026. The main new public resource for rural health in the Valley is now the federal Rural Health Transformation money that California must commit by October 30, 2026, tracked on this site.