BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2800 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 18, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Lorena Gonzalez, Chair AB 2800 (Quirk) - As Amended April 12, 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Natural Resources |Vote:|7 - 2 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No SUMMARY: This bill establishes a Climate-Safe Infrastructure Working Group (Working Group) at the Natural Resources Agency (NRA) to examine how to integrate scientific data concerning projected climate change impacts into state infrastructure engineering. Specifically, this bill: 1)Requires state agencies to take into account the expected impacts of climate change when planning, designing, building, and investing in state infrastructure. AB 2800 Page 2 2)Requires NRA, by July 1, 2017, to establish the Working Group, as specified, to examine how to integrate scientific data concerning projected climate change impacts into state infrastructure engineering. 3)Requires the Working Group to make recommendations to the Legislature by July 1, 2018, on a process for integrating scientific knowledge into state infrastructure design. FISCAL EFFECT: 1)In addition to existing resources, the NRA estimates it will take an additional staff person working 3/4 time on this project to fulfill the requirements of the bill. 2)Unknown costs, likely absorbable for the state agency members of the Working Group (Department of Transportation, Department of Water Resources, Department of General Services). 3)Unknown costs, likely absorbable for the California State University and University of California to participate on the Working Group. 4)Absorbable costs for state agencies to account for the impacts of climate change when investing in state infrastructure. The recommendations provided by the Working Group may provide cost savings for state agencies' plans and projects. COMMENTS: 1)Purpose. According to the author, the Office of Planning AB 2800 Page 3 and Research's current technical advisory group that is considering how to incorporate climate change into state planning and investment decisions is a valuable endeavor, but the group will not specifically address the challenge targeted by this bill. This bill brings together climate scientists and professional engineers to examine how to integrate climate change data into infrastructure engineering. 2)Background. Several administrative actions have been adopted to ensure the state is preparing for the impacts of climate change. Executive Order S-13-08 required the Natural Resources Agency (NRA), to develop a state Climate Adaptation Strategy to summarize the best known science on climate change impacts and outline solutions that can be implemented within and across state agencies. Executive Order B-30-15 (Brown), in addition to establishing a 40% Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction goal by 2030, requires the NRA to update the state's climate adaptation strategy every three years and ensure that its provisions are fully implemented. This Executive Order also requires: a) State agencies to take climate change into account in their planning and investment decisions, and employ full life-cycle cost accounting to evaluate and compare infrastructure investments and alternatives. b) State agencies' planning and investment to be guided by the principles of climate preparedness, flexibility and adaptive approaches for uncertain climate impacts, protective of vulnerable populations, and prioritization of natural infrastructure solutions. c) The state's Five-Year Infrastructure Plan to take current and future climate change impacts into account in AB 2800 Page 4 all infrastructure projects and requires Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to establish a technical advisory group to help state agencies incorporate climate change impacts into planning and investment decisions. Additionally, existing law requires the NRA to update its climate adaptation strategy, the Safeguarding California Plan by July 1, 2017, and every three years thereafter, by coordinating adaption activities among lead state agencies in each sector. This bill is intended assist state agencies by bridging the gap between the state's scientific understanding of the projected impacts of climate change and the information required by engineers to determine how best to build state infrastructure. Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916) 319-2081 AB 2800 Page 5