BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 859
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(Without Reference to File)
SENATE THIRD READING
SB
859 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review)
As Amended August 31, 2016
Majority vote. Budget Bill Appropriation Takes Effect
Immediately
SENATE VOTE: 25-11
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|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Budget |19-5 |Ting, Bloom, Bonta, |Obernolte, Travis |
| | |Campos, Chávez, Chiu, |Allen, Harper, Kim, |
| | |Cooper, Gordon, |Melendez |
| | |Holden, Irwin, | |
| | |Lackey, McCarty, | |
| | |Mullin, Nazarian, | |
| | |O'Donnell, Rodriguez, | |
| | |Thurmond, Wilk, | |
| | |Williams | |
| | | | |
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| | | | |
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SUMMARY: Provides statutory changes related to greenhouse gas
reduction and public resources necessary to implement the 2016
Budget Agreement. Specifically, this bill:
1)Effective November 1, 2016, reduces eligibility for vehicle
rebates offered by the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project in the
following manner:
a) Reduces the maximum income eligibility levels to qualify
for rebates to $150,000 for single filers, $240,000 for
head-of-household filers, and $300,000 for joint filers;
b) Restricts rebates offered to plug-in hybrid electric
vehicles to those that have an electric-only range of over
20 miles;
c) Exempts fuel-cell electric cars rebates from the new
income cap, and;
d) Repeals the above provisions on June 30, 2017.
2)Requires a grantee of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds (GGRF)
for dairy programs to determine and mitigate impacts of
investments of a proposed project on pollution, toxic air
containments, groundwater and surface water impacts, truck
traffic, and odor.
3)Requires retail sellers of electricity to purchase a total of
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125 megawatts of power from biomass facilities that generate
electricity from forest materials removed from specific high
fire hazard zones, as designated by Calfire in the Governor's
Proclamation of a State of Emergency issued October 30, 2015.
4)Stipulates that GGRF grant funding for forest projects shall
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve forest health,
with priority given to projects that promote long-term forest
management goals.
5)Establishes an urban greening program, which authorizes the
Secretary of Natural Resources to award GGRF funding to local
governments and non-profits to develop greening projects, such
as park expansions. At least 75% of the funding allocated by
this program must be awarded to disadvantaged communities.
6)Establishes a "Healthy Soils Program" which funds farmer
demonstration projects that achieves greenhouse gas reductions
through increasing soil organic matter and improving soil
structure.
7)Expands the membership and expands the scope of the Scientific
Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming.
8)Clarifies that Native American tribes are among the entities
to participate and benefit from statewide efforts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and can receive programmatic funding
for that purpose.
9)Clarifies the role of a trustee of public lands.
10)Requires the California State Air Board to develop a
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standardized emissions greenhouse gas emissions inventory for
natural and working lands and a framework for accounting for
emission reductions from forests.
11)Expands and clarifies the definition of eligible uses for the
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Revolving Loan program operated by
CalRecycle.
12)Appropriates $1.4 million from Waste Discharge Permit Fund
for the State Water Control Board to provide grants for the
projects that eliminate public health and safety risks for
wastewater, agricultural and other discharge of urbanized
areas of tributaries of the Salton Sea.
FISCAL EFFECT: This bill provides statutory provisions
associated with the $900 million 2016 Cap and Trade Expenditure
plan contained in SB 830 (Budget and Fiscal Review Committee)
and AB 1613 (Budget Committee) of the current legislative
session. This bill also contains a $1.4 million special fund
appropriation related to the Salton Sea.
COMMENTS: This budget trailer bill contains provisions
necessary to implement the 2016 Cap and Trade plan. This plan
builds upon the 2016 budget package to allow for the
programmatic spending of Greenhouse Gas Reductions Funds. In
addition, this bill contains statutory provisions related to
removal of biomass resulting from tree mortality.
Analysis Prepared by:
Christian Griffith / BUDGET / 916-319-2099 FN:
0005033
SB 859
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