BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 342
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 6, 2011

                       ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
                                Cameron Smyth, Chair
                 AB 342 (Atkins) - As Introduced:  February 10, 2011
           
          SUBJECT  :   Office of Planning and Research.

           SUMMARY  :   Requires the Governor's Office of Planning and 
          Research's (OPR) to serve as the state's liaison with the United 
          States Department of Defense (DoD) in order to facilitate 
          coordination regarding issues that are of significant interest 
          to the department and requires OPR to perform specified duties 
          in this capacity.   Specifically,  this bill  :  

          1)Requires OPR to serve as the state's liaison to DoD in order 
            to facilitate coordination regarding issues that are of 
            significant interest to the state and DoD. 

          2)Requires OPR, in its role as liaison, to do all of the 
            following:

             a)   Coordinate with the department and other state agencies, 
               state departments, local governments, and other private and 
               public entities to ensure the sustainability of defense 
               activities within the state;

             b)   Develop legislation that supports the relationship 
               between the state and the department; and,

             c)   Work with federal defense agencies to address regulatory 
               activities by state agencies that affect the sustainability 
               of defense operations within the state.

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)States that OPR is the comprehensive state planning agency.
            
          2)Requires OPR, as the comprehensive state planning agency, to 

            do the following:

             a)   Develop long-term planning goals;

             b)   Assist in the preparation of short-range functional 








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               plans developed by state agencies and departments;

             c)   Review plans and programs to determine conflicts or 
               conformance with the state's land use planning goals;

             d)   Coordinate development of policies and criteria to 
               ensure that federal grants expended by the state further 
               statewide environmental goals;

             e)   Coordinate development of environmental monitoring 
               systems;

             f)   Coordinate development of criteria and procedures for 
               the orderly evaluation of the impact of public and private 
               actions on the environmental quality of the state;

             g)   Coordinate technical assistance provided by state 
               departments and agencies to regional and local governments 
               to assure that plans are consistent with statewide 
               environmental goals;

             h)   Develop long-range policies to assist the state and 
               local agencies in meeting the problems presented by the 
               growth and development of urban areas and defining the 
               complementary role of the state and other local entities;

             i)   Encourage the formation of and provide planning 
               assistance to regional planning agencies;

             j)   Assist local government in land use planning; and, 

             aa)  Prepare the General Plan Guidelines for the preparation 
               of and content of mandatory elements of city and county 
               general plans.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   Unknown

           COMMENTS  :   

          1)Executive Order S-16-06 ÝSchwarzenegger, 2006] established the 
            Governor's Advisor for Military Affairs within OPR.  Under 
            this executive order, OPR coordinates state policies that 
            affect the military, including land use planning, regulatory 
            activities by state agencies, and state legislation.









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          2)OPR has worked jointly with the DoD on a number of projects 
            including:

             a)   A Joint Land Use Studies  (JLUS):  The overall goal of 
               each JLUS is to reduce potential conflicts while 
               accommodating growth, sustaining the economic health of the 
               respective region, and protecting public health and safety. 
                Active military installations, surrounding counties and 
               cities, and other affected agencies collaborated to produce 
               the studies;

             b)   The California Advisory Handbook for Community and 
               Military Compatibility Planning: Provides guidance to local 
               governments, the military and developers on how to address 
               land use activities near military installations and 
               activities;

             c)Development Permit Notification to the Military:  OPR 
               created a mapping tool that local governments and 
               developers can use to identify whether proposed planning 
               projects are located in the vicinity of military bases and 
               military airspace.  This mapping tool will help local 
               governments and developers comply with the statutory 
               requirement that the military be notified of certain 
               development applications and general plan actions 
             ÝSB 1462 (Kuehl), Chapter 906, Statutes of 2004]; and,



             d)Community and Military Compatibility Planning, Supplement 
               to the General Plan Guidelines:  The purpose of this 
               publication is to assist cities and counties in addressing 
               military compatibility issues when developing, updating or 
               significantly amending their general plans.  These 
               guidelines are the result of the passage of SB1468 
               (Knight), Chapter 971, Statutes of 2002, and SB 1462, which 
               outline the responsibilities of cities and counties 
               regarding the military in the planning and land use 
               decision-making process. 

          3)According to the author's office, OPR has been the most 
            effective in serving as the liaison between state government 
            and DoD.  OPR has a proven track record as serving as the 
            gateway to other areas of the executive branch.  The 
            relationship is invaluable to the DoD and the military mission 








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            in California.  

          4)AB 342 codifies the relationship and establishes the ability 
            for a long-term connection between the Military and State 
            Government.  Making this liaison a permanent position will 
            result in significant efficiencies between the DoD and the 
            state.  

          5)Support arguments:  Supporters may argue that creating this 
            liaison in statute provides continuity and ensures that the 
            Military will always have a point of contact for issues 
            relating to state policies that affect the military.

            Opposition arguments:  Opposition may argue that there is no 
            need to statutorily solidify the relationship between OPR and 
            DoD, and that Governor Brown could just continue the existing 
            executive order. 

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          United States Air Force
          United States Army
          United States Marine Corps
          United States Navy

           Opposition 
           
          None on file 
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Katie Kolitsos / L. GOV. / (916) 
          319-3958