California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have required 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 have required 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

Spot bill related to the code section constituting CARB’s authority to adopt regulations relating to vehicular emissions standards to achieve federal ambient air quality standards. Failed to make it off of the Assembly Desk.

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Summary

Would have required a nonvehicular civil penalty in an amount over $10,000 for a nonvehicular violation in a disadvantaged community collected by a specified local air district, minus the cost of prosecution and district administration, investigation, attorney fees, and other reasonable district costs, to be used to mitigate the effect of air pollution in the community affected by the violation. The bill would have modestly raised the maximum amount of nonvehicular civil penalties regarding strict liability and negligence listed in statute. Moved to the Senate Inactive File.

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Summary

Would have required, instead of authorized, a State agency to update its Standardized Regulatory Impact Analysis (SRIA) for a proposed major regulation to reflect any comments received from the Department of Finance (DOF) on the SRIA. The bill also would have required, if the proposed major regulation is updated following DOF’s comments, the State agency to take public comment for 30 additional days each time the regulation is updated and to update the SRIA and submit it to DOF for comment. The bill would have required DOF to adopt, by November 1, 2024, regulations for communicating the results of a SRIA in a standardized format. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have designated, retroactive to January 1, 2020, a local air district as an independent special district for purposes of receiving State funds or funds disbursed by the State, including federal funds. Was not heard in Assembly Local Government Committee.

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Summary

Would have required each local air district to establish a uniform permit program for mobile fueling on-demand tank vehicle operations (mobile refuelers) located in its jurisdiction that requires those operations to adhere to the strictest emission control standards established by the State for the loading, storage, and transfer of gasoline from those vehicles. The bill would have had various requirements for such a uniform permit program, including a consolidated permitting process for a source requiring more than one permit and an expedited permit review and fee schedule. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the Office of Emergency Services (OES) to ensure the California State Warning Center integrates, upon the next update to OES’s emergency plan, a plan to provide targeted alerts for public health dangers, including smoke from wildfires. Would have required OES to create a standard operating procedure to send text and voice messages, in multiple languages, to residents and farmworkers based on their ZIP Codes to alert them of public health dangers in their area. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required, unless a longer retention period is required by statute or regulation, or established by the Secretary of State pursuant to the State Records Management Act, a State agency, for purposes of the California Public Records Act, to retain and preserve for at least 2 years every public record, as defined, regardless of physical form or characteristics. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required, on and after January 1, 2025, the CARB member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules to also be a person who represents a small business that employs fewer than 50 full-time employees. Failed passage in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have exempted portable generators with engine power greater than or equal to 2 horsepower from an existing provision requiring CARB to adopt cost-effective and technologically feasible regulations to prohibit engine exhaust and evaporative emissions from new small off-road engines produced on or after a specified date. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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