Amended in Assembly April 20, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 7, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2715

Introduced by Assembly Members Eduardo Garcia, begin delete Dodd, and Alejo end delete begin insert Alejo, and Dodd end insert

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Roger Hernández and Salas)

(Coauthor: Senator Nielsen)

February 19, 2016

An act to add Section 12087.6 to the Government Code, relating to energy efficiency.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2715, as amended, Eduardo Garcia. Agricultural Working Poor Energy Efficient Housing 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 begin insert in its regulation of greenhouse gases end insert . 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 by the Legislature.

Existing law establishes the Department of Community Services and Development and requires the department to administer, among other things, the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Existing law requires the department to develop and administer the Energy Efficiency Low-Income Weatherization Program and to expend moneys appropriated by the Legislature for the purposes of the program.

This bill would require the department to develop and administer the Agricultural Working Poor Energy Efficient Housing Program and to expend moneys appropriated by the Legislature from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for the purposes of the begin delete program. end delete begin insert program to improve energy efficiency in farmworker-owned housing. end insert

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission begin insert (PUC) end insert to supervise certain low-income targeted energy efficiency programs administered by electrical corporations, gas corporations, or 3rd-party begin delete administrators. end delete begin insert administrators, and requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to undertake various activities and administer various programs to promote energy efficiency. end insert

This bill would require the department, in developing the Agricultural Working Poor Energy Efficient Housing Program, to consult with the begin delete commission end delete begin insert PUC and the Energy Commission end insert in order to avoid duplication with begin delete those end delete begin insert the end insert energy efficiency programs supervised by begin delete the commission. end delete begin insert those commissions. end insert

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.  

Section 12087.6 is added to the Government
Code, to read:

12087.6.  

(a) The department shall develop and administer the
Agricultural Working Poor Energy Efficient Housing Program
and expend moneys appropriated by the Legislature for the
purposes of the program. It is the intent of the Legislature that not
less than fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) shall be appropriated
annually to the department from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Fund, created pursuant to Section 16428.8, for these purposes.

(b) (1) Moneys appropriated for the program shall be used,
consistent with the requirements of Section 39712 of the Health
and Safety Code, to improve energy efficiency in begin delete farmworker end delete
begin insert farmworker-owned end insert housing, including for all of the following:

(A) Weatherization of homes and other residences.

(B) Replacement of energy inefficient appliances with Energy
begin delete Star certified end delete begin insert Star-certified end insert appliances.

(C) Replacement of lighting with begin delete light emitting end delete begin insert light end insert begin insert -emitting end insert
diode, commonly known as LED, lighting.

(D) Installation of photovoltaic solar panels and solar water
heating systems.

(E) Installation of battery backups.

(2) When distributing moneys appropriated for the program,
the department shall give preference to begin delete the end delete begin insert an end insert association of
federally designated farmworker organizations and other
organizations that have a proven track record of assisting
farmworkers.

(c) (1) The department may develop requirements, guidelines,
and subgrantee contract provisions for the program.

(2) The department shall do all of the following:

(A) Consult with the Public Utilities Commission begin insert and the State
Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission end insert in
developing the program in order to avoid duplication with begin delete those end delete
begin insert the end insert energy efficiency programs supervised by begin delete the commission. end delete

begin insert those commissions. end insert

(B)  begin delete No end delete begin insert Not end insert less than 30 days before finalization of the program
guidelines, post the draft program guidelines on the department’s
Internet Web site.

(C) Hold a public hearing to obtain public input on the draft
program guidelines with notice of the hearing published
prominently on the department’s Internet Web site no less than 15
days before the hearing.

begin delete

(d) Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1
does not apply to the development and adoption of program
requirements, guidelines, and subgrantee contract provisions
pursuant to this section.

end delete