BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    AB 1482


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          Date of Hearing:  May 20, 2015


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                                 Jimmy Gomez, Chair


          AB  
          1482 (Gordon) - As Amended May 5, 2015


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          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  NoReimbursable:  No


          SUMMARY:


          This bill requires the Natural Resources Agency (NRA), in  
          coordination with the Strategic Growth Council (SGC), to address  
          the impacts of climate change and climate change adaptation by  
          reviewing and coordinating existing grant programs across all  








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          state agencies to ensure funding programs maximize prescribed  
          objectives related to climate change adaptation.


          This bill requires NRA, in coordination with SGC, to identify  
          and coordinate opportunities to expend funds from AB 32 cap and  
          trade revenues, Proposition 1 of 2014, and other sources to  
          implement a variety of adaptation strategies.


          FISCAL EFFECT:


          1)Increased cost pressures on the Greehouse Gas Reduction Fund  
            (GGRF), Prop 1 Water bond funds, and other unidentified funds,  
            potentially in the tens of millions to hundreds of millions of  
            dollars.


          2)Increased annual costs of $175,000 for ARB to quantify and  
            report on adaptations projects to reduce GHG reductions.


          COMMENTS:


          1)Rationale.  According to the author, current law does not  
            create a comprehensive climate adaptation policy.  


            In 2014, the NRA adopted the Safeguarding California Plan (an  
            update to the 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy),  
            which begins to lay out a statewide plan for climate  
            adaptation.  However, there is no mechanism for enforcing this  
            plan or ensuring that state agency or department actions are  
            consistent with the plan.  


            The Strategic Growth Council (SGC) is tasked with implementing  








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            the Sustainable Communities Strategy and other planning  
            programs to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gases.  
             However SCG does not have the authority to plan for climate  
            adaptation.  


            According to the author, these two existing state agencies are  
            ideal to oversee and coordinate California's climate  
            adaptation efforts as required by this bill.


          2)Background.  According to the United States Environmental  
            Protection Agency, adaptation is the adjustments that society  
            or ecosystems make to limit negative effects of climate  
            change.  It can also include taking advantage of opportunities  
            that a changing climate provides.
            


             In 2009, the NRA described adaptation as a relatively new  
            concept in California policy, and stated the term means  
            efforts that respond to the impacts of climate change -  
            adjustments in natural or human systems to actual or expected  
            climate changes to minimize harm or take advantage of  
            beneficial opportunities.  Climate risks in California include  
            sea level rise, changes in precipitation that increase the  
            risk of both drought and flooding, and increases in  
            temperatures that can affect air quality and habitat.





          3)Governor's Executive Order.  The Governor's executive order  
            issued on April 29, 2015, requires NRA to update the state's  
            climate adaptation strategy (The Safeguarding California plan)  
            every three years and ensure that its provisions are fully  
            implemented. The Safeguarding California plan will:
           








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             a)   Identify vulnerabilities to climate change by sector and  
               regions, including, at a minimum, the following sectors:  
               water, energy, transportation, public health, agriculture,  
               emergency services, forestry, biodiversity and habitat, and  
               ocean and coastal resources,



             b)   Outline primary risks to residents, property,  
               communities and natural systems from these vulnerabilities,  
               and identify priority actions needed to reduce these risks.



             c)   Identify a lead agency or group of agencies to lead  
               adaptation efforts in each sector.

            The executive order further requires each sector to prepare an  
            implementation plan by September 2015 to outline the actions  
            that will be taken as identified in Safeguarding California,  
            and report back to NRA by June 2016 on actions taken.  This  
            bill is consistent with this executive order.






          Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081

















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