AB 1815, as introduced, Alejo. California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: disadvantaged communities.
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 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 as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation. Existing law requires the California Environmental Protection Agency to identify disadvantaged communities and requires the Department of Finance, in consultation with the state board and any other relevant state agency, to develop, as specified, a 3-year investment plan for the moneys deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Existing law requires the 3-year investment plan to allocate a minimum of 25% of the available moneys in the fund to projects that provide benefits to disadvantaged communities.
This bill would require the state board to prepare and post on its Internet Web site a specified report on the projects funded to benefit disadvantaged communities.
This bill would require the state board to establish a comprehensive technical assistance program, upon the appropriation of moneys from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, for eligible applicants, as specified, assisting eligible communities, as defined.
This bill also would require the department to include in the 3-year investment plan an allocation to the state board for that technical assistance program.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 39713 of the Health and Safety Code is
2amended to read:
(a) The investment plan developed and submitted to
4the Legislature, pursuant to Section 39716, shall allocate a
5minimum of 25 percent of the available moneys in the fund to
6projects that provide benefits to communities described in Section
739711.
8(b) The investment plan shall allocate a minimum of 10 percent
9of the available moneys in the fund to projects located within
10communities described in Section 39711.
11(c) The allocation pursuant to subdivision (b) may be, but need
12not be, for projects included, in whole or in part, in the set of
13projects supported by the allocation described in subdivision (a).
14(d) The state board shall prepare and post on its Internet Web
15site a report on the projects funded pursuant to this section. The
16report shall include all of the following:
17(1) A general description of each project.
end insertbegin insert18(2) The location where each project will be implemented.
end insertbegin insert19(3) The estimated date of completion of each project.
end insertbegin insert20(4) The amount awarded to each project.
end insertbegin insert
21(5) The status of any moneys in the fund that are not awarded
22pursuant to this section and the reasons those moneys have not
23been awarded.
Section 39713.5 is added to the Health and Safety
25Code, to read:
(a) For purposes of this section, “eligible
27communities” means census tracts identified as disadvantaged
P3 1pursuant to Section 39711 or with median incomes at or below 80
2percent of the statewide median income.
3(b) The investment plan developed and submitted to the
4Legislature pursuant to Section 39716 shall allocate from the
5available moneys in the fund technical assistance moneys to the
6state board to implement this section. That allocation of technical
7assistance moneys shall not be used to satisfy the requirements of
8subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 39713.
9(c) (1) Upon an appropriation of moneys from the fund, the
10state board shall establish a
comprehensive technical assistance
11program for eligible applicants assisting eligible communities that
12the state board determines require technical assistance in accessing
13programs allocated moneys appropriated from the fund.
14(2) Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, regional
15agencies and nonprofit organizations coordinating with local
16governments.
17(3) (A) The state board, in consultation with the California
18Environmental Protection Agency and agencies that administer
19programs using moneys appropriated from the fund, shall develop
20guidelines to implement this program consistent with this section.
21(B) The state board shall provide an opportunity for public
22comment prior to finalizing the guidelines.
23(d) The state
board shall prioritize technical assistance for those
24communities demonstrating the greatest need for increased capacity
25to access programs using moneys appropriated from the fund.
26(e) The program established pursuant to this section shall
27provide assistance to eligible applicants with any of the following:
28(1) Identifying state agencies with appropriate grant programs.
29(2) Developing competitive project proposals to apply for
30moneys available through state agencies or pursuant to this chapter.
31(3) Coordinating existing local programs to reduce greenhouse
32gas emissions with new programs receiving moneys pursuant to
33this chapter.
34(4) Conducting community outreach to residents of eligible
35
communities that the state board determines require technical
36assistance on consumer programs receiving state or local moneys
37pursuant to this chapter or for other programs that reduce
38greenhouse gas emissions.
39(f) Technical assistance provided pursuant to this section shall
40promote programs that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and
P4 1demonstrate a direct, meaningful benefit to eligible communities.
2Cobenefits of these programs may include, but are not limited to,
3improved air quality, improved water quality, improved public
4health, increased access to employment in clean energy, increased
5access to affordable housing and transit, reduced residential and
6commercial water use, and increased residential and commercial
7energy efficiency.
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