On Friday, the California Senate advanced Gov. Gavin Newsom’s special session proposal aimed at preventing gas price spiking during the floor session of the Second Extraordinary Session and passed a resolution to adjourn, marking an end to the one-week special session in the upper house.

The Senate passage of ABx2-1 — authored by Assemblymembers Gregg Hart and Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and Sen. Nancy Skinner — follows the Assembly advancing the measure last week.

The bill allows the state to require oil refiners to maintain a minimum inventory of fuel to avoid supply shortages that create higher gasoline prices for consumers, and higher profits for the industry.

It would also authorize the California Energy Commission to require refiners to plan for resupply during refiner maintenance outages.

“Californians are one step closer to getting the protections they need against Big Oil’s price spikes. I’m grateful to our partners in the Senate for helping to save Californians money at the pump. Price spikes cost consumers more than $2 billion last year, and we’re taking the action necessary to help put this to an end,” Newsom said.

Now the measure goes back to the Assembly for a final concurrence vote.

The Senate convened the Extraordinary Session, the second in two years, on Oct. 7, held two committee hearings regarding the bill, and held a floor vote on ABX2-1 before adjourning today. The bill addresses maintaining California’s fuel supply, in an effort to help prevent price spiking that directly impacts consumers. It now heads back to the Assembly for a concurrence vote.

ABX2-1, authored by Assemblymembers Gregg Hart and Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, and Senator Nancy Skinner, is focused on helping prevent gas price spiking by giving the California Energy Commission, or CEC, authority to require refiners to store more gas. Amendments to the bill include requiring that regulations must protect the health and safety of employees, local communities and the public, specifying that regulations may not interfere with existing safety laws, allowing the CEC to cap the small refineries exemption at 75,000 barrels per day, and other technical, clarifying language.

“Rising gas prices impact everyone in California and nearly every facet of our lives – from how much we’re paying at the pump to the cost of what we’re buying at the store. Putting mechanisms in place to help prevent costs from spiking and sending family budgets into a tailspin benefits us all, and working together, we’ve been able to do just that,” said Senate President pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-North Coast). “Thank you to all of the Senators for the swift, hard work and focus this week, and to our Assembly partners and Governor Newsom for their partnership on this effort.”

“All members of the Senate share concerns about the effect rising gas prices have on California families and the ripple effects that may have on the costs of other goods. Protecting consumers has always been our top priority,” said Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), who chaired the Senate Special Committee on Fuel Supply and Price Spikes. “As policymakers, we must be diligent in our oversight of the regulatory agencies to ensure that this legislation is implemented in a manner that protects the safety of the workers and makes gasoline more affordable for families. There is still much work to be done.”

Experts have come out in support of this measure, including Stanford economists who praised the proposal for being “an economically sound policy that addresses an important problem in a well-targeted way” and the “additional supply would free up refinery capacity to serve Nevada and Arizona, also reducing prices in these markets.”

Supporters of the bill include mayors, local leaders, consumer organizations, environmental advocates, labor, business leaders and consumer groups.

Last month, the governor and supporters met and discussed how gasoline price spikes affect millions of Californians’ everyday lives, and shared why this plan will help California families.

Watch the Friday floor session and archived footage here.