BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 1415 Page 1 Date of Hearing: June 16, 2014 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES Wesley Chesbro, Chair SB 1415 (Hill) - As Amended: April 29, 2014 SENATE VOTE : 36-0 SUBJECT : Bay Area Air Quality Management District: advisory council SUMMARY : Reduces the number of members of the BAAQMD advisory council from 20 to seven and revises qualifications to focus on air pollution, climate change, and health impacts of air pollution. EXISTING LAW : 1)Establishes the BAAQMD, 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 responsibility for controlling air pollution from all sources, other than emissions from mobile sources. 2)Creates the advisory council, appointed by the BAAQMD board, to advise and consult with the board and the air pollution control officer in effectuating their duties and requires: a) The council be made up of the BAAQMD board chair, 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 BAAQMD. 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. SB 1415 Page 2 d) The council to meet at least four times per year. THIS BILL , effective July 1, 2015: 1)Reduces the number of members of the BAAQMD advisory council from 20 to seven. 2)Repeals the existing member categories and instead requires each member to be skilled and experienced in air pollution, climate change, or health impacts of air pollution. 3)Requires the members to be selected to include a diversity of perspectives, experience, and backgrounds. 4)Provides that the term appointments of existing members terminate on July 1, 2015. FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs. COMMENTS : 1)Author's statement: 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 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 SB 1415 Page 3 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." 2)Double referral. This bill is double-referred to the Assembly Local Government Committee. REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION : Support Bay Area Air Quality Management District Opposition None on file Analysis Prepared by : Lawrence Lingbloom / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092