BILL ANALYSIS
Bill No: AB
2670
SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Senator Roderick D. Wright, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
Staff Analysis
AB 2670 Author: John A. Perez
As Amended: May 28, 2010
Hearing Date: June 29, 2010
Consultant: Art Terzakis
SUBJECT
State Capitol Sustainability Task Force
DESCRIPTION
AB 2670 creates the "State Capitol Sustainability Task
Force" (task force) consisting of the California State
Senate, the California State Assembly, the Office of the
Governor, and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and
requires the task force to:
1. Coordinate and develop a sustainability initiative for
the State Capitol Building, the Legislative Office
Building and the State Capitol Park grounds.
2. Join the California Climate Action Registry to
determine, track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Perform benchmarking and monitoring of building
operations (e.g., energy and water use).
4. Increase overall fuel economy and fuel diversity of the
vehicle fleet.
5. Improve waste diversion practices (including e-waste
recycling, composting and reuse of materials), promote
environmentally preferable purchasing and integrate
sustainable practices.
6. Incorporate renewable energy and seek leadership in
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Energy and Environmental Design or Energy Star rating.
7. Partner with utility companies, water districts, labor
organizations, environmental groups, government entities
and the private sector to develop green demonstration
projects at the State Capitol.
8. Finalize the Capitol Park Master Plan, including
improving bicycle access and establishing bicycle paths.
EXISTING LAW
Existing law authorizes the Department of General Services
(DGS) to repair and alter buildings within the Capitol
area. Existing law also establishes the Historic State
Capitol Commission and requires the Commission to prepare
and amend a comprehensive master plan for the restoration,
preservation, and maintenance of the historic State
Capitol.
BACKGROUND
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
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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, it is believed that many more
improvements could still be made to ameliorate the overall
environmental impact of the Capitol.
As stated in the findings and declarations contained in AB
2670, "the State Capitol Building and grounds present a
unique opportunity to showcase sustainable practices,
demonstrate environmental leadership, and provide
environmental educational opportunities to nearly 800,000
annual visitors." According to the author's office, this
measure increases the opportunities for implementing more
sustainable practices by involving all the tenants in the
building. Potential funding to implement AB 2670 may be
available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009.
PRIOR/RELATED LEGISLATION
AB 1327 (Bass) 2009-10 Session. Nearly identical to AB
2670 (John A. Perez) of 2010. (Died on Assembly Suspense
file)
SUPPORT/OPPOSE: None on file as of June 25, 2010.
FISCAL COMMITTEE: Senate Appropriations Committee
DUAL REFERRAL: Senate Rules Committee