BILL NUMBER: AB 1973 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 18, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Campos
FEBRUARY 16, 2016
An act relating to greenhouse gases. to
add Section 17654 to the Education Code, relating to school
facilities, and making an appropriation therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1973, as amended, Campos. Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Fund: local educational agencies: School facilities:
school districts: energy efficiency projects.
(1) Existing law expresses legislative findings and declarations
that it is in the interest of the state and of the people thereof for
the state to aid school districts in finding cost-effective methods
of conserving energy in school buildings maintained by the school
districts.
This bill would appropriate an unspecified amount of money to the
Santa Clara County Office of Education for allocation to school
districts within the county for a pilot program for purposes of
energy efficiency projects. The bill would provide that a school
district is eligible for those funds only if it has received
specified funding and does certain things in connection with those
energy efficiency projects, including, partners with an institution
of higher education for purposes of providing energy efficiency
project-based learning opportunities for pupils enrolled in
kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, leverages private
investment, and utilizes state-approved apprenticeship programs and
ensures access to those programs for qualified veterans who were
discharged after September 11, 2001. To the extent this bill would
impose additional duties on the Santa Clara County Office of
Education, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(2) Funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the
minimum funding requirements for school districts and community
college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the
California Constitution.
(3) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as
to the necessity of a special statute for Santa Clara County.
(4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse
local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
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.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation that would appropriate an unspecified amount of money
from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to local educational agencies
for energy efficiency projects that utilize best practices and reduce
carbon emissions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no yes
. Fiscal committee: no yes .
State-mandated local program: no yes .
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 17654 is added to the
Education Code , to read:
17654. (a) The sum of ____ dollars ($____) is hereby appropriated
from the General Fund to the Santa Clara County Office of Education
for allocation to school districts within the county for a pilot
program for purposes of energy efficiency projects.
(b) A school district shall be eligible for funds appropriated
pursuant to subdivision (a) only if it has received funding pursuant
to Proposition 39, an initiative enacted by voters at the November 6,
2012, statewide general election, and does all of the following in
connection with the energy efficiency project that it seeks
additional funding for:
(1) Partners with an institution of higher education for purposes
of providing energy efficiency project-based learning opportunities
for pupils enrolled in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12,
inclusive.
(2) Leverages private investment in addition to funds appropriated
pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 26205 of the
Public Resources Code.
(3) Utilizes state-approved apprenticeship programs and ensured
access to those programs for qualified veterans who were discharged
after September 11, 2001.
(c) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8
of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the funds appropriated
pursuant to this section shall be deemed to be "General Fund
revenues appropriated for school districts," as defined in
subdivision (c) of Section 41202, and included within the "total
allocations to school districts and community college districts from
General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII
B," as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202.
SEC. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that a
special law is necessary and that a general law cannot be made
applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the
California Constitution because of the uniquely proven track record
of school districts in Santa Clara County in implementing successful
energy efficiency projects that meet the requirements of this act.
SEC. 3. If the Commission on State Mandates
determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs
shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of
Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature
to enact legislation that would appropriate ____ dollars ($____) from
the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to local educational agencies for
energy efficiency projects that utilize best practices and reduce
carbon emissions.