BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 767|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 767
Author: John A. Pérez (D), et al.
Amended: 8/30/11 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION COMM : 8-5, 06/28/11
AYES: Wright, Calderon, Corbett, De León, Evans,
Hernandez, Padilla, Yee
NOES: Anderson, Berryhill, Cannella, Strickland, Wyland
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 6-3, 08/25/11
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Pavley, Price, Steinberg
NOES: Walters, Emmerson, Runner
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 56-18, 06/01/11 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : State Capitol Sustainability Task Force
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill creates the State Capitol
Sustainability Task Force consisting of 7-members (2 each
appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, the Senate
Committee on Rules, and the Governor and one appointed by
the Lieutenant Governor) to develop and implement a
sustainability initiative for the State Capitol Building,
the Legislative Office Building and the State Capitol Park
grounds. This bill sunsets the task force on January 1,
2014. This bill directs the Department of General Services
(DGS) to seek grants and other funding opportunities.
CONTINUED
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ANALYSIS : Existing law authorizes 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.
This bill creates the "State Capitol Sustainability Task
Force" consisting of 7-members (2 each appointed by the
Speaker of the Assembly, the Senate Committee on Rules, and
the Governor and one appointed by the Lieutenant Governor)
to develop and implement a sustainability initiative for
the State Capitol Building, the Legislative Office Building
and the State Capitol Park grounds. Specifically, this
bill requires the task force to coordinate activities with
state agencies and the private sector and to do the
following:
1. Join the California Climate Action Registry to
determine, track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Perform benchmarking and monitoring of building
operations (e.g., energy and water use).
3. Increase overall fuel economy and fuel diversity of
the vehicle fleet.
4. Improve waste diversion practices (including e-waste
recycling, composting and reuse of materials), promote
environmentally preferable purchasing and integrate
sustainable practices.
5. Incorporate renewable energy and seek leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design or Energy Star rating.
6. 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.
7. Finalize the Capitol Park Master Plan, including
improving bicycle access and establishing bicycle
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paths.
8. Seek grant funding and other opportunities to
recognize the efforts of the initiative.
9. Sunsets the task force on January 1, 2014.
10. Directs DGS to seek grants and other funding
opportunities.
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
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
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environmental impact of the Capitol.
As stated in the findings and declarations contained in
this bill, "the State Capitol Building and grounds
represent a unique opportunity to demonstrate environmental
leadership, by showcasing sustainable practices and
providing 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. The author's office contends
that potential funding to implement this bill may be
available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009.
Prior Legislation
AB 2670 (John A. Perez), 2009-10 Session, was similar to
this bill. AB 2670 was vetoed. The Governor's veto
message stated:
While I am supportive of efforts to make the Capitol
more environmentally sustainable, this legislation
fails to identify a funding source that will pay for
the tasks outlined in the bill. Considering the
state's fiscal condition, it would be imprudent to
enact legislation that would result in unknown General
Fund costs. In addition, this bill is vague regarding
the specific powers this task force will hold.
AB 1327 (Bass), 2009-10 Session, was nearly identical to AB
2670 (John A. Perez). This bill died on the Assembly
Suspense file.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2011-12 2012-13
2013-14 Fund
Task Force Minor,
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likely absorbable costs ongoing General*
Sustainability Initiative
Unknown, major cost pressure
General*
* Legislative expenditures subject to the provisions of
Proposition 140
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/30/11)
Environmental Defense Fund
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author, "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."
The current State Capitol Building was completed in 1874
and remodeled from 1906 to 1908 and in 1928. In 1952, the
East Annex was completed to accommodate the growth of the
executive and legislative branches, and 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.
In 2001, the State and Consumer Services Agency, DGS, and
the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District 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 and identified
irrigation problems and compost methods for the Capitol
Park. The author contends that while some of these
activities have been undertaken, many improvements could
still be made to improve the Capitol's overall
environmental impact.
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ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 56-18, 06/01/11
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos,
Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Cook, Davis, Dickinson, Eng,
Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani,
Gatto, Gordon, Hall, Hayashi, Roger Hernández, Hill,
Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma,
Mendoza, Mitchell, Monning, Nestande, Pan, Perea,
Portantino, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson, Torres,
Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
NOES: Conway, Donnelly, Beth Gaines, Grove, Halderman,
Harkey, Jones, Knight, Logue, Mansoor, Miller, Morrell,
Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Silva, Valadao, Wagner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Garrick, Gorell, Hagman, Jeffries, V.
Manuel Pérez, Smyth
PQ:nl 8/30/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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