Amended in Assembly March 26, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 309

Introduced by Assembly Member Mathis

February 12, 2015

An act relating to education begin insert , and making an appropriation therefor end insert .

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 309, as amended, Mathis. begin delete Postsecondary education: research grants. end delete begin insert State Air Resources Board: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: research grant program. end insert

Existing law establishes various grant programs relating to education, including, but not limited to, the Education Technology Grant Act of 2002 and the Child Development Teacher and Supervisor Grant Program.

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This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish a research grant program for postsecondary educational institutions.

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The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The state board is required to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020. The act authorizes the state board to include the use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation.

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This bill would require the state board, in collaboration with the Department of Water Resources, to create and administer a research grant program to provide one-year grants to support research that would examine ways to increase fresh water yield, improve energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as specified. The bill would specify that only California State University campuses, University of California campuses, and private universities within the state are eligible for these grants. The bill would appropriate $145,000 from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the state board for these purposes.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

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begin insert The Legislature finds and declares the following: end insert

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(a) The largest desalination plant project in the western
hemisphere is in Carlsbad, California. The project has been
approved by the California Coastal Commission, the State Lands
Commission, and the area’s regional water quality control board,
and, when the plan becomes operational in 2016, has the ability
to produce 50 million gallons of drinking water daily for the
residents of San Diego County.

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(b) In March 2015, Santa Barbara municipal officials
announced that the city is working on bringing a 20-year old
desalination plant back into operation. The city expects that the
facility will produce enough water to make up approximately 30
percent of Santa Barbara’s water demand once the plant is fully
operational.

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begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

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begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert The State Air Resources Board, in collaboration
with the Department of Water Resources, shall create and
administer a research grant program to provide one-year grants
to support research that would examine ways to increase fresh
water yield, improve energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by combining desalination and power generation
plants. Only California State University campuses, University of
California campuses, and private universities within the state shall
be eligible for these grants. end insert

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(b) There is hereby appropriated one hundred forty-five
thousand dollars ($145,000) from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Fund to the State Air Resources Board for the purpose of this
section.

end insert

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SECTION 1.  

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation that would establish a research grant program for
postsecondary educational institutions.

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