California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would add two environmental justice members, one appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and one appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, to the South Coast Air Quality Management Board (AQMD). The bill would also authorize South Coast AQMD Board to create a Labor Advisory Panel composed of six representatives whose members perform work in the South Coast Air Basin. The bill would require the Labor Advisory Panel to provide feedback and input on all district permitting, rules, regulations, and planning issues that have the potential to impact the workforce in the South Coast Air Basin. The bill would require the South Coast AQMD Board to select the members of the Labor Advisory Panel from nominations provided by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the Inland Empire Labor Council, and the Orange County Labor Federation. Moved to Senate Inactive File.

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Summary

Would require a State agency that receives and disburses funds provided under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act or other federal recovery funds to consider projects’ potential impact on specified goals, including restoring frontline communities and rapidly accelerating achievement of environmental justice and climate goals, as well as uplifting vulnerable workers by prioritizing high road employers. The bill would require State agencies to document how proposed projects meet or align with the specified goals and requires the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to establish an internet website where the public can track the expenditure of federal ARP funds by the State and how funded projects meet the specified goals. Was not heard in Senate Governmental Organization Committee.

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Summary

Would revise AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, by charging CARB with only the responsibility of regulating vehicular sources of greenhouse gas emissions in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill would charge each local air district with the responsibility of regulating all sources, other than vehicular sources, of greenhouse gas emissions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within its jurisdiction. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would prohibit, among other things, a homeowner’s association from imposing a monetary penalty or seeking other enforcement action in relation to a member’s landscaping on a separate interest during a declared state of emergency or on days when air quality is unhealthy, as defined. Was not heard in the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee.

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Summary

Would add two environmental justice members, one appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and one appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, to the South Coast Air Quality Management Board. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would require an owner or operator of a natural gas plant to develop, install, operate, and maintain, in accordance with guidance developed by the appropriate local air district, a fence-line monitoring system to measure and record methane concentrations at or adjacent to a natural gas plant. The bill would require the local air district and the owner or operator of a natural gas plant to collect real-time data from these fence-line monitoring systems, provide that data to the public, and maintain records of that data. The bill would require an owner or operator of a natural gas plant to report methane concentrations readings that exceed background levels to the local air district and requires the local air district to report those readings to Members of the Legislature representing the district in which the natural gas plant is located. The bill would require the owner or operator of a natural gas plant to be responsible for the costs associated with the fence-line monitoring system. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would require CARB, not later than January 1, 2024, to provide a report relating to indoor air quality to the Legislature, as specified. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would require, as of January 1, 2025, 11 of the 14 CARB members to be elected to four-year terms and allows an elected board member to serve no more than a total of three terms. The bill would require CARB, by January 1, 2023, and within one year of each federal decennial census, to establish and adopt 11 districts within the State and develop a map depicting the geographical boundaries of each district. The bill would require CARB to engage the public prior to adopting the district boundaries and map. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would establish the Clean Vehicles Ombudsperson (Ombudsperson) within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and requires the Ombudsperson to consult with appropriate entities in identifying available programs and incentives offered by the State that can help to reduce costs and increase participation in a statewide contract or leveraged procurement agreement established by the Department of General Services (DGS) under this bill. The bill would also require the Ombudsperson to convene 2 or more workshops of an advisory committee to aid in identifying and publishing best practices in adopting zero-emission fleet vehicles for public agencies and identifying appropriate candidate vehicles for bulk purchase, leveraged procurement, or other means of widespread adoption by public entities, as specified. The bill would require the Ombudsperson to develop, and recommend that DGS adopt, criteria for evaluating vehicle purchase options or other means of widespread and streamline adoption options. Moved to the Senate Inactive File.

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Summary

Would require, among other things, a State body that elects to conduct a meeting by teleconference to make the portion that is required to be open to the public both audibly and visually observable. The bill would require a State body that elects to conduct a meeting by teleconference to post an agenda at the designated primary physical meeting location in the notice of the meeting where members of the public may physically attend the meeting and participate. The bill would remove the requirement that each teleconference location be identified in the notice and agenda of the meeting, and each teleconference location be accessible to the public. Was not heard in the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee.

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