BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 84
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 84 (Budget and Fiscal Review Committee)
As Amended June 24, 2013
Majority vote. Budget Bill Appropriation Takes Effect
Immediately
SENATE VOTE :Vote not relevant
SUMMARY : Contains necessary statutory and technical changes to
implement the Budget Act of 2013 related to resources.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Shifts the Ocean Protection Council to the Natural Resources
Agency and consolidates ocean programs under the Secretary for
Natural Resources.
2)Allows revenues from agricultural leases provided to the state
to be directed to the management of those leases rather than
for the future purchase of state lands.
3)Allows the Speaker of the Assembly or the Senate Committee on
Rules to appoint a Member of the Legislature or legislative
staff to serve as an alternate for a Member of the Legislature
appointed to a state board or commission within the Natural
Resources Agency in the Member's absence. Because these
members are ex-officio and do not vote, the alternates would
have the same restrictions as the sitting members.
4)Provides a change to the Architectural Paint Recovery Program
and Carpet Stewardship Program at the Department of Resources
Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to allow the
administrative fees supporting these programs to be paid
quarterly in arrears rather than yearly.
5)Reforms the Beverage Container Recycling Program at CalRecycle
in order to: a) create a more stringent certification
process, b) provide a new, formal training and technical
assistance program, mandate the use of certain updated
information technology tools, and, c) restrict recycling
centers to only redeeming beverage containers for which a
California Redemption Value has been paid.
6)Makes technical statutory changes to the Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection to eliminate the non-critical
SB 84
Page 2
functions, and reduce the statutory responsibilities of the
department, in order to meet workload within its authorized
spending levels.
7)Provides the necessary statutory changes to shift the
Education and the Environment Initiative from the Secretary
for California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) to
CalRecycle.
8)Requires Joint Legislative Budget Committee notification
within 30 days of any hydroelectric power project relicensing
proposal by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that, if
approved by the department, would obligate the General Fund in
the future.
9)Requires the California Alternative Energy and Advanced
Transportation Financing Authority to develop and administer a
risk mitigation program for Property Assessed Clean Energy
(PACE) loans.
10)Provides for the transfer of a Caltrans building to the
Department of Parks and Recreation for incorporation into the
capital development plan for the San Diego State Historic
Park.
11)Extends a concession agreement at Will Rogers State Beach to
exceed 20 years in order to allow the concessionaire to
amortize improvements over a longer period of time.
12)Eliminates the term limits on voting members of the Delta
Stewardship Council.
13)Requires the California Energy Commission, in administering
the Electric Program Investment Charge as developed by the
California Public Utilities Commission, to develop and
administer this program with a focus on ratepayers and with
annual reporting to the Legislature. Does not change the
authorization status of the program.
14)Makes several changes to the California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC) including: a) approves $30 million for
cyber-security research at the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory, b) provides for a zero-based budgeting exercise at
the CPUC to be reported to the Legislature in 18-months, c)
SB 84
Page 3
creates the Office of Ratepayer Advocates as a separate
budgetary program at the CPUC with separate budget and
positions, and, d) requires notice to the Legislature of
future litigation settlements.
15)Contains an appropriation allowing the bill to take effect
immediately upon enactment.
COMMENTS : This bill provides the necessary statutory references
to enact the 2013-14 Budget related to resources, environmental
protection, energy and agriculture.
Two amendments were taken to resolve the differences between the
Assembly and Senate versions of the Resources Omnibus trailer
bill. The first amendment relates to a provision from the
Budget Conference Committee compromise regarding resource agency
legislative alternates. The amendment would allow the Speaker
of the Assembly or the Senate Committee on Rules to appoint a
Member of the Legislature or legislative staff to serve as an
alternate for a Member of the Legislature appointed to a state
board or commission within the Natural Resources Agency in the
Member's absence. Because these members are ex-officio and do
not vote, the alternates would have the same restrictions as the
sitting members.
The second amendment addresses the timing of an accountability
reform at the California Public Utilities Commission. The
compromise amendment enacts a June 1, 2014, start date for the
prohibition of a currently seated CPUC Commissioner acting as an
owner, director, or an officer of a non-state entity, which was
created by the CPUC. The new start date means that the
prohibition would apply to current Commissioners.
Analysis Prepared by : Gabrielle Meindl / BUDGET / (916)
319-2099
FN: 0001271