By @Kyle Packham
Media outlets widely covered CSDA members’ concerns regarding the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which concluded a 15-day comment period on its rulemaking process April 17. Leading experts in water and wildfire prevention are publicly urging CARB to amend its zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate on state and local medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles.
CSDA organized a coalition comment letter from special districts, cities, and counties, and provided CSDA members with a sample letter calling for amendments to exclude from the regulation all vehicles reasonably anticipated to respond to emergency situations or that support those efforts.
View CSDA Coalition Letter
CARB now has until August 1, 2026 to finalize its Final Statement of Record (FSOR) and submit its final rulemaking package to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) for its current rulemaking process. The timing of the FSOR depends in part on the volume and complexity of public comments submitted. CARB is required to summarize and respond to every unique, relevant comment received during both the 45-day and 15-day periods.
Depending on the volume of public comments, CARB may take weeks or months to analyze feedback and prepare its FSOR. If CARB determines that comments necessitate further "substantial" changes, they may initiate additional 15-day comment periods.
Under the California Administrative Procedure Act (APA), CARB must complete its regulatory process within a one-year period or the rulemaking is void and must start over. CARB first-initiated the 45-day notice for amendments to its ACF regulation on August 1, 2025.
OAL has 30 working days to approve or disapprove a final rulemaking package once it has been submitted by CARB. Once approved and filed with the California Secretary of State, regulations generally take effect on a quarterly schedule (January 1, April, 1, July 1, or October 1), depending on the date upon which they are filed.
To learn more, visit the CARB rulemaking page and csda.net/ZEV-Flexibility. Also, in case you missed it, see last week’s article in CSDA eNews: MUST READ: Details Emerge on CARB Truck Ban – Last Chance to Help
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