BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2516
Author: Gordon (D), et al.
Amended: 8/21/14 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER COMMITTEE : 8-1, 6/24/14
AYES: Pavley, Cannella, Evans, Hueso, Jackson, Lara, Monning,
Wolk
NOES: Fuller
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 5-0, 8/14/14
AYES: De León, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
NO VOTE RECORDED: Walters, Gaines
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 56-20, 5/28/14 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Sea level rise planning: database
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill creates the Planning for Sea Level Rise
Database (PSLRD), until January 1, 2018, to be managed by the
Natural Resources Agency (NRA). Requires various public and
private entities to provide NRA with existing sea level rise
planning information that is to be posted and updated biannually
on the PSLRD.
Senate Floor Amendments of 8/21/14 add the sunset date of
January 1, 2018.
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ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1.Authorizes the California Coastal Conservancy to address the
impacts and potential impacts of climate change on coastal
resources and to award grants to public agencies and nonprofit
organizations for this purpose.
2.Requires a local trustee of granted public trust lands whose
annual gross public trust revenues exceed $250,000 to prepare
and submit to the State Lands Commission an assessment of how
it proposes to address sea level rise.
3.Pursuant to Executive Order S-13-08 (Schwarzenegger), ordered
NRA, through the Climate Action Team, to coordinate with
local, regional, state and federal public and private entities
to develop, by 2009, a state Climate Adaptation Strategy.
Ordered the strategy to summarize the best known science on
climate change impacts to California, assess California's
vulnerability to the identified impacts, and outline solutions
that can be implemented within and across state agencies to
promote resiliency.
This bill:
1.Requires, on or before January 1, 2016, NRA, in collaboration
with the Ocean Protection Council, to create and post on an
Internet Web site the PSLRD describing steps being taken
throughout the state to prepare for, and adapt to, sea level
rise. Requires NRA to update the PSLRD on a biannual basis
with information provided by public and private entities, as
specified.
2.Defines "sea level rise planning information" as studies,
programs, modeling, mapping, cost-benefit analyses,
vulnerability assessments, adaptation assessments, and local
coastal programs that have been developed for the purposes of
addressing or preparing for sea level rise.
3.Requires the PSLRD to include sea level rise planning
information in a format determined by NRA.
4.Requires the following public and private entities to provide
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sea level rise planning information, as applicable, to NRA on
a biannual basis and authorizes the Ocean Protection Council,
to request the following information:
A. Airports within the California coastal zone or San
Francisco Bay area;
B. California Coastal Commission;
C. State Energy Resources Conservation and Development
Commission;
D. Ports located in the California coastal zone or San
Francisco Bay area;
E. Department of Transportation;
F. Investor-owned utilities located in the California
coastal zone or the San Francisco Bay area;
G. Publicly owned electric and natural gas utilities
located in the California coastal zone or San Francisco Bay
area;
H. Regional water quality control boards;
I. San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development
Commission;
J. California Coastal Conservancy;
AA. State Lands Commission; and
BB. State Water Resources Control Board.
1.Specifies that this bill does not require any of the listed
public or private entities to develop sea level rise planning
information.
2.Requires NRA, in developing the PSLRD, to organize the
database by geographic regions, provide an entry for each
city, county, and city and county within the coastal zone and
San Francisco Bay area, and include sea level rise planning
information under each entry. Requires NRA to organize the
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database in a manner it determines best to provide the public
with clear, useful, and readily accessible information.
3.Repeals the provisions of this bill on January 1, 2018.
Background
Climate change during the next century is projected to
accelerate sea level rise. A 2012 report from the National
Research Council found that the average sea level rise
projections for California are an additional six inches by 2030,
12 inches by 2050, and 36 inches by 2100. The country's longest
continuously operating gauge of sea level, in San Francisco Bay,
recorded a seven-inch rise in sea level over the 20th century.
As has been seen throughout the country with Superstorm Sandy
and recent king tides, California's coast is vulnerable to the
impacts of sea level rise.
The Assembly Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the
California Economy was established last year to thoroughly
review the challenges ahead in addressing the expected impacts
of sea level rise on California and its economy. Over the
course of a year, the Select Committee held four hearings
throughout the state to examine sea level rise's effect on
various sectors and industries. Topics at the four hearings
included projected impacts on: coastal agriculture, fishing and
aquaculture industry, tourism, ports, airports, roads and
bridges, water and power infrastructure, as well as the
examination of existing authority granted to state agencies in
regards to the preparedness and response to anticipated sea
level rise.
The Select Committee found that many cities, counties, and
regions have already begun to address the challenge of sea level
rise. In fact, there continues to be studies, modeling,
mapping, cost-benefit analysis, and vulnerability assessments
throughout the state to understand the risks and plan for sea
level rise through adaptation strategies.
The Select Committee also found that California is a leader in
addressing sea level rise. State agencies have developed sea
level rise planning guidance documents as well as supported
planning and adaptation projects through grant funding and
working with local planners. While much work has been done on
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the issue, the Select Committee found that the information that
exists is not centrally located, but found piecemeal among many
agencies and entities. Therefore, it will be beneficial for a
variety of reasons to create a database and obtain an inventory
of the work being done to address this critical issue.
First, a statewide database will allow coastal zone management
agencies and other involved state entities to coordinate and
continue a discussion of sea level rise preparedness.
Second, the database will allow the state to easily determine
which regions of the state are addressing sea level rise and
perhaps more importantly, where there are gaps. This will allow
policymakers the ability to target already limited resources and
perhaps encourage assessments in vulnerable areas where no prior
work has been done.
Third, the database will be beneficial for locals to share with
each other tools to address sea level rise. This could
encourage collaboration and at the least provide locals with the
knowledge of what studies, modeling, mapping etc. have been done
that may be useful to them and be replicated in their region.
Fourth, the database may be utilized as an educational vehicle
for state agencies to engage the public about what is currently
being done and what can be done to address the threat of sea
level rise.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
One-time costs of approximately $200,000 from the General Fund
in 2015 to establish the database.
Ongoing costs of approximately $65,000 from the General Fund
beginning in 2016 to maintain and update the database.
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/22/14)
Bay Conservation and Development Commission
California Association of Professional Scientists
California Coastal Commission
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California State Lands Commission
Cities Association of Santa Clara County
City and County of San Francisco
Cities of Goleta, and Mountain View
Counties of San Mateo, and Santa Clara
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Sierra Club California
The Nature Conservancy
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 56-20, 5/28/14
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Ammiano, Bloom, Bocanegra, Bonilla,
Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau,
Chávez, Chesbro, Cooley, Dababneh, Daly, Dickinson, Eggman,
Fong, Fox, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Hall,
Roger Hernández, Holden, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Lowenthal,
Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Pan, Perea, John A.
Pérez, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon,
Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Weber,
Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, Atkins
NOES: Allen, Bigelow, Conway, Dahle, Donnelly, Beth Gaines,
Gorell, Grove, Hagman, Harkey, Jones, Logue, Maienschein,
Mansoor, Melendez, Olsen, Patterson, Wagner, Waldron, Wilk
NO VOTE RECORDED: Frazier, Linder, Nestande, Vacancy
RM:e 8/22/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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