BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1415| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 CONTINUED SB 1415 Page 2 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 CONTINUED SB 1415 Page 3 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 CONTINUED SB 1415 Page 4 SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE **** END **** CONTINUED