BILL ANALYSIS �
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1217
Author: Leno (D), et al.
Amended: 5/27/14
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER COMM. : 8-1, 4/22/14
AYES: Pavley, Cannella, Evans, Hueso, Jackson, Lara, Monning,
Wolk
NOES: Fuller
SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE : 5-2, 4/30/14
AYES: Hill, Hancock, Jackson, Leno, Pavley
NOES: Gaines, Fuller
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 5-2, 5/23/14
AYES: De Le�n, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
NOES: Walters, Gaines
SUBJECT : Climate change: preparedness
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Natural Resources Agency
(Agency) to prepare a climate change strategy every five years
beginning in 2019 and requires the Strategic Growth Council
(Council) to identify and prioritize climate resiliency projects
every five years beginning in 2020.
ANALYSIS : Existing law:
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1.Establishes the Agency and requires the Secretary of the
Agency to develop a strategic vision for the Department of
Fish and Wildlife and the Fish and Game Commission that
includes reforms necessary to take on the challenges of the
21st century, including, among other things, climate change
and adaptation.
2.Establishes the Council and requires the Council to, among
other things, identify and review activities and funding
programs of its member state agencies that may be coordinated
to, among other things, meet the goals of the California
Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.
This bill:
1.Requires, every five years beginning in 2019, the Agency, in
consultation with other appropriate state agencies and
departments, to prepare a climate change strategy that
evaluates climate change risks to the state, including a
description of any mitigation measures of climate change
resiliency methods. The strategy shall also identify
mitigation measures that increase climate resiliency.
Requires the Agency to identify possible funding for
mitigation measures identified in the strategy.
2.Requires the Council, in consultation with the Agency,
California Environmental Protection Agency, and other
appropriate state agencies and departments to, beginning
January 1, 2020, do the following:
A. Review the impacts of climate change in the state to
capital outlay and public infrastructure projects,
including the impacts identified by the Agency report.
B. Identify and prioritize significant climate resiliency
projects benefiting essential public infrastructure and
would provide near-term and longer-term climate change
resiliency to the state.
C. Identify possible funding sources for the above
projects.
3.Requires the Council to report their findings and provide a
description of major projects identified to appropriate state
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agencies, commissions, departments, boards, and the
Legislature.
4.Contains findings and declarations that describe the
significant environmental and economic risks posed by climate
change to California's natural resources.
Background
The Agency, among other duties, oversees implementation of
several programs and initiatives within the departments, boards,
and commissions who comprise that agency. Many of these efforts
originated as executive orders, and many of these date to the
administration of Governor Schwarzenegger. Those that are
statutorily driven are predominately related to energy policy at
the California Energy Commission or the development of carbon
sequestration strategies in the forestry sector.
Additionally, the Agency has participated as a member of the
Climate Action Team. It has been actively involved as the lead
agency in the three California Climate Adaptation Strategy
reports. Both the Climate Action Team and the reports were
functions of an executive order. The latest draft in the series
of climate adaptation reports is called "Safeguarding
California" and was released in draft form at the end of 2013.
It addresses policy options in a number of resource-related
sectors such as forestry, agriculture, land use, coastal
protection, and others.
The Council, whose membership includes the Agency as well as
other state agencies, was created to focus attention across its
member agencies on climate change and the sustainable growth of
California in ways that will achieve the state's goals in
innovative and cross-cutting ways. It had responsibility for
awarding sustainable community grants authorized by Proposition
84 and it specifically acknowledges responses to climate change
as an important part of its statutory mandate.
On a separate track from the work of the Agency and the Council
is the ongoing update of the AB 32 (Nunez, Chapter 488, Statutes
of 2002) Scoping Plan by the Air Resources Board which dedicates
some attention to potential greenhouse gas reductions that could
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occur on agricultural or forested landscapes and in other
resource sectors.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Cost pressures between $900,000 and $5 million from the
General Fund (GF) every five years to prepare a climate risk
assessment.
Ongoing annual costs of $150,000 from the GF for the
development of a climate strategy.
Ongoing costs of approximately $100,000 from the GF to the SGC
to identify and prioritize resiliency projects.
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/27/14)
The Nature Conservancy
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author:
California and worlds' climate are changing posing an
escalated threat to health, well-being, natural resources, and
property. While California is a leader in reducing greenhouse
gas emissions, the state must also prepare for the inevitable
impacts of climate change, including increasing temperatures,
sea level rise, and extreme weather events like droughts.
Climate risk assessment and planning is critical to
anticipating and preparing for the impacts on our ecosystems,
society and economy.
This bill would require the Natural Resources Agency to
develop and regularly update a statewide climate resiliency
assessment, similar to the agency's safeguard California
draft. Additionally, the Strategic Growth Council, in
coordination with other state entities, will identify state
projects at risk for climate change impacts.
RM:k 5/27/14 Senate Floor Analyses
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SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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