This piece also appears at Calbike.
CalBike’s two priority bills will likely end up in the Suspense File in the Assembly Appropriations Committee shortly because both have price tags that require scrutiny in Appropriations. The Quick-Build Bill (AB 891, Zbur) provides Caltrans with an opportunity to incorporate quick-build methods, thereby improving safety for vulnerable road users. The Bike Highways Bill (AB 954, Bennett) would create two regional bikeway network pilots, testing the impact of bike highways on transportation mode shift. The Suspense File could be a stop on the way to a floor vote or a chance for opponents of these measures to axe them behind the scenes without having to publicly oppose the popular proposals.
Quicksand for quick-build and bike highways
Once bills arrive at the Appropriations Committee and get placed in suspense, they could, in theory, be voted out of committee at any time. In practice, however, the Quick-Build Bill and the Bike Highways Bill — plus some of the other measures CalBike supports — are likely to move forward to the Assembly floor or get buried in an unmarked grave during a fast-moving hearing with little or no opportunity for testimony from supporters or opponents.
May 23 is the last day for bills to leave committees in their first houses in the 2025 legislative year. The Assembly Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing at which it will vote some of the bills in the Suspense Files out, sending them to a vote of the full Assembly. The rest will not be voted down but will simply “stay in suspense.”
Most of the decisions about what bills live or die will be made before May 23. As we’ve previously covered, the Suspense File provides a way for lawmakers and lobbyists to work behind the scenes to stop bills they oppose.
Saving critical bills from suspense
The suspense process makes the Appropriations Committee chairs two of the most powerful people in the California Legislature. This year, the chair in the Assembly is Bay Area Assemblymember Buffy Wicks. We’re gathering petition signatures and, once the bills go into the Suspense File, you can use our action tool to easily send Assemblymember Wicks emails about the Quick-Build Bill and the Bike Highways Bill. Or visit our Take Action for Bike Month page to find both those actions and an action to support full funding for the Active Transportation Program.
