The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.California AB 1947 requires Department of Transportation to report surplus highway land
Record date · August 13, 2026
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What This Bill Would Do
AB 1947 removes the current exemption for highway-held land, requiring the Department of Transportation to identify and report all or unused property to the Department of General Services. The bill also mandates that these reports include the market value of the properties and requires a consolidated report to be submitted to the Legislature by January 1, 2031.
This change increases transparency regarding state-owned real estate by forcing the Department of Transportation to disclose the market value and usage status of highway lands that were previously exempt from such oversight.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Department of Transportation
The department must now conduct annual reviews and report on the market value and usage of all highway-held lands.
Department of General Services
The department is responsible for receiving agency reports and submitting a consolidated report to the Legislature.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this bill force the state to sell highway land?
What is the deadline for the final report to the Legislature?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Removal of Highway Land Exemption
The bill marks a shift in state policy by ending the long-standing exemption that allowed the Department of Transportation to exclude highway land from surplus property reporting.
Connected Entities
Sources
openstates.org
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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