Amended in Senate June 12, 2014

Amended in Assembly April 22, 2014

Amended in Assembly February 18, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 1447


Introduced by Assembly Members Waldron and V. Manuel Pérez

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Brown, Chávez, Maienschein, and Wilk)

(Coauthor: Senator Vidak)

January 6, 2014


An act tobegin delete amend Section 39712 of the Health and Safety Code,end deletebegin insert add Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 2581) to Division 3 of the Streets and Highways Code,end insert relating to greenhouse gases.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1447, as amended, Waldron. California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: traffic synchronization.

The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation.begin delete Existing law requires the Department of Finance, in consultation with the state board and any other relevant state agency, to develop, as specified, a 3-year investment plan for the moneys deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.end delete Existing lawbegin delete permitsend deletebegin insert authorizesend insert moneys from the fund be allocated for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in this state through specified investments, including sustainable infrastructure projects, as specified.

This bill would authorizebegin insert moneys in the fund to be allocated for investment in a traffic signal synchronization project as aend insert sustainable infrastructurebegin delete projects to include traffic signal synchronization whenend deletebegin insert project ifend insert the project is designed and implemented to achieve cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and includes specific reduction targets and metrics to evaluate the project’s effect.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1begin insert

begin insertSECTION end insertbegin insert1end insertbegin insert.end insert  

end insert
begin insert

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:

end insert
begin insert

3(a) Traffic signal synchronization is a low-cost operational
4approach that reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas
5emissions while alleviating congestion.

end insert
begin insert

6(b) Studies show that investment in traffic signal timing
7programs enjoy cost-benefit ratios at more than 40 to 1, meaning
8the benefits from these programs save more than $40 for every
9dollar spent.

end insert
begin insert

10(c) Due to their ability to maximize benefits for the least cost,
11traffic signal synchronization programs should be explicitly eligible
12for funding dedicated to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

end insert
13begin insert

begin insertSEC. end insertbegin insert2end insertbegin insert.end insert  

end insert

begin insertChapter 16 (commencing with Section 2581) is added
14to Division 3 of the end insert
begin insertStreets and Highways Codeend insertbegin insert, to read:end insert

begin insert

15 

16Chapter  begin insert16.end insert Traffic Signal Synchronization
17

 

18

begin insert2581.end insert  

Investments in a traffic signal synchronization project
19may be eligible for allocation of funds pursuant to Section 39712
20of the Health and Safety Code as a sustainable infrastructure
21project if both of the following conditions are met:

22(a) The sponsoring agency’s legislative or governing body makes
23a finding that the project is designed and implemented to achieve
24cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

P3    1(b) The project includes specific reduction targets and metrics
2to evaluate the project’s effect.

end insert
begin delete
3

SECTION 1.  

Section 39712 of the Health and Safety Code is
4amended to read:

5

39712.  

(a) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that moneys
6shall be appropriated from the fund only in a manner consistent
7with the requirements of this chapter and Article 9.7 (commencing
8with Section 16428.8) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 4 of Title
92 of the Government Code.

10(2) The state shall not approve allocations for a measure or
11program using moneys appropriated from the fund except after
12determining, based on the available evidence, that the use of those
13moneys furthers the regulatory purposes of Division 25.5
14(commencing with Section 38500) and is consistent with law. If
15any expenditure of moneys from the fund for any measure or
16project is determined by a court to be inconsistent with law, the
17allocations for the remaining measures or projects shall be
18severable and shall not be affected.

19(b) Moneys shall be used to facilitate the achievement of
20reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in this state consistent
21with Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) and, where
22applicable and to the extent feasible:

23(1) Maximize economic, environmental, and public health
24benefits to the state.

25(2) Foster job creation by promoting in-state greenhouse gas
26emissions reduction projects carried out by California workers and
27businesses.

28(3) Complement efforts to improve air quality.

29(4) Direct investment toward the most disadvantaged
30communities and households in the state.

31(5) Provide opportunities for businesses, public agencies,
32nonprofits, and other community institutions to participate in and
33benefit from statewide efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

34(6) Lessen the impacts and effects of climate change on the
35state’s communities, economy, and environment.

36(c) Moneys appropriated from the fund may be allocated,
37consistent with subdivision (a), for the purpose of reducing
38greenhouse gas emissions in this state through investments that
39may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

P4    1(1) Funding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy
2efficiency, clean and renewable energy generation, distributed
3renewable energy generation, transmission and storage, and other
4related actions, including, but not limited to, at public universities,
5state and local public buildings, and industrial and manufacturing
6facilities.

7(2) Funding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the
8development of state-of-the-art systems to move goods and freight,
9advanced technology vehicles and vehicle infrastructure, advanced
10biofuels, and low-carbon and efficient public transportation.

11(3) Funding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with
12water use and supply, land and natural resource conservation and
13management, forestry, and sustainable agriculture.

14(4) Funding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through
15strategic planning and development of sustainable infrastructure
16projects, including, but not limited to, transportation and housing.
17 Sustainable infrastructure projects may include traffic signal
18synchronization when the project is designed and implemented to
19achieve cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and
20includes specific reduction targets and metrics to evaluate the
21project’s effect.

22(5) Funding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through
23increased in-state diversion of municipal solid waste from disposal
24through waste reduction, diversion, and reuse.

25(6) Funding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through
26investments in programs implemented by local and regional
27agencies, local and regional collaboratives, and nonprofit
28organizations coordinating with local governments.

29(7) Funding research, development, and deployment of
30innovative technologies, measures, and practices related to
31programs and projects funded pursuant to this chapter.

end delete


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