Amended in Senate April 14, 2015

Senate BillNo. 398


Introduced by Senator Leyva

(Coauthors: Senators Beall and Pavley)

February 25, 2015


An act to add Part 10 (commencing with Section 44480) to Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to nonvehicular air pollution.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 398, as amended, Leyva. Green Assistance 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 and to be available upon appropriation by the Legislature.

Existing law generally designates the state board as the state agency with the primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution, and air pollution control and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources.

This bill would establish the Green Assistance Program, to be administered by the Secretary for Environmentalbegin delete Protection,end deletebegin insert Protection in concert with environmental justice programs,end insert that, among other things, would provide technical assistance to smallbegin delete businesses and small citiesend deletebegin insert businesses, small nonprofits, and disadvantaged communitiesend insert in applying for an allocation of moneys from the Greenhouse Gas Reductionbegin delete Fund and would provide assistance to small businesses and small cities in complying with all applicable state, federal, and local air quality laws.end deletebegin insert Fund. The bill would declare that the secretary use existing resources forend insertbegin insert 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:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:

3(a) Smallbegin delete businesses and small citiesend deletebegin insert businesses, small
4nonprofits, and disadvantaged communitiesend insert
often lack the technical
5expertise to develop grant and financing options.

6(b) In order for the state to meet itsbegin delete air qualityend deletebegin insert greenhouse gas
7emissions reductionsend insert
goals, everybegin delete businessend deletebegin insert entityend insert and community
8must have the same opportunity to compete for funding that is
9available to meet thosebegin delete air qualityend delete goals.

10

SEC. 2.  

Part 10 (commencing with Section 44480) is added to
11Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:

12 

13PART 10.  Green Assistance Program

14

 

15

44480.  

begin deleteThe end deletebegin insertFor purposes of this part, “secretary” means the
16Secretary for Environmental Protection.end insert

17begin insert

begin insert44482.end insert  

end insert

begin insert(a)end insertbegin insertend insertbegin insertThe end insertGreen Assistance Program is hereby established
18and shall be administered by thebegin delete Secretary for Environmental
19Protection.end delete
begin insert secretary in concert with environmental justice
20programs.end insert
The program shallbegin delete do all of the following:end deletebegin insert provide
21technical assistance to small businesses and small nonprofits, as
22both of those terms are defined by the secretary, and disadvantaged
23communities, as identified pursuant to Section 39711, in equitably
24applying for an allocation of the moneys deposited in the
25Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section
2616428.8 of the Government Code.end insert

begin delete

27(a) Provide technical assistance to small businesses and small
28cities when applying for an allocation of the moneys deposited in
29the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section
3016428.8 of the Government Code.

P3    1(b) Assist small cities in equitably applying for funding to help
2mitigate the impacts of poor air quality and help improve the health
3of the state’s most disadvantaged communities.

4(c) Assist small businesses in applying for funding for energy
5efficiency upgrades to meet and exceed the greenhouse gas
6emissions goals established by the state board pursuant to the
7California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5
8(commencing with Section 38500)).

9(d) Assist small businesses and small cities in complying with
10all applicable state, federal, and local air quality laws.

end delete
begin insert

11(b) The technical assistance provided as part of the program
12established pursuant to this part may include, but is not limited
13to, any of the following:

end insert
begin insert

14(1) Basic information on available programs, eligibility
15requirements, and deadlines.

end insert
begin insert

16(2) Referrals to designated contact people in public agencies
17administering the programs.

end insert
begin insert

18(3) Assistance during the application preparation and
19submission process.

end insert
begin insert
20

begin insert44484.end insert  

(a) The secretary shall conduct outreach activities to
21inform small businesses, small nonprofits, and disadvantaged
22communities of the program established pursuant to this part.

23(b) The secretary may coordinate outreach activities with other
24state agencies, local agencies, and nonprofits that serve eligible
25program applicants.

end insert
begin insert
26

begin insert44486.end insert  

The program established pursuant to this part shall
27use existing resources appropriated by the Legislature to the office
28of the Secretary for Environmental Protection in the annual Budget
29Act.

end insert


O

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