BILL NUMBER: AB 2678 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 7, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Ridley-Thomas
( Coauthor: Assembly Member
Chesbro )
FEBRUARY 21, 2014
An act to amend Section 8670.54 of the Government Code, relating
to oil spills.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2678, as amended, Ridley-Thomas. Oil spills: Oil Spill
Technical Advisory Committee.
Existing law, the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and
Response Act, governs oil spill prevention and response within the
state. Existing law also establishes the Oil Spill Technical Advisory
Committee to provide public input and independent judgment of the
actions of the administrator for oil spill response. The committee is
composed of 10 members and the Governor is required to appoint as
one of these members a person who has worked in state government.
This bill would instead require the Governor to appoint a member
who is a faculty member of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center
at UC the University of California at
Davis or the Director of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network. The
bill would also increase the number of members of the committee to
12, by requiring the Governor to appoint 2 additional members, one of
whom would represent an environmental group with an interest in
protecting inland natural resources from oil spills and one of whom
would represent an environmental justice group concerned about the
risk of oil spills from railroad tank cars in disadvantaged
communities.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no
yes . State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 8670.54 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
8670.54. (a) The Oil Spill Technical Advisory Committee,
hereafter in this article the committee, is hereby established to
provide public input and independent judgment of the actions of the
administrator. The committee shall consist of 10
12 members, of whom six eight
shall be appointed by the Governor, two by the Speaker of the
Assembly, and two by the Senate Rules Committee. The appointments
shall be made in the following manner:
(1) The Speaker of the Assembly, and Senate Rules Committee shall
each appoint members who shall be representatives of the public.
(2) The Governor shall appoint a member who has a demonstrable
knowledge of marine transportation.
(3) The Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Rules Committee
shall each appoint a member who has demonstrable knowledge of
environmental protection and the study of ecosystems.
(4) The Governor shall appoint a member who has served as a local
government elected official or who has worked for a local government.
(5) The Governor shall appoint a member who has experience in oil
spill response and prevention programs.
(6) The Governor shall appoint a member who has been employed in
the petroleum industry.
(7) The Governor shall appoint a member who is a faculty member of
the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at UC
University of California at Davis or the Director of the
Oiled Wildlife Care Network.
(8) The Governor shall appoint a member who has demonstrable
knowledge of the dry cargo vessel industry.
(9) The Governor shall appoint a member who represents an
environmental group with an interest in protecting inland natural
resources from oil spills.
(10) The Governor shall appoint a member who represents an
environmental justice group concerned about the risk of oil spills
from railroad tank cars traveling through disadvantaged communities.
(b) The committee shall meet as often as required, but at least
twice per year. Members shall be paid one hundred dollars ($100) per
day for each meeting and all necessary travel expenses at state per
diem rates.
(c) The administrator and any personnel the administrator
determines to be appropriate shall serve as staff to the committee.
(d) A chairman and vice chairman shall be elected by a majority
vote of the committee.