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 Environmental Protection in concert with environmental justice programs, that, among other things, would provide technical assistance to small businesses, small nonprofits, and disadvantaged communities in applying for an allocation of moneys from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The bill would declare that the secretary use existing resources for the program.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) Small businesses, small nonprofits, and disadvantaged
4communities often lack the technical expertise to develop grant
5and financing options.
6(b) In order for the state to meet its greenhouse gas emissions
7reductions goals, every entity and community must have the same
8opportunity to compete for funding that is available to meet those
9goals.
Part 10 (commencing with Section 44480) is added to
11Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:
12
For purposes of this part, “secretary” means the
16Secretary for Environmental Protection.
(a) The Green Assistance Program is hereby established
18and shall be administered by the secretary in concert with
19environmental justice programs. The program shall provide
20technical assistance to small businesses and small nonprofits, as
21both of those terms are defined by the secretary, and disadvantaged
22communities, as identified pursuant to Section 39711, in equitably
23applying for an allocation of the moneys deposited in the
24Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section
2516428.8 of the Government Code.
26(b) The technical assistance provided as part of the program
27established pursuant to this part may include, but is not limited to,begin delete28
any ofend delete
29(1) Basic information on available programs, eligibility
30requirements, and deadlines.
31(2) Referrals to designated contact people in public agencies
32administering the programs.
P3 1(3) Assistance during the application preparation and submission
2process.
(a) The secretary shall conduct outreach activities to
4inform small businesses, small nonprofits, and disadvantaged
5communities of the program established pursuant to this part.
6(b) The secretary may coordinate outreach activities with other
7state agencies, local agencies, and nonprofits that serve eligible
8program applicants.
The program established pursuant to this part shall use
10existing resources appropriated by the Legislature to the office of
11the Secretary for Environmental Protection in the annual Budget
12Act.
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