California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have required a local air district without a specified rule on emergency backup generators as of January 1, 2021, that adopted such a rule to include in the rule provisions that would have allowed the operator of a critical facility, as defined, to use a permitted emergency backup generator in exceedance of the applicable runtime and testing and maintenance limits if specified conditions are met.  The bill would have required a critical facility allowed to exceed applicable limits under the rule adopted pursuant to Senate Bill 1099 to attest to and provide evidence of having taken demonstrable steps toward implementing the use of backup power technologies that meet or exceed emission standards set by CARB.  Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have authorized a State agency to temporarily remove public documents from digital access if a justifiable impediment existed that prevented a State agency from bringing the document into compliance with the State’s accessibility standards.  The bill would have required the Director of Technology to verify that such an impediment prohibited full compliance, and would have required the State agency to cite the reason for the document’s removal and list options and instructions for how to access the document offline.  The bill would have made any document removed after October 14, 2017, subject to these requirements.  Was not heard in the Senate Governmental Organization Committee.

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Summary

Would have required a local air district to adopt a rule or revise its existing rules, consistent with federal law, to allow a health facility that has received a permit from the district to construct and operate an emergency backup generator to use that emergency backup generator during a deenergization event without having that usage count toward any time limitation on actual usage and routine testing and maintenance included as a condition for issuance of that permit.  The bill would have required, if an electrical corporation, electrical cooperative, or local publicly owned electric utility had undertaken a deenergization event during a calendar year, that the electrical corporation, electrical cooperative, or local publicly owned electric utility, by January 30 of the following calendar year, submit a report with specified information to each local air district affected by the deenergization event.  Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

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Summary

Would have established that specified records provided by a private industry employer, and retained by public agencies pursuant to a contract, are no longer considered trade secrets and are subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act.  Was not heard on the Senate Concurrence.

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Summary

Would have authorized a transactions and use tax to be placed on the ballot for approval by the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD) electorate, if it had been approved by a majority vote of the SCAQMD’s governing board.  The bill would have required the SCAQMD to establish an independent taxpayers’ oversight committee within six months of the effective date of the transactions and use tax levy, increase, or extension to ensure that revenues generated by the levy, increase, or extension are expended consistent with the applicable requirements of the bill.  The bill would have required that all moneys received by SCAQMD from the transactions and use tax be used to implement projects that reduce air pollution through incentives and other measures to first fully implement SCAQMD’s state implementation plan and any subsequent air quality attainment plans, as specified.  Was not heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the Small Business Advocate and each State agency’s small business liaison to provide technical advice and assist small businesses in filing petitions to request the adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation.  The bill would have authorized a small business liaison to advocate for or against the adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation that is requested by petition.  The bill would also have required the Small Businesses Advocate to provide counsel and offer recommendations to State agencies who receive those petitions from small businesses.  The bill would have authorized the Small Businesses Advocate and the State agency small business liaison to issue written comments as to the validity of a submitted petition, and would have required the advocate and the agency liaison to offer a petitioner at least one meeting to discuss the contents of a petition.  Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have prohibited the San Diego County Regional Transportation Commission (Commission) from changing the allocation of revenues to any component of the expenditure plan contained in the San Diego Transportation Improvement Program Ordinance by more than an unspecified percentage unless certain conditions were met.  Remains at the Assembly Desk.

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Summary

Would make a public agency liable for all damages proximately caused by a negligent or intentional violation of the requirements of the Information Practices Act of 1977.  The bill would have also prohibited an agency from selling, renting, or exchanging for a commercial purpose the personal information that the agency holds without the consent of the person to whom that information applies.  Remains at the Assembly Desk.

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Summary

Would have required a State agency to post on its website any report that the State agency submits to a committee of the Legislature.  Was not heard in the Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review Committee.

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Summary

Would have required CARB, no later than January 1, 2022, to submit a report to the Legislature summarizing the best scientific information available regarding the potential adverse effects on public health from the use of natural gas in buildings in the State, as specified.  Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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