BILL NUMBER: SB 1408	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 7, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   JUNE 28, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   MAY 2, 2000

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Alarcon
   (Coauthors:  Senators Murray and Ortiz)
   (Coauthors:  Assembly Members Alquist, Bock, and Longville)

                        FEBRUARY 1, 2000

   An act to add and repeal Article 7 (commencing with Section 65055)
to Chapter 1.5 of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code,
relating to the environment.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1408, as amended, Alarcon.  Environmental Justice Technical
Assistance Grant Demonstration Program.
   Under existing law, the Office of Planning and Research is the
coordinating agency in state government for environmental justice
programs.
   This bill would enact the Environmental Justice Technical
Assistance Grant Demonstration Program.  The bill would require the
office, from funds appropriated to it for that purpose, to allocate
grants to community-based nonprofit organizations in communities with
low-income populations or minority populations to obtain technical
assistance in connection with the organization's participation in a
decision involving a permit, remediation order, or corrective action
by any board, department, or office within the California
Environmental Protection Agency, a decision involving a permit by the
Department of Transportation  or a project of the department
 , or in a decision involving a certification by the State
Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.  The office
would be required to give priority to grant proposals that would
include specified activities.  The bill would limit the amount of the
grant to $25,000 for participating in a project.
   This bill would require the office to submit an evaluation of the
program to the Legislature no later than June 30, 2004.  The
provisions enacted by the bill would become inoperative on June 30,
2004, and would be repealed on January 1, 2005.
   Vote:  majority.  Appropriation:  no.  Fiscal committee:  yes.
State-mandated local program:  no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
   (a) Many communities with low-income and minority populations are
subject to disproportionately high and adverse human health or
environmental effects.
   (b) One of the causes of this historical inequality of
environmental burdens is the lack of financial and other resources in
communities with low-income and minority populations to obtain
technical assistance with complicated state permitting, remediation
order, and corrective action processes.
   (c) Without that technical assistance, communities with low-income
and minority populations are at a disadvantage in terms of
effectively voicing their concerns about a project.
   (d) The provision of technical assistance grants to
community-based organizations in communities with low-income and
minority populations will facilitate greater participation by those
communities in permitting, remediation order, and corrective action
decisions and reduce the risk that already overburdened communities
will be subject to additional environmental degradations.
  SEC. 2.  Article 7 (commencing with Section 65055) is added to
Chapter 1.5 of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code, to read:


      Article 7.  Environmental Justice Technical Assistance Grant
Demonstration Program

   65055.   (a)  From funds appropriated to it for that
purpose, the office shall allocate grants to community-based
nonprofit organizations in communities with low-income populations or
minority populations, as determined by the office, to obtain
technical assistance in connection with the organization's
participation in  a   any of the following:
   (1) A  decision involving a permit, remediation order, or
corrective action by any board, department, or office within the
California Environmental Protection  Agency, in a 
 Agency.
   (2) A  decision involving a permit by the Department of
Transportation  , or in a   where an
environmental impact report or negative declaration is required, or a
decision involving a Department of Transportation project where an
environmental impact report or a negative declaration is required.
   (3)  A decision involving a certification by the State Energy
Resources Conservation and Development Commission.   A
 
   (b) A  grant to any community-based nonprofit organization
pursuant to this article shall not exceed twenty-five thousand
dollars ($25,000) for participation in a project involving one or
more permits, certifications, remediation orders, or corrective
actions.
   65056.  In allocating grants pursuant to this article, the office
shall give priority to proposals that would increase an organization'
s ability to engage in one or more of the following activities:
   (a) Identify issues related to environmental justice as defined in
subdivision (c) of Section 65040.12 of the Government Code.
   (b) Collect and interpret health and environmental data.
   (c) Identify pollution sources.
   (d) Resolve environmental problems.
   (e) Monitor projects and implementation of mitigation measures.
   65057.  The office shall submit an evaluation of the program
authorized by this article to the Legislature no later than June 30,
2004.
   65058.  This article shall become inoperative on June 30, 2004,
and as of January 1, 2005, is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that becomes effective on or before January 1, 2005, deletes
or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is
repealed.