BILL NUMBER: SB 1394	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Lowenthal

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2012

   An act to amend Section 57007 of the Health and Safety Code,
relating to environmental protection.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1394, as introduced, Lowenthal. Environmental protection:
reports.
   Existing law requires the California Environmental Protection
Agency, and its boards, departments, and offices, to prepare and
submit to the Governor and the Legislature various reports containing
specified information on the implementation and effectiveness of
certain programs, policies, and projects to ensure the protection of
natural resources in the state. Existing law requires the agency, and
each board, department, and office within the agency, to submit a
biennial report to the Governor and Legislature, no later than
December 1 with respect to the previous 2 fiscal years, reporting on
the extent to which these state agencies have attained their
performance objectives, and on their continuous quality improvement
efforts.
   This bill would eliminate the requirement for the submission of
this biennial report to the Governor and the Legislature.
   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 57007 of the Health and Safety Code is amended
to read:
   57007.  (a) The agency, and the offices, boards, and departments
within the agency, shall institute quality government programs to
achieve increased levels of environmental protection and the public's
satisfaction through improving the quality, efficiency, and
cost-effectiveness of the state programs that implement and enforce
state and federal environmental protection statutes. These programs
shall be designed to increase the level of environmental protection
while expediting decisionmaking and producing cost savings. The
secretary shall create an advisory group comprised of state and local
government, business, environmental, and consumer representatives
experienced in quality management to provide guidance in that effort.
The secretary shall develop a model quality management program that
local agencies charged with implementing air quality, water quality,
toxics, solid waste, and hazardous waste laws and regulations may use
at their discretion. 
   (b) The agency, and each board, department, and office within the
agency, shall submit a biennial report to the Governor and
Legislature, no later than December 1 with respect to the previous
two fiscal years, reporting on the extent to which these state
agencies have attained their performance objectives, and on their
continuous quality improvement efforts.  
   (c) 
    (b)  Nothing in this section abrogates any collective
bargaining agreement or interferes with any established employee
rights. 
   (d) 
    (c)  For purposes of this section, "quality government
program" means all of the following:
   (1) A process for obtaining the views of employees, the regulated
community, the public, environmental organizations, and governmental
officials with regard to the performance, vision, and needs of the
agency implementing the quality government program.
   (2) A process for developing measurable performance objectiveness
using the views of the persons and organizations specified in
paragraph (1).
   (3) Processes for continually improving quality and for training
agency personnel, using the information obtained from implementing
paragraphs (1) and (2).