California SB 661 — Airports: financial assistance.

California, 20252026. SB 661: Airports: financial assistance.

Plural source record ↗

Official legislative source ↗

Latest action

September 30, 2026 — In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.

Summary

The State Aeronautics Act establishes the Aeronautics Account in the State Transportation Fund, and continuously appropriates the moneys in the account for expenditure for airport purposes by the Division of Aeronautics within the Department of Transportation and the California Transportation Commission. Existing sales and use tax laws impose taxes on retailers measured by the gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property sold at retail in this state, or on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property purchased from a retailer for storage, use, or other consumption in this state, including taxes imposed on the sale, storage, use, or other consumption of jet fuels. Existing law requires revenues from these taxes to be transmitted to the Treasurer and deposited into the Retail Sales Tax Fund. Existing federal law requires that any revenue from sales and use taxes imposed on aviation fuel be used for the operation costs of airports, the local airport system, or other local facilities that are directly and substantially related to the air transportation of passengers or property, except as provided. This bill would require the Controller, on or before September 1 of each year, to transfer an amount calculated to represent the sales and use tax revenues derived with respect to the sale, storage, use, or other consumption of jet fuel, as provided, from the Retail Sales Tax Fund to the account for allocation to airports and aviation-related purposes, as provided. The bill would require all public and private use airports where jet fuel is sold or consumed to report fuel flowage statistics to the Division of Aeronautics, as provided, and would require the division to determine the revenue allocation for each airport that reports fuel flowage statistics. By adding new reporting requirements for county-owned and city-owned airports, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. From the above-described sales and use tax revenues deposited into the account, this bill would require the division, after deducting its administrative costs, as provided, to allocate 75% of those revenues to public and private use airports based on their reported fuel flowage statistics, as provided, 15% of those revenues for general aviation airports, as provided, 1% to award grants for aviation education, as provided, and 9% for existing grant programs that serve nonhub and small hub airports. From the above-described 75% of revenues deposited into the account, the bill would apportion, until January 1, 2032, $500,000 annually to award grants to rural, nonhub commercial airports and general aviation airports, as provided. By increasing the sources of funding for and expanding the purposes for which money may be used from a continuously appropriated fund, the Aeronautics Account, this bill would make an appropriation. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Sponsors

• Hurtado — primary sponsor

Bill text

SB661 Read version ↗

02/20/25 - Introduced Read version ↗

04/07/25 - Amended Senate Read version ↗

05/29/25 - Amended Senate Read version ↗

06/22/26 - Amended Assembly Read version ↗

07/01/26 - Amended Assembly Read version ↗

08/13/26 - Amended Assembly Read version ↗

08/31/26 - Enrolled Read version ↗

Recorded votes

Legislative history

1. September 30, 2026In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2. September 30, 2026Vetoed by the Governor.
3. September 4, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
4. August 28, 2026Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 6076.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
5. August 27, 2026Ordered to special consent calendar.
6. August 25, 2026From committee: That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 13. Noes 0. Page 5818.)
7. August 24, 2026From 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.
8. August 24, 2026Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d).
9. August 20, 2026In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
10. August 20, 2026Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6304.) Ordered to the Senate.
11. August 17, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
12. August 13, 2026Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
13. August 13, 2026From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 13).
14. August 13, 2026Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
15. August 5, 2026August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
16. July 1, 2026Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
17. June 30, 2026From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 29).
18. June 30, 2026June 29 set for second hearing. Placed on suspense file.
19. June 22, 2026From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.
20. July 15, 2025July 14 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
21. July 8, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on REV. & TAX. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.
22. June 16, 2025Referred to Coms. on TRANS. and REV. & TAX.
23. June 5, 2025In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
24. June 4, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1521.) Ordered to the Assembly.
25. June 2, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
26. May 29, 2025Ordered to second reading.
27. May 29, 2025Read third time and amended.
28. May 23, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
29. May 23, 2025From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 1208.) (May 23).
30. May 16, 2025Set for hearing May 23.
31. May 5, 2025May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
32. April 25, 2025Set for hearing May 5.
33. April 23, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 872.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
34. April 23, 2025From 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.
35. April 11, 2025Set for hearing April 23 in REV. & TAX. pending receipt.
36. April 10, 2025Set for hearing April 22.
37. April 9, 2025Re-referred to Coms. on TRANS. and REV. & TAX.
38. April 8, 2025Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
39. April 8, 2025Withdrawn from committee.
40. April 7, 2025From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.
41. March 5, 2025Referred to Com. on TRANS.
42. February 21, 2025From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
43. February 20, 2025Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

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