BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
2125 (Ruskin)
Hearing Date: 08/02/2010 Amended: 07/15/2010
Consultant: Brendan McCarthy Policy Vote: NR&W 6-3
AB 2125 (Ruskin), Page 2
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 2125 requires the Ocean Protection Council to
support other state agencies' use of geospatial information for
coastal- and ocean-related decision making. The bill requires
the Ocean Protection Council to report to the Legislature on
issues related to marine spatial planning. The bill requires all
other state agencies with coastal management or regulatory
responsibilities to assist the Ocean Protection Council in these
activities. The bill authorizes the Ocean Protection Council to
award grants and provide other assistance to support this
effort.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Fund
Report development Up to $100 Bond *
Cost pressure for additional Unknown, potentially in the
millions. Bond *
grants
* Proposition 84.
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STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Under current law, the Ocean Protection Council is required to
coordinate ocean protection and conservation activities of state
agencies, improve the effectiveness of state efforts to protect
coastal resources, and to establish policies to coordinate the
collection and sharing of scientific data. The Ocean Protection
Council is also authorized to make grants and loans for a
variety of projects to improve coastal water quality, improve
fisheries, and protect ocean ecosystems. These projects are
funded from the Ocean Protection Trust Fund, which is largely
supported by $90 million in general obligation bond funds
allocated in Proposition 84.
AB 2125 requires the Ocean Protection Council (subject to
available funding) to support other state agencies' use of
scientific and geospatial information for coastal and marine
AB 2125 (Ruskin), Page 2
decision making. The bill requires the Council to take a variety
of actions, in coordination with other state agencies, to
collect and disseminate information on coastal resources. The
bill requires the Council to report to the Legislature on the
uses and benefits of marine spatial planning. The bill requires
all other state agencies with ocean management interests or
regulatory responsibilities to cooperate with the Council in
these requirements.
AB 2125 authorizes the Council to provide grants or other
assistance to pubic agencies and non-profit entities to improve
the availability and use of geospatial information relating to
coastal resources.
According to the Council, many of the requirements of the bill
have already been undertaken. However, in order to review these
activities and other state efforts in this area and report to
the Legislature, the Council may need additional resources. The
cost to prepare the required report is estimated to be about
$100,000.
In addition, by authorizing the Council to provide grants and
other assistance for these new activities, the bill puts cost
pressures on existing bond funds. The Legislature has
appropriated all of the $90 million allocated in Proposition 84
for use by the Council. Of this amount, about $25 million
remains unspent. By authorizing additional uses of this money,
the bill potentially reduces the funding that is available for
other uses of those bond funds.
Staff recommends the bill be amended to make a grammatical
correction. (Add a comma after "ecosystem health" on page 4,
line 26.)
AB 2598 (Brownley) requires local government agencies that have
been granted public trust lands to develop a sea level action
plan, which may be supported by funds from the Ocean Protection
Council. That bill will be heard in this Committee.
AB 1217 (Monning, Chapter 279, Statutes of 2009) authorizes the
Ocean Protection Council to develop and implement a voluntary
sustainable seafood program.
SB 539 (Wiggins, 2009) would have expanded the eligible uses of
AB 2125 (Ruskin), Page 2
existing Proposition 84 funds to include restoration of native
salmon and steelhead trout populations. SB 539 was held in the
Assembly Appropriations Committee.