BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                            



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                                    THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SB 1415
          Author:   Hill (D)
          Amended:  4/29/14
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE  :  5-0, 4/2/14
          AYES:  Hill, Gaines, Jackson, Leno, Pavley
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Fuller, Hancock, Vacancy, Vacancy

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  Senate Rule 28.8


           SUBJECT  :    Bay Area Air Quality Management District:  Advisory  
          Council

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill makes various changes to the Bay Area  
          Quality Management Advisory Council (Advisory Council)  
          membership.

           ANALYSIS  :    

          Existing law:  

          1. Establishes the Bay Area Air Quality Management District  
             (District), responsible for regulating air emissions located  
             in the boundaries of the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa,  
             Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara and  
             portions of the Counties of Solano and Sonoma, governed by a  
             district board, and provides that they have primary  
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             responsibility for controlling air pollution from all  
             sources, other than emissions from mobile sources.

          2. Creates the Advisory Council, appointed by the District  
             board, to advise and consult with the board and the bay  
             district air pollution control officer in effectuating their  
             duties and requires:

             A.    The Advisory Council be made up of the chair of the bay  
                district, as an ex officio member, and 20 members who  
                preferably are skilled and experienced in the field of air  
                pollution, including at least three representative of  
                public health agencies, at least four representative of  
                private organizations active in conservation or  
                environmental protection, at least one representative of  
                colleges or universities in the state, and at least one  
                representative from specified groups within the bay  
                district;

             B.    Each council member hold a term for two years and until  
                a successor is appointed;

             C.    Council members serve without compensation but allows  
                them to be reimbursed for Advisory Council duties; and

             D.    That the Advisory Council meets at least four times per  
                year. 

          This bill:  

          1. Changes the membership of the Advisory Council from 20 to  
             seven.

          2. Requires Advisory Council members to be skilled and  
             experienced in the field of air pollution, climate change, or  
             the health impacts of air pollution.

          3. Strikes the requirement that members of the Advisory Council  
             represent various groups, and instead requires members be  
             selected to include a diversity of perspectives, expertise,  
             and backgrounds.

          4. Provides that these changes become operative on July 1, 2015,  
             and the term appointments of the members of the Advisory  

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             Council as it exists on June 30, 2015, will terminate July 1,  
             2015.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  Yes

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  4/29/14)

          Bay Area Air Quality Management District


           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT :    According to the author, "the existing  
          statute reads that the Advisory Council members preferably are  
          skilled and experienced in the field of air pollution."   
          However, the author notes, "the BAAQMD [District] is required by  
          state and federal law to address a far more diverse set of  
          issues than it handled in 1955, when the council was established  
          in statute, such as reducing emissions from a much wider range  
          of sources, addressing the public health impacts of air  
          pollution, and working to address climate change issues under  
          state and federal requirements."  The author states that the  
          "Advisory Council's experience should also match the evolving  
          and complex needs of the Board and that SB 1415 updates the  
          BAAQMD Advisory Council language by requiring that members be  
          skilled and experienced in the fields of air pollution, climate  
          change, or the health impacts of air pollution." 

          The author also notes that, "by eliminating the requirement that  
          the 20 members come from various fields, such as architecture,  
          engineering, contracting, park districts and others, and instead  
          requiring seven members with expertise in topics that pertain  
          directly to BAAQMD rules and regulations, will allow for a more  
          focused and manageable membership to improve the quality of work  
          produced by the Advisory Council."  The author states that this  
          bill "requires the membership of the Advisory Council represent  
          a diversity of perspectives, expertise and backgrounds" which,  
          according to the author, "will help the BAAQMD not only address  
          current air quality issues, but provide for a more dynamic  
          advisory council membership to help the district continue to  
          meet air pollution challenges in the future."


          RM:d  4/30/14   Senate Floor Analyses 


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                           SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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