BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2670
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 12, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Wesley Chesbro, Chair
AB 2670 (John A. Perez) - As Introduced: February 19, 2010
SUBJECT : State Capitol Sustainability Task Force.
SUMMARY : Establishes the State Capitol Sustainability Task
Force (Task Force) to coordinate, develop, and complete a state
capitol sustainability initiative for the State Capitol
buildings and grounds.
EXISTING LAW authorizes the Department of General Services (DGS)
to repair and alter buildings within the Capitol area.
Establishes the Historic State Capitol Commission (Commission)
and requires the Commission to prepare and amend a comprehensive
master plan for the restoration, preservation, and maintenance
of the historic State Capitol.
THIS BILL establishes the Task Force consisting of the
California State Assembly, the California State Senate, the
Office of the Governor, and the Office of the Lieutenant
Governor. Requires the Task Force to:
1)Coordinate, develop, and complete a state capitol
sustainability initiative for the State Capitol, including the
State Capitol Building, the Legislative Office Building, and
the State Capitol park grounds.
2)Join the California Climate Action Registry to monitor and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
3)Perform benchmarking and monitoring of building operations,
improve energy and water efficiency, and incorporate renewable
energy.
4)Increase the overall fuel economy and fuel diversity of the
vehicle fleet.
5)Improve waste diversion practices, promote environmentally
preferable purchasing, and integrate sustainable practices.
6)Develop public education materials on sustainability and
partner with utility companies, water districts, labor
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organizations, environmental groups, federal and local
government, and private industry to develop green
demonstration projects.
7)Seek a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or Energy
Star rating.
8)Finalize the Capitol Park Master Plan.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : According to the Capitol Museum, "the West's first
great architectural monument was the California State Capitol in
Sacramento." The California State Capitol Building was
completed in 1874 after 14 years of construction. By
mid-century the Legislature had outgrown the original building;
the East Annex was completed in 1952 to house the Governor and
the Lieutenant Governor and to provide additional office space
and committee rooms for the Legislature. In 1972 a seismic
study found that the Capitol would not survive an earthquake,
this finding and the need to modernize the building resulted in
the largest restoration project ever undertaken in North America
at that time. In order to protect the historic nature of the
building, the Legislature established the Historic State Capitol
Commission in 1976 to advise the Legislature on any changes made
to the building. In January 1982, the six year restoration
project was completed.
In 2001, the State and Consumer Services Agency, DGS, and SMUD
held the Greening of the State Capitol Project in Sacramento.
The Project identified numerous ways to "green" the Capitol,
including increasing energy efficiency, instituting
environmentally preferable purchasing requirements, building
commissioning, use of electric vehicles, establishing on-site
power generation, installing water efficiency measures, and
improving recycling. The Project also completed a landscape
assessment, which identified irrigation problems and methods to
compost green waste and use the composted material in Capitol
Park. While some of these activities have been undertaken, many
improvements could still be made to improve the overall
environmental impact of the Capitol.
As stated in the intent language, "the State Capitol presents a
unique opportunity to showcase sustainable practices,
demonstrate environmental leadership, and provide educational
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opportunities to its nearly 800,000 annual visitors." According
to the author, "AB 2670 increases the opportunities for
implementing more sustainable practices by involving all the
tenants in the building. Potential funding to implement [this
bill] is available through the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Elizabeth MacMillan / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092