BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 767
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 3, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS, PROFESSIONS AND CONSUMER
PROTECTION
Mary Hayashi, Chair
AB 767 (John A. Pérez) - As Introduced: February 17, 2011
SUBJECT : State Capitol Sustainability Task Force.
SUMMARY : Establishes the State Capitol Sustainability Task
Force (Task Force) to develop and implement a State Capitol
Sustainability Initiative (Initiative). Specifically, this
bill :
1)Establishes the Task Force with the following seven members:
a) An Assemblymember and Assembly employee, each to be
appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly;
b) A Senator and Senate employee, each to be appointed by
the Senate Rules Committee;
c) A Governor's staff person and executive branch
appointee, each to be appointed by the Governor; and,
d) A Lieutenant Governor's (LG) staff person, to be
appointed by the LG.
2)Requires the Task Force to develop and implement an Initiative
for the State Capitol, including the State Capitol Building,
the Legislative Office Building (L.O.B.), and the State
Capitol Park grounds.
3)Requires the Task Force to coordinate activities with state
agencies and the private sector to:
a) Join the California Climate Action Registry to track and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
b) Benchmark and monitor building operations;
c) Increase overall fuel economy and fuel diversity of the
vehicle fleet;
d) Improve waste diversion practices, including material
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and electronic waste recycling and composting;
e) Invest in energy efficiency and water conservation
technologies;
f) Promote the purchase of environmentally preferable
products;
g) Incorporate renewable energy into the energy supply;
h) Integrate sustainable practices, as specified;
i) Partner with utility companies, water districts, labor
organizations, environmental groups, federal and local
government, and private industry to develop green
demonstration projects;
j) Seek grant funding;
aa) Develop environmental educational materials for student
groups and Capitol visitors; and,
bb) Finalize the Capitol Park Master Plan.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes the Department of General Services (DGS) to repair
and alter buildings within the Capitol area.
2)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.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
Purpose of this bill . According to the author's office, "AB
767 establishes the Task Force which would coordinate activities
with state agencies to implement an Initiative for the Capitol,
Capitol Park, and the L.O.B."
Background . The current State Capitol Building was completed in
1874 and remodeled from 1906 to 1908 and in 1928 prior to an
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expansion. In 1952, the East Annex was completed to accommodate
the growth of the executive and legislative branches and to
provide additional office space and committee rooms for the
Legislature. From 1972 to 1982, the Capitol underwent a seismic
retrofit and restoration in order to withstand an earthquake.
In 1976, the Legislature established the Commission in order to
protect the historic building and advise the Legislature on any
building modifications.
In 2001, the State and Consumer Services Agency, DGS, and the
Sacramento Municipal Utilities District held the Greening of the
State Capitol Project (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 and identified
irrigation problems and compost methods for the Capitol Park.
The author's office contends that while some of these activities
have been undertaken, many improvements could still be made to
improve the Capitol's overall environmental impact.
This bill differs from previous versions by increasing the Task
Force membership, requiring the Task Force to coordinate
activities with state agencies and the private sector, deleting
the Task Force's requirement to seek a Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design or ENERGY STAR rating, and making minor
technical and clarifying changes.
Support . According to the Environmental Defense Fund,
"California's State Capitol should strive to lead by example by
committing to sustainability and energy efficiency. The Task
Force would coordinate efforts to implement energy efficient
appliances and technologies, purchase recycled materials, and
promote water conservation and composting. The Task Force would
also investigate the use of renewable energy technologies such
as solar panels to decrease the carbon footprint and increase
the sustainability of the Capitol building. AB 767 would help
the State Capitol, which hosts almost 800,000 annual visitors
Ŭand] serve as an example of integrated building management
Ŭthat] reduces energy consumption Ŭand decreases waste]."
Previous Legislation . AB 2670 (John A. Perez) of 2010 is a
similar bill that would have created the Task Force to
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coordinate, develop, and complete an Initiative for the State
Capitol buildings and grounds. The Governor vetoed this bill
due to the absence of an identified funding source.
AB 1327 (Bass) of 2009 is a similar bill that would have created
the Task Force to coordinate, develop, and complete an
Initiative for the State Capitol buildings and grounds. This
bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Environmental Defense Fund
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Joanna Gin / B.,P. & C.P. / (916)
319-3301