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 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.
Existing law establishes the Strategic Growthbegin delete Councilend deletebegin insert Council, which consists of the heads of various state agencies and certain other members,end insert 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 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 disadvantaged communities that have a demonstrated need for climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental benefits.begin insert The bill would require the council, in coordination with the member agencies of the council, the State Air Resources Board, and other state entities, as needed, to develop guidelines and selection criteria for the implementation of the program.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:
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.
begin insert
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(8) A joint powers authority.
17(b) (1) The council shall award grants for the development of
18transformative climate community plans, and projects that
19implement plans, that contribute to the reduction of emissions of
20greenhouse
gases and demonstrate potential climate, economic,
21workforce, health, and environmental benefits located in
22disadvantaged
communities that have a demonstrated need for
23climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental benefits.
24The council shall award grants for plans that are designed to
25achieve, and projects that demonstrate, an integrated, innovative,
26cross-cutting project with multiple benefits provided directly in a
27disadvantaged community and that demonstrate community
28engagement and leadership in all phases. A plan shall identify
29metrics to meet the overall goals of the Transformative Climate
30Communities Program and the desired long-term changes in the
31plan’s region. In awarding grants, the councilbegin delete mayend deletebegin insert shallend insert make
32grant awards for plan development contingent on the
33implementation of one or more projects identified by the plan.
34(2) The council may award a grant over multiple years.
35(c) In awarding grants, the council shall weigh economic,
36environmental, and health benefits equally with climate benefits
37resulting from greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
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(c) In order to be eligible for funding under the program, a
39plan, and a project that implements a plan, shall demonstrate that
40it will achieve a reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases.
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(d) In awarding grants pursuant to subdivision (b), the council
2shall prioritize plans, and projects that implement plans, that
3maximize, to the extent feasible, climate, public health,
4environmental, workforce, and economic benefits.
5(d)
end delete
6begin insert(e)end insert (1) For purposes of this part, “economic benefits” means
7high-quality, well-paid employment opportunities for residents in
8the plan’s region, benefits for small businesses located directly in
9the relevant disadvantaged community, and benefits for minority-,
10LGBT-, woman-, or disabled
veteran-owned small businesses in
11the plan’s region.
12(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “LGBT” means lesbian,
13gay, bisexual, or transgender.
(a) The council and all funded entities shall endeavor
15to identify additional public and private sources of funding to
16sustain and expand the program.
17(b) The council shall endeavor to identify and coordinate a
18network of technical assistance providers to assist in plan
19development, implementation, and project financing.
(a) Before awarding funds under the program, the
21council, in coordination with the member agencies of the council,
22the State Air Resources Board, and other state entities, as needed,
23shall develop guidelines and selection criteria for the
24implementation of the program.
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(b) Before the adoption of guidelines and selection criteria, the
26council shall conduct at least three public workshops to receive
27and consider public comments. The council shall conduct one
28workshop at a location in a disadvantaged community in northern
29California, one workshop at a location in a disadvantaged
30community in the San Joaquin Valley, and one workshop at a
31location in a disadvantaged community in southern California.
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(c) The council shall publish the draft guidelines and selection
33criteria on its Internet Web site at least 30 days before the public
34workshops.
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(d) In adopting guidelines and selection criteria, the council
36shall consider comments, if any, from local governments, regional
37agencies, and other stakeholders. The council shall conduct
38outreach to disadvantaged communities to encourage comments
39on the draft guidelines and selection criteria from those
40communities.
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(e) The council may revise the program guidelines and selection
2criteria to reflect changes in program focus or need. Before the
3council adopts changes to the guidelines or selection criteria, it
4shall conduct outreach to stakeholders as described in subdivisions
5(a) to (d), inclusive, regarding the proposed changes.
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(f) Upon the adoption of guidelines and selection criteria, the
7council shall submit, in accordance with Section 9795 of the
8Government Code, copies of the guidelines and selection criteria
9to the fiscal and appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.
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