The Compliance Offsets Protocol Task Force (Task Force) is established (Health and Safety Code section 98591.1) by Assembly Bill 398 (AB 398; Chapter 135, Statutes of 2017) as one of several provisions on a post-2020 cap-and-trade program “to provide guidance to the state board in approving new offset protocols for a market based mechanism for the purpose of increasing offset projects with direct environmental benefits in the state while prioritizing disadvantaged communities, Native American or tribal lands, and rural and agricultural regions.”