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