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.begin delete 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.end deletebegin insert The state board is required to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020. end insert
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.begin delete The bill would provide that, upon appropriation by the Legislature, up to $250,000,000 shall be available from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the council to administer the program.end delete 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 of transformative climate community plans, and projects that implement plans, that contribute to the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases and demonstrate potential climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental benefits in disadvantagedbegin delete communities, as defined,end deletebegin insert communitiesend insert that have a demonstrated need for climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental benefits.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) is added
2to Division 44 of the Public Resources Code, to read:
3
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.
(a) The council, in coordination with the California
2Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Secretary for
3Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, shall award competitive
4grants to eligible entities through an application process. To be
5eligible, an entity shall demonstrate multistakeholder partnerships
6with local agencies, community-based organizations, labor groups,
7workforce investment boards, and other stakeholders, as
8appropriate. An eligible entity includes any of the following:
9(1) A nonprofit organization.
10(2) A community-based organization.
11(3) A faith-based organization.
12(4) A coalition or association of nonprofit organizations.
13(5) A community development finance institution.
14(6) A community development corporation.
15(7) A local agency.
16(b) (1) The council shall award grants for the development of
17transformative climate community plans, and projects that
18implement plans, that contribute to the reduction of emissions of
19greenhouse gases and demonstrate potential climate, economic,
20workforce, health, and environmental benefits located in
21disadvantagedbegin delete communities, as identified pursuant to Section begin insert
communitiesend insert that have a
2239711 of the Health and Safety Code,end delete
23demonstrated need for climate, economic, workforce, health, and
24environmental benefits. The council shall award grants for plans
25that are designed to achieve, and projects that demonstrate, an
26integrated, innovative, cross-cutting project with multiple benefits
27provided directly in a disadvantaged community and that
28demonstrate community engagement and leadership in all phases.
29A plan shall identify metrics to meet the overall goals of the
30Transformative Climate Communities Program and the desired
31long-term changes in the plan’s region. In awarding grants, the
32council may make grant awards for plan development contingent
33on the implementation of one or more projects identified by the
34plan.
35(2) The council may award a grant over multiple years.
36(c) In awarding grants, the council shall weigh economic,
37environmental, and health benefits equally with climate benefits
38resulting from greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
39(d) (1) For purposes of this part, “economic benefits” means
40high-quality, well-paid employment opportunities for residents in
P4 1the plan’s region, benefits for small businesses located directly in
2the relevant disadvantaged community, and benefits for minority-,
3LGBT-, woman-, or disabled veteran-owned small businesses in
4the plan’s region.
5(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “LGBT” means lesbian,
6gay, bisexual, or transgender.
(a) The council and all funded entities shall endeavor
8to identify additional public and private sources of funding to
9sustain and expand the program.
10(b) The council shall endeavor to identify and coordinate a
11network of technical assistance providers to assist in plan
12development, implementation, and project financing.
Up to two hundred fifty million dollars ($250,000,000)
14shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, from the
15Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section
1616428.8 of the Government Code, to the Strategic Growth Council
17to administer the Transformative Climate Communities Program
18pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with
Section 75240) of Division
1944 of the Public Resources Code.
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