BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 913
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Date of Hearing: May 11, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 913 (Feuer) - As Amended: March 31, 2011
Policy Committee: Environmental
Safety and Toxic Materials Vote: 8-1
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control
(DTSC), in implementing the program to reduce sources of
hazardous waste, to develop a California Green Business Program.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires DTSC, in implementing the program to reduce sources
of hazardous waste, to develop a California Green Business
Program that provides for the voluntary certification of
businesses that adopt environmentally preferable business
practices.
2) Requires the program to:
a) Assist the network of statewide local government
programs in implementing guidelines and structures that
establish and promote a level of consistency among green
business programs across the state.
b) Support, through staffing and contracts, the development
and maintenance of a statewide database to register
businesses and track measurable pollution reductions and
cost savings.
c) Solicit participation of additional local programs and
facilitate the startup of new local programs.
d) Develop technical guidance on pollution prevention
measures, conduct industry studies and pilot projects and
provide policy coordination for participating local
programs.
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FISCAL EFFECT
Minor, absorbable costs to DTSC to undertake the activities
required by this bill, all of which, DTSC contends, it already
does.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale. The author intends the program created by this
bill build upon the state's existing Green Program to promote
standardization; help local governments build new programs;
and provide program coordinators with technical guidance on
updating and designing standards. The author notes that small
businesses often lack the resources to design and implement
best environmental practices. The author contends green
business certification programs help them do so by providing a
consolidated process to adopt environmentally preferable
business practices.
In addition, the author claims, green business programs reduce
government enforcement costs by requiring compliance with all
federal, state and local environmental regulations and
encourage a coordinated and cohesive approach to environmental
regulation.
2)Background . The state already has a Green Business Program.
As noted in the policy committee analysis, the current
California Green Business Program is a statewide network of
local government programs that certify small businesses as
"green." These local-level agencies coordinate with other
programs in their jurisdictions to assist small businesses
with regulatory compliance and in implementing multi-media
pollution prevention and waste reduction measures to achieve
measureable pollution reductions, energy savings, water
conservation and sustainability. Businesses certified by this
program make changes in product formulations, recycle waste,
and use less water and energy.
DTSC serves as a statewide contact and coordinator for the
existing Green Business Program. DTSC also develops technical
guidance on pollution prevention measures, conducts industry
studies and pilot projects, manages a database used to
register and track measurable pollution reductions and cost
savings, provides policy coordination and assists in
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establishing new programs throughout the state.
DTSC's current work efforts focus in three main areas: (a)
assisting the network in adapting its guidelines and structure
to facilitate growth and achieve measureable outcomes; (b)
support, through staffing and contracts, the development and
maintenance of the database used for metrics collection and
local program support; and (c) solicit and facilitate the
startup of new local programs. DTSC states that there are
currently 14 counties and two city-led programs that have
certified over 2,600 businesses.
3)Support. This bill is supported by a long list of small
businesses that participate, or that would like to
participate, in the state's local green business programs, and
other local governments and organizations.
4)There is no registered opposition to this bill.
Analysis Prepared by : Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081