BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 693
                                                                  Page  1

          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 693 (Huffman)
          As Amended  July 6, 2012
          Majority vote
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |ASSEMBLY:  |     |(May 19, 2011)  |SENATE: |22-13|(August 13,    |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2012)          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
                    (vote not relevant)

          Original Committee Reference:   TRANS.  

           SUMMARY :  Extends authorization for the Sonoma County Regional 
          Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) from 2016 to 2020.

           The Senate amendments  delete the Assembly version of this bill, 
          and instead:  

          1)Extend the sunset date for the authorization for the Sonoma 
            RCPA until January 1, 2020.

          2)Find and declare that a special law is necessary and that a 
            general law cannot be made applicable because of the unique 
            greenhouse gas emission reduction goals of the County of 
            Sonoma.

          3)Provide that no reimbursement is required by the bill's 
            provisions because the only costs that may be incurred by a 
            local agency or school district are the result of a program 
            for which legislative authority was requested by that local 
            agency or school district.

           EXISTING LAW  :
           
          1)Creates the Sonoma RCPA until December 1, 2015. 

          2)Provides for the Sonoma RCPA to be governed by the same board 
            as that governing the Sonoma County Transportation Authority 
            and imposes certain duties on the Sonoma RCPA.

          3)Authorizes the Sonoma RCPA, in cooperation with local 
            agencies, as defined, that elect to participate, to perform 
            coordination and implementation activities, within the 
            boundaries of the County of Sonoma, to assist those agencies 








                                                                  AB 693
                                                                  Page  2

            in meeting their greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and 
            to develop, coordinate, and implement programs and policies to 
            comply with the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 
            2006 and other federal or state mandates and programs designed 
            to respond to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill required the Department of 
          Motor Vehicles to provide an online option for drivers to 
          connect to the California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Senate Appropriations 
          Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28, negligible state costs.


           COMMENTS  :  AB 881(Huffman), Chapter 375, Statutes of 2009, 
          established the Sonoma RCPA to  coordinate and help implement 
          actions that local Sonoma County agencies take to reduce 
          greenhouse gas emissions.  Authorized activities of RCPA include 
          assisting with the reduction of energy consumption, increasing 
          energy efficiency, increasing water use efficiency, addressing 
          carbon sequestration, addressing transportation alternatives, 
          and quantifying greenhouse gas reduction.


          The RCPA has the same board membership as the Sonoma County 
          Transportation Authority (SCTA), but is a distinct legal entity. 
           RCPA board members include representatives from the County of 
          Sonoma and from all of that county's nine cities.  The RCPA may 
          receive grants, and it may use SCTA funds identified to assist 
          in greenhouse gas reduction.  The RCPA cannot override the 
          actions of other local agencies.  Existing law sunsets the RCPA 
          on January 1, 2016.


          The purpose of this bill, sponsored by the Sonoma RCPA, is to 
          continue RCPA's authority to assist local agencies in Sonoma 
          County in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.


          The RCPA is a single-purpose entity that coordinates county-wide 
          efforts on developing efficient buildings, clean energy, 
          alternative transportation, and other efforts to adapt to 
          climate change.  Examples of RPCA-driven activities include 
          implementation of the Energy Upgrade California residential home 
          program with federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 








                                                                  AB 693
                                                                  Page  3

          funds, receipt of grant funds for greenhouse gas reduction 
          planning, partnerships to develop and install new technologies, 
          such as an electric vehicle charging station network, and 
          assisting in the development of transportation and land use 
          plans to further the goals of SB 375 (Steinberg), Chapter 728, 
          Statutes of 2008.


          The RCPA has adopted a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 
          25% below the 1990 level by 2015.  Much work remains beyond 2015 
          to further address climate change issues. 


          The subject matter of this bill has not been heard in any 
          Assembly policy committee this legislative session.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Debbie Michel / L.GOV. / (916) 319-3958 



                                                               FN: 0004478