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