BILL NUMBER: AB 309	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 20, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 26, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Mathis

                        FEBRUARY 12, 2015

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



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 309, as amended, Mathis.  State Air Resources Board:
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: research grant program.  
Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, Sr. Research Grant. 
   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.
   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 
in regulations to achieve this goal  . 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.
   This bill would require the state board, in collaboration with the
Department of Water Resources, to create and administer  a
research grant program   the "Edmund G. 'Pat' Brown,
Sr., Research Grant"  to provide  a  one-year 
grants   grant to support research that would
examine ways to increase fresh water yield, improve energy
efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas  emissions, as
specified   emissions by combining desalination and
power generation plants  . The bill would specify that only
California State University  campuses,  
campuses and  University of California  campuses, and
private universities within the state   campuses 
are eligible for  these grants   this grant
 . The bill would appropriate $145,000 from the Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Fund to the state board for  these purposes
  this purpose  .
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares the following:
   (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.
   (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.
  SEC. 2.  (a) The State Air Resources Board, in collaboration with
the Department of Water Resources, shall create and administer
 a research grant program  the "Edmund G. 'Pat'
Brown, Sr., Research Grant"  to provide  a  one-year
 grants   grant  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,     campuses and
 University of California  campuses, and private
universities within the state   campuses  shall be
eligible for  these grants   this grant  .
   (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.