Amended in Assembly March 10, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2293

Introduced by Assembly Members Cristina Garcia, Eggman, Eduardo Garcia, and Gomez

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(Principal coauthor: Senator Leyva)

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February 18, 2016

An act to add begin delete Section 39717 to end delete begin insert Part 10 (commencing with Section 44480) to Division 26 of end insert the Health and Safety Code, relating to greenhouse gases.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2293, as amended, Cristina Garcia. Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: begin delete 3-year investment plan: technical assistance program. end delete begin insert Green Assistance Program. end insert

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.

This bill would begin delete require the state board to establish a technical assistance program, upon an appropriation of moneys from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, to end delete begin insert establish the Green Assistance Program, to be administered by the Secretary for Environmental Protection to, among other things, end insert assist small begin delete disadvantaged communities end delete begin insert businesses, small nonprofit organizations, and small cities end insert in applying for moneys from programs using moneys from the fund, as specified. begin delete The bill would also require the department to include in the 3-year investment plan an allocation to the state board for that technical assistance program. end delete

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

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The Legislature finds and declares both of the
following:

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(a) Small businesses, small nonprofit organizations, and small
cities often lack the technical expertise to develop grant and
financing options.

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(b) For the state to meet its air quality goals, every business
and community must have the same opportunity to compete for
funding that is available to meet those air quality goals.

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SECTION 1.  

Section 39717 is added to the Health and Safety
Code, to read:

39717.  

(a) For purposes of this section, “disadvantaged
community” means a community identified pursuant to Section
39711.

(b) The Department of Finance shall include in the investment
plan developed and submitted to the Legislature pursuant to Section
39716 an allocation to the state board to implement this section.

(c) Upon an appropriation of moneys from the fund, the state
board shall establish a technical assistance program to assist small
disadvantaged communities in applying for moneys from programs
that have been appropriated moneys from the fund.

(d) The program established pursuant to this section shall
provide assistance to small disadvantaged communities with any
of the following:

(1) Identifying

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begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

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begin insert Part 10 (commencing with Section 44480) is added to
Division 26 of the end insert begin insert Health and Safety Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

 

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PART  begin insert 10. end insert   begin insert Green Assistance Program end insert

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begin insert 44480. end insert   

For purposes of this part, the following definitions
apply:

(a) “Fund” means the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund,
established pursuant to Section 16428.8 of the Government Code.

(b) “Secretary” means the Secretary for Environmental
Protection.

(c) “Small city” means a city with a population of less than
500,000 as determined by the latest census.

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begin insert 44481. end insert   

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The Green Assistance Program is hereby established
and shall be administered by the secretary. The program shall do
all of the following:

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(a) Provide technical assistance, including the development of
competitive project proposals, to small businesses, small nonprofit
organizations, and small cities when applying for an allocation
of moneys from the fund.

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(b) Assist small cities in equitably applying for funding to help
mitigate the impacts of poor air quality and help improve the health
of the state’s most disadvantaged communities.

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(c) Assist small businesses in applying for funding for energy
efficiency upgrades to meet and exceed the greenhouse gas
emission reductions established pursuant to Section 38560.

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(d) Assist small businesses and small cities in complying with
all applicable federal, state, and local air quality laws.

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(e) Assist small cities to develop plans that would assist the
state in meeting the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit.

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begin insert (f) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert Identify end insert state agencies with appropriate grant programs.

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(2) Developing competitive project proposals to apply for
moneys available through state agencies or pursuant to this chapter.

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(3) Coordinating

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begin insert (g) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert Coordinate end insert existing local programs to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions with new programs receiving moneys begin delete pursuant to
this chapter. end delete begin insert from the fund. end insert

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(4) Conducting

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begin insert (h) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert Conduct end insert community outreach to residents of small
begin delete disadvantaged communities end delete begin insert cities end insert that the state board determines
require technical assistance on consumer programs receiving state
or local moneys begin delete pursuant to this chapter end delete begin insert from the fund end insert or for other
programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Those programs
may include, but are not limited to, programs that also improve
air quality, reduce residential and commercial water use, and
increase residential and commercial energy efficiency.