BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 859|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 859
Author: Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review
Amended: 8/30/16
Vote: 21
SENATE FLOOR: Not relevant
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: Not available
SUBJECT: Public resources: greenhouse emissions and biomass
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill is the cap-and-trade trailer bill for
2016-17. This bill contains necessary statutory changes to
implement the cap-and-trade expenditures in the 2016-17 Budget.
Assembly Amendments delete the Senate version of the bill and
insert the current language.
ANALYSIS: This bill does the following:
1) Makes changes, effective November 1, 2016, to the
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, $204,000 for
head-of-household filers, and $300,000 for joint filers;
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Page 2
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 125 megawatts of power from biomass facilities that
generate electricity from forest materials removed from
specific high fire hazard zones, as designated by CAL FIRE 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 to support the
development of sustainable communities. Under this program,
the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency awards GGRF
funding to local governments and non-profits to develop
greening projects, such as park expansions. At least 75
percent of the funding allocated by this program must be
awarded to disadvantaged communities.
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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 in 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 Resources Board to develop
a standardized emissions greenhouse gas emissions inventory
for natural and working lands and a framework for accounting
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 Resources 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: Appropriation: Yes Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: Yes
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This bill provides statutory provisions associated with the $900
million 2016 Cap and Trade Expenditure plan contained in SB 830
(Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) and AB 1613 (Committee
on Budget). This bill also contains a $1.4 million special fund
appropriation related to the Salton Sea.
SUPPORT: (Verified8/30/16)
None received
OPPOSITION: (Verified8/30/16)
None received
Prepared by:Catherine Freeman / B. & F.R. / (916) 651-4103
8/31/16 20:32:54
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