BILL NUMBER: AB 156 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 23, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 1, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 16, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Perea
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Rendon)
JANUARY 20, 2015
An act to amend Section 39713 of, and to add Section 39713.5 to,
the Health and Safety Code, relating to greenhouse gases.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 156, as amended, Perea. California Global Warming Solutions Act
of 2006: disadvantaged communities.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the
State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with
monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases.
The act authorizes the state board to include the use of market-based
compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for
fines and penalties, collected by the state board from the auction or
sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to
be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be
available upon appropriation. Existing law requires the California
Environmental Protection Agency to identify disadvantaged communities
and requires the Department of Finance, in consultation with the
state board and any other relevant state agency, to develop, as
specified, a 3-year investment plan for the moneys deposited in the
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Existing law requires the 3-year
investment plan to allocate a minimum of 25% of the available moneys
in the fund to projects that provide benefits to disadvantaged
communities.
This bill would require the state board to prepare and post on its
Internet Web site a specified report on the projects funded to
benefit disadvantaged communities.
This bill would require the state board to establish a
comprehensive technical assistance program, upon the appropriation of
moneys from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, for eligible
applicants, as specified, assisting disadvantaged communities and
other specified communities.
This bill would also require the department to include in the
3-year investment plan an allocation to the state board for that
technical assistance program.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 39713 of the Health and Safety Code is amended
to read:
39713. (a) The investment plan developed and submitted to the
Legislature, pursuant to Section 39716, shall allocate a minimum of
25 percent of the available moneys in the fund to projects that
provide benefits to communities described in Section 39711.
(b) The investment plan shall allocate a minimum of 10 percent of
the available moneys in the fund to projects located within
communities described in Section 39711.
(c) The allocation pursuant to subdivision (b) may be, but need
not be, for projects included, in whole or in part, in the set of
projects supported by the allocation described in subdivision (a).
(d) The state board shall prepare and post on its Internet Web
site a report on the projects funded pursuant to this section. The
report shall include all of the following:
(1) A general description of the project.
(2) The location where the project will be implemented.
(3) The estimated date of completion of each project.
(4) The amount awarded to each project.
(5) The status of any moneys in the fund that are not awarded
pursuant to this section and the reasons, if any, why those moneys
have not been awarded.
SEC. 2. Section 39713.5 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to
read:
39713.5. (a) The investment plan developed and submitted to the
Legislature pursuant to Section 39716 shall allocate from the
available moneys in the fund technical assistance moneys to the state
board to implement this section. That allocation of technical
assistance moneys shall not be used to satisfy the requirements of
subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 39713.
(b) (1) Upon an appropriation of moneys from
the fund, the state board shall establish a comprehensive technical
assistance program for eligible applicants assisting disadvantaged
communities identified pursuant to Section 39711 and other
communities with median incomes at or below 80 percent of the
statewide median income and that the state board determines require
technical assistance. Eligible applicants include, but are not
limited to, regional agencies and nonprofit organizations
coordinating with local governments.
(2) (A) The state board, in consultation with the California
Environmental Protection Agency and agencies that administer programs
using moneys appropriated from the fund, shall develop guidelines to
implement this program consistent with this section.
(B) The state board shall provide an opportunity for public
comment prior to finalizing the guidelines.
(c) The program established pursuant to this section shall provide
assistance to eligible applicants with any of the following:
(1) Identifying state agencies with appropriate grant programs.
(2) Developing competitive project proposals to apply for moneys
available through state agencies or pursuant to this chapter.
(3) Coordinating existing local programs to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions with new programs receiving moneys pursuant to this
chapter.
(4) Conducting community outreach to residents of disadvantaged
communities identified pursuant to Section 39711 and other
communities with median incomes at or below 80 percent of the
statewide median income and that the state board determines require
technical assistance on consumer programs receiving state or local
moneys pursuant to this chapter or for other programs that reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. The programs may include, but are
not limited to, programs that also improve air quality, reduce
residential and commercial water use, and increase residential and
commercial energy efficiency.
(d) Technical assistance provided pursuant to this section shall
promote programs that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and
demonstrate a direct, meaningful benefit to disadvantaged
communities. Cobenefits of these programs may include, but are not
limited to, improved air quality, improved water quality, improved
public health, increased access to employment in clean energy,
increased access to affordable housing and transit, reduced
residential and commercial water use, and increased residential and
commercial energy efficiency.