AB 416, as introduced, Gordon. California Air Resources Board: Local Emission Reduction Program.
Existing law designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency with the primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution, and air pollution control districts and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources.
This bill would create the Local Emission Reduction Program and would require money to be available from the general fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of providing grants to develop and implement greenhouse gas emission reduction projects in the state. The bill would require the state board to award moneys under the program to eligible recipients, as specified, and would permit the state board to give consideration to the ability of a project to, among other things, create local job training and job creation benefits and provide opportunities to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction in ways that increase localized energy resources.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is critical to
4public health, safety, the economy, and the natural environment
5that California residents rely on.
6(b) State investments in local and regional greenhouse gas
7emission reduction projects in this state help local communities
8thrive, support the state’s emission-reduction and clean-energy
9targets, lower the statewide unemployment rate, and spur new job
10growth.
11(c) Incentivizing local governments to plan and implement their
12own greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts will assist the state
13to
reach its emission-reduction targets faster and more efficiently.
14(d) Local greenhouse gas emission reduction initiatives best
15recognize the particular reduction opportunities at the local level
16and provide an opportunity to enhance the environment and
17economy of local and regional places through multibenefit projects.
18(e) Local governments are well-suited to coordinate and
19aggregate micro-, small-, community-, and regional-scale projects
20that will help the state reach its environmental targets while
21incentivizing investments and job growth at the local level.
22(f) It is the intent of the Legislature to promote investments in
23local and regional greenhouse gas emission reduction projects.
Chapter 3.6 (commencing with Section 39680) is added
25to Part 2 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:
26
(a) The Local Emission Reduction Program is hereby
30created.
31(b) Moneys shall be available from the general fund, upon
32appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of carrying out this
33chapter.
34(c) (1) The state board, in coordination with other state entities,
35as appropriate, shall establish the Local Emission Reduction
36Program to provide local assistance grants to eligible recipients
37for the purposes of developing and implementing greenhouse gas
38emission reduction projects in this state.
P3 1(2) The state board shall administer the Local Emission
2Reduction Program.
3(d) For purposes of this chapter “eligible recipient” means a
4city, county, city and county, charter city, metropolitan planning
5organization, regional climate authority, special district, joint
6powers authority, air pollution control and air quality management
7district, regional collaborative, or nonprofit organization working
8in coordination with a local government.
9(e) The state board shall award local assistance grants on a
10competitive basis based on the potential for greenhouse gas
11emission reductions, including sequestration, projects that
12demonstrate innovation and that result in replicable models with
13consideration of geographic and socioeconomic context.
14Consideration may also be given to the ability of a project or
15projects to do any of the following:
16(1) Create local job training and job creation benefits.
17(2) Decrease air or water pollution.
18(3) Reduce the consumption of natural resources or energy.
19(4) Provide opportunities to achieve greenhouse gas emission
20reductions in ways that increase localized energy resources.
21(5) Increase the reliability of local water supplies.
22(6) Increase solid waste diversion from landfills.
23(7) Achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions in ways that
24reduce vehicle miles traveled.
25(8) Prevent conservation of agricultural, forest, and open space
26lands to uses that result in higher greenhouse gas emissions.
27(f) The state board shall ensure that the Local Emission
28Reduction Program provides opportunities for both small and large
29population participants.
The state board, in coordination with other state
31agencies, as appropriate, shall develop standards and guidelines
32to ensure projects funded pursuant to this chapter maximize funds
33appropriated, provide environmental and economic benefits, and
34do not conflict with other areas of law.
O
99