CaliforniaJet fuel taxes would fund airports and aviation education
The proposal would direct part of California's jet fuel tax revenue to airport funding and aviation education, with airport shares based on reported fuel totals.
What it does
The State Controller would move a specified share of existing jet fuel tax revenue into the state's airport fund each year to support airports and other aviation purposes.
After administrative costs, the money would be split among airports and aviation education. A $500,000 yearly grant set-aside for certain airports would come from the largest share until January 1, 2032.
Every public or private use airport where jet fuel is sold or used would report yearly fuel totals so the state could calculate its funding share.
Argument forDedicated education grants could help people enter aviation careers through flight training, air traffic control training, and college scholarships.
Argument againstAirports could face extra reporting work because they would need to submit annual jet fuel totals for the state to calculate funding.
More detail
The State Controller would transfer specified jet fuel tax revenue into the state's airport fund. The transfer would cover taxes on jet fuel sold, stored, or used in California. The transfer would cover revenue from the specified state tax components described as equaling 1.25 percent of the total statewide sales and use tax rate, less refunds. The money would have to support aviation purposes consistent with the cited federal laws. Transfers would occur on or before September 1 each year, using reported revenue from the immediately preceding fiscal year.
The California Department of Transportation's Division of Aeronautics would divide the transferred money among airports and aviation programs. From the 75 percent share, $500,000 annually would fund grants for rural nonhub commercial airports and for general aviation airports. After administrative costs, 75 percent would go to public and private use airports where jet fuel is sold or used, based on their reported fuel totals for the previous calendar year. Another 15 percent would go to general aviation airports, a federally defined category, through individual airport accounts under a process set by the division. One percent would fund aviation education grants. Priority would go to underrepresented students, women, veterans, and people with low incomes. Nine percent would fund existing grant programs serving airports classified as nonhub or small hub under federal airport categories tied to passenger traffic. Allocations would occur annually. The division could use up to $1 million for administration in the first year and $600,000 in each later year. Unused administrative money would return proportionally to the 75 percent airport share.
Airports would report annual jet fuel totals to the California Department of Transportation's Division of Aeronautics. All public and private use airports where jet fuel is sold or used would have to report. Reports would include the total gallons of jet fuel sold or used annually. The division would calculate each reporting airport's share of fuel tax revenue. Local agencies would receive reimbursement under existing procedures if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill imposes reimbursable costs. Airports would report the previous calendar year's fuel totals by March 31.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 30In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.Latest
- Sep 30Vetoed by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Major
- Sep 4Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 28Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 6076.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Special Consent. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 27Ordered to special consent calendar.
- Aug 25From committee: That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 13. Noes 0. Page 5818.)Minor
- Vote recorded That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 24From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on TRANS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 5618.) Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.Minor
- Aug 24Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d).Minor
- Aug 20In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 661 Hurtado Senate Third Reading By Aguiar-Curry. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 20Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6304.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Aug 17Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 13Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 13From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 13).Major
- Aug 13Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
- Aug 5August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
- Jul 1Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jun 30From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 29).Major
- Jun 30June 29 set for second hearing. Placed on suspense file.
- Jun 29
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 22From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.Major
- 2025
- Jul 15July 14 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
- Jul 8From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on REV. & TAX. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.Minor
- Jul 7
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Revenue and Taxation]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 16Referred to Coms. on TRANS. and REV. & TAX.Minor
- Jun 5In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Jun 4Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1521.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 2Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 29Ordered to second reading.Minor
- May 29Read third time and amended.Major
- May 23Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- May 23From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 1208.) (May 23).Minor
- May 16Set for hearing May 23.
- May 5May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 25Set for hearing May 5.
- Apr 23From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 872.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 23From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on REV. & TAX. (Ayes 14. Noes 0. Page 843.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.Minor
- Apr 22
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Revenue and Taxation]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 11Set for hearing April 23 in REV. & TAX. pending receipt.
- Apr 10Set for hearing April 22.
- Apr 9Re-referred to Coms. on TRANS. and REV. & TAX.Minor
- Apr 8Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- Apr 8Withdrawn from committee.Major
- Apr 7From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.Major
- Mar 5Referred to Com. on TRANS.Minor
- Feb 21From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
- Feb 20Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced
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