California Attorney General Rob Bonta and attorneys general from multiple states submitted comments opposing a proposal by the U.S. Global Change Research Program to amend the 2023 National Climate Assessment.
The USGCRP proposal would limit how federal agencies interpret and rely on certain findings from the assessment, specifically those based on worst-case climate scenarios assuming continued high greenhouse gas emissions and delayed adoption of climate mitigation policies.
The National Climate Assessment is a scientific document required by federal law to be updated every four years. The most recent version was released in November 2023.
The state attorneys general argued in their comments that the proposed changes are arbitrary and capricious, and therefore unlawful if adopted by federal agencies. They also contended the amendment fails federal information quality standards and lacks peer review, noting that it was prepared using artificial intelligence without involvement from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
The USGCRP published the proposal on August 25, 2026, and set a 15-day comment period. The attorneys general argued this timeframe is inadequate for reviewing substantive changes to a 2,000-page document and improperly constrains public input.