Amended in Assembly April 20, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 12, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 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 greenhousebegin delete gases, and making an appropriation therefor.end deletebegin 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 wouldbegin delete appropriateend deletebegin insert provide that, upon appropriation by the Legislature, up toend insert $250,000,000begin insert shall be availableend 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 developmentbegin delete and implementationend delete of transformative climate communitybegin delete plansend deletebegin 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 deleteyes end deletebegin insertnoend insert. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) is added
2to Division 44 of the Public Resources Code, to read:

3 

4PART 4.  Transformative Climate Communities
5Program

6

 

7

75240.  

The Transformative Climate Communities Program is
8hereby created, to be administered by the Strategic Growth Council.
9The program shall fund the development and implementation of
10neighborhood-level transformative climate community plans that
11include multiple, coordinated greenhouse gas emissions reduction
12projects that provide local economic, environmental, and health
13benefits that are directly connected to communities most impacted
14by pollution and vulnerable to climate change. By making such
15comprehensive public investments, it is the intent of the Legislature
16that private resources can more effectively be catalyzed to support
17innovative community and climate transformation in disadvantaged
18communities.

19

75241.  

(a) The council, in coordination with the California
20Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Secretary for
21Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, shall award competitive
P3    1grants to eligible entities through an application process. To be
2eligible, an entity shall demonstrate multistakeholder partnerships
3with local agencies, community-based organizations, labor groups,
4workforce investment boards, and other stakeholders, as
5appropriate. An eligible entity includes any of the following:

6(1) A nonprofit organization.

7(2) A community-based organization.

8(3) A faith-based organization.

9(4) A coalition or association of nonprofit organizations.

10(5) A community development finance institution.

11(6) A community development corporation.

12(7) A local agency.

13(b) (1) The council shall award grants forbegin insert the development ofend insert
14 transformative climate communitybegin delete plansend deletebegin insert plans, and projects that
15implement plans,end insert
that contribute to the reduction of emissions of
16greenhouse gases and demonstrate potential climate, economic,
17workforce, health, and environmental benefits located in
18disadvantaged communities, as identified pursuant to Section
1939711 of the Health and Safety Code, that have a demonstrated
20need for climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental
21
begin delete benefits.end delete

22begin delete(2)end deletebegin deleteend deletebegin deleteThe council shall award grants for both plan development
23and plan implementation. A plan or plan development shall
24demonstrate, or engage in planningend delete
begin insert benefits. The council shall
25award grants for plans that are designedend insert
to achieve,begin insert and projects
26that demonstrate,end insert
an integrated, innovative, cross-cutting project
27with multiple benefits provided directly in a disadvantaged
28community andbegin delete shallend deletebegin insert thatend insert demonstrate community engagement
29and leadership in all phases. A plan shall identify metrics to meet
30the overall goals of the Transformative Climate Communities
31Program and the desired long-term changes in the plan’s region.begin insert end insert
32
begin insertIn awarding grants, the council may make grant awards for plan
33development contingent on the implementation of one or more
34projects identified by the plan.end insert

begin delete

35(3)

end delete

36begin insert(end insertbegin insert2)end insert The council may award a grant over multiple years.

37(c) In awarding grants, the council shall weigh economic,
38environmental, and health benefits equally with climate benefits
39resulting from greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

P4    1(d) (1) For purposes of this part, “economic benefits” means
2high-quality, well-paid employment opportunities for residents in
3the plan’s region, benefits for small businesses located directly in
4the relevant disadvantaged community, and benefits for minority-,
5LGBT-, woman-, or disabled veteran-owned small businesses in
6the plan’s region.

7(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “LGBT” means lesbian,
8gay, bisexual, or transgender.

9

75242.  

(a) The council and all funded entities shall endeavor
10to identify additional public and private sources of funding to
11sustain and expand the program.

12(b) The council shall endeavor to identify and coordinate a
13network of technical assistance providers to assist in plan
14development, implementation, and project financing.

15

SEC. 2.  

begin deleteTwo end deletebegin insertUp to two end inserthundred fifty million dollars
16($250,000,000)begin delete is hereby appropriatedend deletebegin insert shall be available, upon
17appropriation by the Legislature,end insert
from the Greenhouse Gas
18Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section 16428.8 of the
19Government Code, to the Strategic Growth Council to administer
20the Transformative Climate Communities Program pursuant to
21Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) of Division 44 of the
22Public Resources Code.



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