BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                  SB 1006|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SB 1006
          Author:   Pavley (D)
          Amended:  6/1/10
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE  :  6-3, 4/13/10
          AYES:  Pavley, Kehoe, Lowenthal, Padilla, Simitian, Wolk
          NOES:  Cogdill, Hollingsworth, Huff

           SENATE ENV. QUALITY COMMITTEE  :  4-2, 4/19/10
          AYES:  Simitian, Corbett, Lowenthal, Pavley
          NOES:  Runner, Strickland
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Hancock

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  7-3, 5/27/10
          AYES:  Kehoe, Alquist, Corbett, Leno, Price, Wolk, Yee
          NOES:  Denham, Walters, Wyland
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Cox


           SUBJECT  :    Natural resources:  climate change:  Strategic  
          Growth 
                      Council

           SOURCE  :     Audubon California
                      Defenders of Wildlife
                      The Nature Conservancy


           DIGEST  :    This bill requires the Strategic Growth Council  
          to provide guidelines and information to local governments  
          to assist with the development of climate change adaptation  
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          strategies and projects, and expands the eligible  
          recipients of existing bond funds for sustainable community  
          planning to include special districts, councils of  
          governments, metropolitan planning organizations, and joint  
          powers authorities.  This bill also specifies guidelines  
          and clarifies information to be provided to local  
          governments.

           ANALYSIS  :    The Strategic Growth Council (Council) was  
          created by SB 732 (Steinberg), Chapter 729, Statutes of  
          2008, and consists of the Director of State Planning and  
          Research, the Secretary of the Resources Agency, the  
          Secretary for Environmental Protection, the Secretary of  
          Business, Transportation and Housing, the Secretary of  
          California Health and Human Services, and one public  
          member.  The purpose of the Council is to coordinate the  
          activities of the member agencies in order to more  
          effectively and efficiently achieve the following goals:   
          improve air and water quality, protect natural resource and  
          agriculture lands, increase the availability of affordable  
          housing, improve infrastructure systems, promote public  
          health, and assist state and local entities in the planning  
          of sustainable communities.  The Council is charged with  
          the following responsibilities:

          1. Identify and review activities and funding programs of  
             member state agencies to meet the council's goals.

          2. Recommend policies and investment strategies and  
             priorities to encourage the development of sustainable  
             communities.

          3. Provide, fund, and distribute date and information to  
             local governments and regional agencies that will assist  
             in the development and planning of sustainable  
             communities. 

          4. Manage and award grants and loans from Proposition 84 to  
             support the planning and development of sustainable  
             communities.

          On November 7, 2006, the voters approved the voter  
          initiative titled "The Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality  
          and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection  

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          Bond Act of 2006" (also known as Proposition 84).  One  
          provision of Proposition 84 provided $90 million for urban  
          greening projects that "reduce energy consumption, conserve  
          water, improve air and water quality, and provide other  
          community benefits."  The Council was directed to  
          administer two grant programs to with the urban greening  
          monies- one for projects and one for urban greening  
          planning in Section 75129 of the Public Resources Code.   
          Eligible applicants for these funds are specified as  
          cities, counties, or nonprofit organizations for the urban  
          greening projects and councils of governments, countywide  
          authorities, metropolitan planning organizations, local  
          governments, or nonprofit organizations for the urban  
          greening planning projects.
          
          This bill requires the Council to provide guidelines and  
          distribute information to local governments that will  
          assist with the development of climate change adaptation  
          strategies and projects.  The strategies and projects are  
          intended to protect natural ecosystem functions, protect  
          communities, and avoid environmental degradation and  
          greenhouse gas emissions.

          This bill expands the eligible recipients of Proposition  
          84-funded grants and loans for sustainable communities.  In  
          addition to the currently eligible cities, counties and  
          nonprofit organizations, this bill authorizes special  
          districts, councils of governments, metropolitan planning  
          organizations, and joint powers authorities to receive  
          financial assistance for sustainable communities.

          This bill clarifies information provided to local  
          governments, including information regarding climate change  
          adaptation strategies, projects, or activities that do all  
          of the following:

          1. Protect, conserve, restore, or enhance natural ecosystem  
             functions.

          2. Use effective approaches to protect communities,  
             including practices that utilize, enhance, or mimic  
             natural processes and functions.

          3. Avoid environmental degradation and emission of  

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             greenhouse gases.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:

                         Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions          2010-11           2011-12     
           2012-13   Fund  

          Guideline development           $300              General
          Cost pressure on bond funds     Unknown           Bond*

          * Proposition 84

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  6/1/10)

          Audubon California (co-source)
          Defenders of Wildlife (co-source)
          The Nature Conservancy (co-source)
          California Coastkeeper Alliance
          California Outdoor Heritage Alliance
          California ReLeaf
          Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
          Tree People
          Watershed Conservation Authority 

           OPPOSITION  :    (Verified  6/1/10)

          California Central Valley Flood Control Association 
          Department of Finance

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    The author, regarding the proposed  
          expansion of the council's responsibilities, states,  
          "California is at the forefront of climate change solutions  
          that achieve significant, near-term reductions in the  
          carbon pollution that is causing global warming.   
          Notwithstanding these essential mitigation measures,  
          California is already experiencing dramatic, unavoidable  
          climate change impacts due to carbon pollution already  
          committed to the atmosphere and oceans.  These climate  
          change impacts include documented sea-level rise, increased  

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          erosion, increased weather severity, altered water cycles,  
          reduced snowpack and earlier snow melt, increased wildfire  
          occurrence and severity, altered rainfall patterns,  
          disrupted food supply, and migration of plant and animal  
          species.  These impacts could expose the state and local  
          governments to trillions of dollars in costs.  Thus, in  
          addition to mitigation, state and local governments must  
          strategically plan to adapt to these and other unavoidable  
          climate change impacts."

          The Watershed Conservation Authority in support of the  
          bill, regarding the eligibility expansion, "Currently JPAs  
          and special districts, such as Water or Parks and  
          Recreation Districts, are not included under the list of  
          eligible applicants. Based on the demonstrated performance  
          of JPA's and special districts in green projects, the  
          incorporation of these additional groups to the eligible  
          applicant list is critical."

           ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION  :    The California Central Valley  
          Flood Control Association, in opposition to an earlier  
          version of the bill states, 
          "SB 1006 should be amended to preclude application of its  
          provisions to development of the Central Valley Flood  
          Protection Plan and the State Plan of Flood Control, as  
          well as the Delta Levee Maintenance and Special Projects  
          programs.  There are many areas of the Central Valley and  
          Delta where it is not feasible to use nonstructural  
          approaches to protect communities, particularly practices  
          that utilize, enhance, or mimic the natural hydrologic  
          cycle process."  
           

          CTW:mw  6/1/10   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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