BILL ANALYSIS Ķ
AB 2139
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB
2139 (Williams)
As Amended August 15, 2016
Majority vote
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|ASSEMBLY: |58-22 |(June 2, 2016) |SENATE: |28-11 |(August 17, |
| | | | | |2016) |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Committee Reference: NAT. RES.
SUMMARY: Authorizes the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) to
develop an ocean acidification and hypoxia science task force
(task force) to ensure that decision making is supported by the
best available science. Specifically, this bill, requires,
subject to the availability of funding, OPC to take various
actions to address and adapt to ocean acidification.
The Senate amendments alter and clarify OPC's roles and
responsibilities when acting on ocean acidification, authorizes
the task force, and addresses any conflicts with SB 1363
(Monning) of the current legislative session, which also
addresses ocean acidification.
EXISTING LAW:
AB 2139
Page 2
1)Establishes OPC, which consists of the Secretary of Natural
Resources Agency (NRA), the Secretary for Environmental
Protection, the Chair of the State Lands Commission, and two
members of the public appointed by the Governor.
2)Requires OPC to support state agencies' use and sharing of
scientific and geospatial information for coastal- and
ocean-relevant decision making relating to coastal and ocean
ecosystems, including the effects of climate change.
3)Requires the Natural Resource Agency to update its climate
adaptation strategy, the Safeguarding California Plan (Plan),
by July 1, 2017, and every three years thereafter by
coordinating adaption activities among lead state agencies in
each sector.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, approximately $1.65 million (special and private
funds) for OPC to implement the specified tasks. The OPC
indicates that funds (private and special fund) have been
allocated for this purpose.
COMMENTS: The ocean absorbs about one-third of the CO2 that is
released into the atmosphere each year from the burning of
fossil fuels and other human activities. As the CO2 levels in
the atmosphere increase, so do the levels in the ocean. This
changes the chemistry of the water and threatens marine
ecosystems and coastal communities dependent on the health of
the sea. Ocean acidification is the lowering of the pH of the
ocean and changing of the ocean's chemistry, which can lead to
low dissolved oxygen water (hypoxia) in ocean ecosystems. Ocean
acidification will likely have major impacts on the fisheries
and aquaculture industries in California. It could also have a
profound effect on marine ecosystems leading to large-scale
die-offs and over the long term reduced biodiversity. Record
hot temperatures in the Pacific Ocean caused by global warming
and a powerful El Niņo have fueled the worst coral bleaching
event ever seen in portions of Australia's famed Great Barrier
AB 2139
Page 3
Reef. Australia's National Coral Bleaching Task Force has
surveyed 911 coral reefs by air, and found at least some
bleaching on 93% of them.
The Plan includes a sector on Oceans and Coastal Resources and
Ecosystems. That sector released a sector plan that discusses
ocean acidification, but there are no specific recommendations
for legislative or executive action. On April 4, 2016, the West
Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel (Panel)
released a synthesis of the current state of scientific
knowledge about ocean acidification and hypoxia in California,
Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. The Panel's final
report included what management options might be used to address
ocean acidification on the west coast. In the Panel's final
report, it stated, "Seagrass beds, kelps and other macrophytes
remove CO2 from seawater and convert it into living tissue.
This CO2 uptake can occur at sufficiently rapid rates to
significantly improve water quality for organisms sensitive to
carbon chemistry changes."
Analysis Prepared by:
Michael Jarred / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092 FN:
0004296