California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would require the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) to research, and provide a report to the Legislature with recommendations for, ways in which a community that undertakes science-supported wildfire resilience actions can be recognized with a peer-reviewed, community-level certification in order to acknowledge and motivate wildfire resilience activity, on or before January 1, 2023. The bill is contingent on a $2 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund each year through the 2022–23 fiscal year to CNRA for purposes of this research and report. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would require State agencies administering competitive Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) grant programs to ensure preferential points for specified populations and provide an application period of at least three months. The bill would also require State agencies that administer competitive grant programs involving housing, forestry, urban greening, or planning to develop application scoring categories to account for differences among urban, suburban, and rural communities during the application review process.  In addition, the bill would add eight additional co-benefits for GGRF-funded projects and required the California Department of Finance to report on additional elements of GGRF grants in the California Climate Investments Annual Report, including information on applications that did not receive funding. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would require the California Natural Resources Agency to prepare a comprehensive, statewide inventory of the natural resources of the State and establish treatment measures necessary to protect those resources, and to post its initial inventory and annual updates on its internet website on or before January 1, 2023. The bill is contingent on an appropriation from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. 

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Summary

Would prohibit the California High Speed Rail Authority from directly or indirectly using local, State, federal, or any other public or private funding to purchase, lease, operate, or maintain a passenger or freight train powered by a diesel engine or other type of fossil fuel combustion engine, and from enabling such a train to operate on authority-owned rail infrastructure designed for speeds in excess of 125 miles per hour, except as specified. Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee. 

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Summary

Would extend the funding committed by SB 901 (Dodd, Chapter 626, Statutes of 2018) for fire prevention and management projects by continuously appropriating $200 million to California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE) from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). Beginning in the 2021-2022 fiscal year and ending in the 2028-2029 fiscal year, $200 million from GGRF would be appropriated to CAL FIRE for (1) healthy forest and fire prevention programs and projects and (2) prescribed fire and other fuel reduction projects. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. 

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Summary

Would allow a local air district to adopt and implement regulations to require data regarding air pollution within the district’s jurisdiction from indirect and areawide sources, including mobile sources drawn by those stationary sources, to enable the calculation of health risks from toxic air contaminants. The bill would also specify that a local air district, in carrying out its responsibilities with respect to the reduction of health risks from toxic air contaminants, may adopt and implement regulations to reduce or mitigate emissions from new and existing indirect and areawide sources of air pollution, or to encourage or require the use of measures which reduce the number or length of vehicle trips. Was not heard in the Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would require the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, before December 31, 2022, and before December 31 of each year thereafter, to identify priority fuel reduction projects. The bill would also exempt the identified priority fuel reduction projects from specified legal requirements. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Among other things, the bill would continuously appropriate, from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, $480 million to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and $20 million to the California Conservation Corps for fire prevention activities, indefinitely extending existing law that allows the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to exempt certain forest management activities from obtaining approval from CAL FIRE for a timber harvesting plan. Forest management activities eligible for exemption include cutting or removing trees on property that reduces flammable materials and maintains a fuelbreak for 300 feet on each side of a habitable structure. This bill would also extend the distance of the fuelbreak to 500 feet. Finally, this bill would exempt certain forest health and fuel reduction activities from the California Environmental Quality Act. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would promote medium-duty, heavy-duty, and off-road zero-emission infrastructure and electric and hydrogen refueling policies to support the State’s 2030 zero-emission vehicle and greenhouse gas reductions goals. The bill would also establish an electric rate structure, inclusive of electric charging and hydrogen refueling that incentivizes zero-emission vehicles and freight equipment across the State. Additionally, the bill establishes the Safe and Clean Truck Infrastructure Program that deploys strategies to support truck drivers with safe areas to park and zero-emission refueling stations. Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Would require CARB to identify and make recommendations for achieving the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions of greenhouse gas and black carbon emissions from wildfires in each update to the Scoping Plan after January 1, 2022. The bill also states the intent to make a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund appropriation for wildfire mitigation and prevention. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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