Amended in Assembly April 20, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 12, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2722

Introduced by Assembly Member Burke

February 19, 2016

An act to add Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) to Division 44 of the Public Resources Code, relating to greenhouse begin delete gases, and making an appropriation therefor. end delete begin insert gases. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2722, as amended, Burke. Transformative Climate Communities 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 from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

Existing law establishes the Strategic Growth Council and requires the council to identify and review activities and funding programs that may be coordinated to improve air and water quality, improve natural resource protection, increase the availability of affordable housing, improve transportation, meet the goals of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, encourage sustainable land use planning, and revitalize urban and community centers in a sustainable manner.

This bill would create the Transformative Climate Communities Program, to be administered by the council. The bill would begin delete appropriate end delete begin insert provide that, upon appropriation by the Legislature, up to end insert $250,000,000 begin insert shall be available end insert from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the council to administer the program. The bill would require the council, in coordination with the California Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, to award competitive grants to specified eligible entities for the development begin delete and implementation end delete of transformative climate community begin delete plans end delete begin insert plans, and projects that implement plans, end insert that contribute to the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases and demonstrate potential climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental benefits in disadvantaged communities, as defined, that have a demonstrated need for climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental benefits.

Vote: majority. Appropriation:  begin delete yes end delete begin insert no end insert . Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

SECTION 1.  

Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) is added
to Division 44 of the Public Resources Code, to read:

 

PART 4.  Transformative Climate Communities
Program

 

75240.  

The Transformative Climate Communities Program is
hereby created, to be administered by the Strategic Growth Council.
The program shall fund the development and implementation of
neighborhood-level transformative climate community plans that
include multiple, coordinated greenhouse gas emissions reduction
projects that provide local economic, environmental, and health
benefits that are directly connected to communities most impacted
by pollution and vulnerable to climate change. By making such
comprehensive public investments, it is the intent of the Legislature
that private resources can more effectively be catalyzed to support
innovative community and climate transformation in disadvantaged
communities.

75241.  

(a) The council, in coordination with the California
Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Secretary for
Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, shall award competitive
grants to eligible entities through an application process. To be
eligible, an entity shall demonstrate multistakeholder partnerships
with local agencies, community-based organizations, labor groups,
workforce investment boards, and other stakeholders, as
appropriate. An eligible entity includes any of the following:

(1) A nonprofit organization.

(2) A community-based organization.

(3) A faith-based organization.

(4) A coalition or association of nonprofit organizations.

(5) A community development finance institution.

(6) A community development corporation.

(7) A local agency.

(b) (1) The council shall award grants for begin insert the development of end insert
transformative climate community begin delete plans end delete begin insert plans, and projects that
implement plans, end insert that contribute to the reduction of emissions of
greenhouse gases and demonstrate potential climate, economic,
workforce, health, and environmental benefits located in
disadvantaged communities, as identified pursuant to Section
39711 of the Health and Safety Code, that have a demonstrated
need for climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental

begin delete benefits. end delete

begin delete (2) end delete begin delete   end delete begin delete The council shall award grants for both plan development
and plan implementation. A plan or plan development shall
demonstrate, or engage in planning end delete begin insert benefits. The council shall
award grants for plans that are designed end insert to achieve, begin insert and projects
that demonstrate, end insert an integrated, innovative, cross-cutting project
with multiple benefits provided directly in a disadvantaged
community and begin delete shall end delete begin insert that end insert demonstrate community engagement
and leadership in all phases. A plan shall identify metrics to meet
the overall goals of the Transformative Climate Communities
Program and the desired long-term changes in the plan’s region. begin insert end insert

begin insert In awarding grants, the council may make grant awards for plan
development contingent on the implementation of one or more
projects identified by the plan. end insert

begin delete

(3)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert 2) end insert  The council may award a grant over multiple years.

(c) In awarding grants, the council shall weigh economic,
environmental, and health benefits equally with climate benefits
resulting from greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

(d) (1) For purposes of this part, “economic benefits” means
high-quality, well-paid employment opportunities for residents in
the plan’s region, benefits for small businesses located directly in
the relevant disadvantaged community, and benefits for minority-,
LGBT-, woman-, or disabled veteran-owned small businesses in
the plan’s region.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “LGBT” means lesbian,
gay, bisexual, or transgender.

75242.  

(a) The council and all funded entities shall endeavor
to identify additional public and private sources of funding to
sustain and expand the program.

(b) The council shall endeavor to identify and coordinate a
network of technical assistance providers to assist in plan
development, implementation, and project financing.

SEC. 2.  

begin delete Two end delete begin insert Up to two end insert hundred fifty million dollars
($250,000,000) begin delete is hereby appropriated end delete begin insert shall be available, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, end insert from the Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section 16428.8 of the
Government Code, to the Strategic Growth Council to administer
the Transformative Climate Communities Program pursuant to
Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) of Division 44 of the
Public Resources Code.