Amended in Senate August 16, 2016

Amended in Senate August 2, 2016

Amended in Assembly May 31, 2016

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 greenhouse gases.

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 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 Growth Council, which consists of the heads of various state agencies and certain other members, 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. 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.

begin insert

This bill would become operative only if AB 1613 of the 2015-16 Regular Session is enacted and becomes effective on or before January 1, 2017, and $205,000,000 from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is appropriated pursuant to Section 3 of that act.

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:

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
P3    1benefits that are directly connected to communities most impacted
2by pollution and vulnerable to climate change. By making such
3comprehensive public investments, it is the intent of the Legislature
4that private resources can more effectively be catalyzed to support
5innovative community and climate transformation in disadvantaged
6communities.

7

75241.  

(a) The council, in coordination with the California
8Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Secretary for
9Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, shall award competitive
10grants to eligible entities through an application process. To be
11eligible, an entity shall demonstrate multistakeholder partnerships
12with local agencies, community-based organizations, labor groups,
13workforce investment boards, and other stakeholders, as
14appropriate. An eligible entity includes any of the following:

15(1) A nonprofit organization.

16(2) A community-based organization.

17(3) A faith-based organization.

18(4) A coalition or association of nonprofit organizations.

19(5) A community development finance institution.

20(6) A community development corporation.

21(7) A local agency.

22(8) A joint powers authority.

23(b) (1) The council shall award grants for the development of
24transformative climate community plans, and projects that
25implement plans, that contribute to the reduction of emissions of
26greenhouse gases and demonstrate potential climate, economic,
27workforce, health, and environmental benefits located in
28disadvantaged communities that have a demonstrated need for
29climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental benefits.
30The council shall award grants for plans that are designed to
31achieve, and projects that demonstrate, an integrated, innovative,
32cross-cutting project with multiple benefits provided directly in a
33disadvantaged community and that demonstrate community
34engagement and leadership in all phases. A plan shall identify
35metrics to meet the overall goals of the Transformative Climate
36Communities Program and the desired long-term changes in the
37plan’s region. In awarding grants, the council shall make grant
38awards for plan development contingent on the implementation
39of one or more projects identified by the plan.

40(2) The council may award a grant over multiple years.

P4    1(c) In order to be eligible for funding under the program, a plan,
2and a project that implements a plan, shall demonstrate that it will
3achieve a reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases.

4(d) In awarding grants pursuant to subdivision (b), the council
5shall prioritize plans, and projects that implement plans, that
6maximize, to the extent feasible, climate, public health,
7environmental, workforce, and economic benefits.

8(e) (1) For purposes of this part, “economic benefits” means
9high-quality, well-paid employment opportunities for residents in
10the plan’s region, benefits for small businesses located directly in
11the relevant disadvantaged community, and benefits for minority-,
12LGBT-, woman-, or disabled veteran-owned small businesses in
13the plan’s region.

14(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “LGBT” means lesbian,
15gay, bisexual, or transgender.

16

75242.  

(a) The council and all funded entities shall endeavor
17to identify additional public and private sources of funding to
18sustain and expand the program.

19(b) The council shall endeavor to identify and coordinate a
20network of technical assistance providers to assist in plan
21development, implementation, and project financing.

22

75243.  

(a) Before awarding funds under the program, the
23council, in coordination with the member agencies of the council,
24the State Air Resources Board, and other state entities, as needed,
25shall develop guidelines and selection criteria for the
26implementation of the program.

27(b) Before the adoption of guidelines and selection criteria, the
28council shall conduct at least three public workshops to receive
29and consider public comments. The council shall conduct one
30workshop at a location in a disadvantaged community in northern
31California, one workshop at a location in a disadvantaged
32community in the San Joaquin Valley, and one workshop at a
33location in a disadvantaged community in southern California.

34(c) The council shall publish the draft guidelines and selection
35criteria on its Internet Web site at least 30 days before the public
36workshops.

37(d) In adopting guidelines and selection criteria, the council
38shall consider comments, if any, from local governments, regional
39agencies, and other stakeholders. The council shall conduct
40outreach to disadvantaged communities to encourage comments
P5    1on the draft guidelines and selection criteria from those
2communities.

3(e) The council may revise the program guidelines and selection
4criteria to reflect changes in program focus or need. Before the
5council adopts changes to the guidelines or selection criteria, it
6shall conduct outreach to stakeholders as described in subdivisions
7(a) to (d), inclusive, regarding the proposed changes.

8(f) Upon the adoption of guidelines and selection criteria, the
9council shall submit, in accordance with Section 9795 of the
10Government Code, copies of the guidelines and selection criteria
11to the fiscal and appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.

12begin insert

begin insertSEC. 2.end insert  

end insert

begin insertThis act shall become operative only if Assembly Bill
131613 of the 2015-16 Regular Session is enacted and becomes
14effective on or before January 1, 2017, and two hundred five
15million dollars ($205,000,000) from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction
16Fund is appropriated pursuant to Section 3 of that act.end insert



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