BILL NUMBER: AB 2293	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 29, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 10, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Cristina Garcia,  Alejo, 
Eggman, Eduardo Garcia, and Gomez
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Leyva)

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2016

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


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2293, as amended, Cristina Garcia. Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Fund: Green Assistance Program.
   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 establish the Green Assistance Program, to be
administered by the Secretary for Environmental Protection to, among
other things, assist small  businesses,  
businesses and  small nonprofit  organizations, and
small cities   organizations  in applying for
moneys from programs using moneys from the fund, as specified.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares both of the
following:
   (a) Small  businesses,   businesses and 
small nonprofit  organizations, and small cities 
 organizations  often lack the technical expertise to
develop grant and financing options.
   (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.
  SEC. 2.  Part 10 (commencing with Section 44480) is added to
Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:

      PART 10.  Green Assistance Program


   44480.  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. 
   44481.  The Green Assistance Program is hereby established and
shall be administered by the secretary. The program shall do all of
the following:
   (a) Provide technical assistance, including the development of
competitive project proposals, to small  businesses,
 businesses and  small nonprofit  organizations,
and small cities   organizations  when applying for
an allocation of moneys from the fund. 
   (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.  
   (c) 
    (b)  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. 
   (d) 
    (c)  Assist small businesses  and small cities
 in complying with all applicable federal, state, and local
air quality laws. 
   (e) Assist small cities to develop plans that would assist the
state in meeting the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit.
 
   (f) 
    (d)  Identify state agencies with appropriate grant
programs. 
   (g) 
    (e)  Coordinate existing local programs to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions with new programs receiving moneys from the
fund. 
   (h) Conduct community outreach to residents of small cities that
the state board determines require technical assistance on consumer
programs receiving state or local moneys from the fund 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.