BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 296|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 296
Author: Skinner (D)
Amended: 8/21/12 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 6-3, 6/28/11
AYES: DeSaulnier, Kehoe, Lowenthal, Pavley, Rubio,
Simitian
NOES: Gaines, Harman, Huff
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 5-2, 8/16/12
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Price, Steinberg
NOES: Walters, Dutton
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 54-21, 6/1/11 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Cool pavement
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Department of
Transportation (Caltrans) to develop one or more standard
specifications for cool pavement or materials by January 1,
2014, and requires Caltrans, when developing sustainable or
cool pavement technologies and performing pavement
life-cycle analysis, to consider specified environmental,
public health, and other benefits during the use-phase.
ANALYSIS : The term "cool pavements" typically refers to
paving materials that enhance reflectivity, enhance water
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absorption, or have been otherwise modified to remain
cooler than conventional materials. At the present time,
there is no official standard to designate cool paving
materials or to evaluate which materials perform best under
given circumstances.
Existing law requires the Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) to adopt a balanced, multimodal research and
development program that includes research and development
of new transportation-related technologies.
Existing law also establishes the California Building
Standards Commission (BSC) and the process for adopting
state building standards. Under this process, relevant
state agencies propose amendments to model building codes,
which the BSC must then adopt, modify, or reject. Existing
law requires BSC to publish the California Building Code in
its entirety once every three years. In January 2010, the
BSC adopted the 2010 California Green Building Standards
Code, known as the CALGreen Code, which mandates a number
of green building features. While building standards
generally concern themselves with structures themselves
rather than outdoor elements, the CALGreen Code also
includes a voluntary cool pavements provision to encourage
the use of alternative hardscape (i.e., improved walking
and driving surfaces) materials, such as light-colored or
open-grid materials or shade, around non-residential
structures.
This bill:
1.Requires Caltrans, on or before January 1, 2014, develop
one or more standard specifications for cool pavement or
materials, and identify existing standard specifications
that have cool pavement or materials.
2.Requires Caltrans, when developing sustainable cool
pavement technologies and performing life cycle analyses,
consider potential greenhouse gas reductions and energy
reductions, and improvements to local public health,
water quality, and other local and global benefits during
the use phase of the pavement.
3.Requires the BSC, for the next triennial code adopted
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after January 1, 2015, to consider incorporating the
specifications in the Cool Pavements Handbook into the
California Green Building Standards Code.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to Senate Appropriations Committee:
Unknown one-time costs to Caltrans, potentially up to
$500,000 (State Highway Account), to develop one or more
cool pavement specifications.
Unknown, likely moderate costs to Caltrans to consider
specified benefits during pavement use-phase when
developing pavement technologies.
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/20/12)
American Lung Association in California
Breathe California
California Building Officials
California Coastkeeper Alliance
California Municipal Utilities Association
California Nevada Cement Association
CalPortland Company
Contra Costa County
East Bay Municipal Utility District
Emerald Cities Cool Pavement
Natural Resources Defense Council
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Sacramento Tree Foundation
Sierra Club California
Soil Stabilization Company
Union of Concerned Scientists
US Green Building Council, California Advocacy Committee
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/20/12)
California Asphalt Pavement Association (previous version)
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
impervious pavements, which generally represent the largest
percentage of land cover in an urbanized area, increase
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temperatures in urbanized areas by absorbing, storing, and
later radiating heat energy from the sun. These elevated
temperatures increase smog formation, which negatively
affects human health, and energy consumption, which
increases power plant emissions. In addition, impervious
pavements increase water run-off, which contributes to
water pollution.
By reflecting the sun's rays or allowing for water
absorption, cool pavement alternatives minimize these
impacts. In addition, cool pavements can last 10 to 100
times longer than traditional pavements, thus reducing
replacement costs. This bill seeks to encourage the use of
cool pavements, including pervious pavements, by requiring
Caltrans to publish a handbook on the subject and to study
and evaluate the use of cool pavements in a pilot project.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Block,
Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan,
Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter, Cedillo,
Chesbro, Cook, Davis, Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fletcher,
Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Gatto, Gordon, Hall, Hayashi,
Roger Hern�ndez, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Knight,
Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Mitchell, Monning,
Nestande, Pan, Perea, Portantino, Skinner, Solorio,
Swanson, Torres, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A.
P�rez
NOES: Achadjian, Bill Berryhill, Conway, Donnelly, Beth
Gaines, Grove, Hagman, Halderman, Harkey, Jones, Logue,
Mansoor, Miller, Morrell, Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Silva,
Smyth, Valadao, Wagner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Galgiani, Garrick, Gorell, Jeffries, V.
Manuel P�rez
JJA:d 8/21/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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