California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 1059


Introduced by Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia

February 26, 2015


An act to add Part 2.1 (commencing with Section 71090) to Division 34 of the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental justice.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1059, as introduced, Eduardo Garcia. California Communities Environmental Health Screening.

Existing law requires the Secretary for Environmental Protection to convene a Working Group on Environmental Justice to assist the secretary in developing an agencywide strategy for identifying and addressing gaps in existing programs, policies, or activities of the agency’s boards, departments, and offices that may impede the achievement of environmental justice.

Existing law requires the California Environmental Protection Agency to identify disadvantaged communities as part of a 3-year investment plan developed by the Department of Finance for the moneys collected by the State Air Resources Board resulting from a market-based compliance mechanism.

This bill would require the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to update the California Communities Environmental Health Screening, developed by the agency and the office to implement the above requirements, by using any relevant environmental data relating to known impacts on the environmental quality of the communities in the California-Mexico border region. The bill would require the office to make a report to the Legislature on any barriers to accessing that data.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Part 2.1 (commencing with Section 71090) is
2added to Division 34 of the Public Resources Code, to read:

3 

4PART 2.1.  California Communities Environmental
5Health Screening

6

 

7

71090.  

(a) For purposes of this part, the following terms have
8the following meanings:

9(1) “Office” means the Office of Environmental Health Hazard
10Assessment.

11(2) “Tool” means the California Communities Environmental
12Health Screening, also known as CalEnviroScreen, that is used to
13identify disadvantaged communities pursuant to Section 39711 of
14the Health and Safety Code.

15(b) The office shall update the tool by using any relevant
16environmental data relating to known impacts on the environmental
17quality of the communities in the California-Mexico border region,
18including, but not limited to, air pollution, water pollution, and
19toxic sites.

20(c) (1) The office shall report to the Legislature on any barriers
21in accessing the data described in subdivision (b) in the next update
22of the tool or by January 1, 2017, whichever is sooner.

23(2) A report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be
24submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
25Code.



O

    99