California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have required each city and county to make a one-time amendment to any of the following during the next update occurring after January 1, 2023 to identify goals and strategies to decarbonize new buildings, as specified: (1) its general plan; (2) a climate action or greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction plan; or (3) building standards. The bill would have authorized the California Energy Commission to review the proposed amendments and provide specified feedback to the city or county. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have explicitly incorporated building decarbonization within several aspects of electric utility ratepayer-funded programs and within future, yet to be provided, federal moneys to address economic recovery, and would incorporate requirements for prevailing wage, among other things. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required CARB, by December 31, 2022, as a part of the Scoping Plan, to prepare an evaluation of the role of hydrogen, and particularly green hydrogen, in achieving California’s climate goals. CARB, in consultation with the California Energy Commission (CEC), the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Workforce Development Board, and labor groups, would have been required to prepare a separate evaluation by June 1, 2023 to be posted on CARB’s internet website.

Also, by June 1, 2023, CARB, in conjunction with CEC and CPUC, would have had to: (1) jointly develop recommendations to the Legislature on definitions for different categories of hydrogen and potential end uses for those categories of hydrogen; (2) provide guidance to the Legislature on which categories of hydrogen may be used to meet eligibility requirements for those programs under each State entity’s jurisdiction; (3) jointly develop prohibitions against double counting of environmental attributes associated with production, distribution, and use of hydrogen; and, (4) calculate life-cycle carbon dioxide intensity values for hydrogen pathways that reflect the fuels, feedstocks, and production processes used for their production. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have created the Flexible Demand Appliance Rebate Program to incentivize the deployment of qualified flexible demand appliances (i.e., appliances that have the capability to schedule, shift, or curtail electricity use). Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required each local publicly owned electric utility to develop a transportation electrification plan to support the levels of electric vehicle adoption required to meet the goals of putting five million zero-emission vehicles on California roads by 2030 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the California Energy Commission (CEC), by July 1, 2022, to create a three-year appliance rebate program to provide eligible residential customers—defined as those with annual household incomes that are no greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline levels—of an electric utility or gas utility with monetary incentives to purchase new appliances that meet energy star or similar energy efficiency standards approved by CEC. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have established a goal of 100 percent new passenger and light-duty vehicle sales to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The bill would have required, on and after January 1, 2023, the total passenger vehicles and light-duty vehicles trucks sold by a manufacturer in the State, in a calendar year to meet specified greenhouse gas emissions standards pursuant to a tiered plan that would require the total passenger vehicles and light-duty vehicles trucks to meet, on average, in the 2030 calendar year, a greenhouse gas emissions standard that is 60 percent and 40 percent below the average greenhouse gas emissions level for those classes of vehicles in the 2020 calendar year, respectively. The bill would have required CARB to impose an administrative civil penalty on a manufacturer who violates these requirements. Held on suspense by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required CARB, as a part of the Clean Cars 4 All program, to provide vouchers to low-income persons living in disadvantaged communities for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles if two conditions were met: (1) the vehicles to be replaced had failed a smog check inspection, and (2) the repair cost of each vehicle to be replaced in order to pass the smog check inspection was greater than the maximum amount of assistance provided by the bureau’s Consumer Assistance Program. The bill also would have required CARB to: (1) Review award amounts offered under Clean Cars 4 All under each qualifying income bracket. (2) Ensure that vouchers awarded pursuant to Clean Cars 4 All are sufficient to incentivize purchases of near zero- and zero-emission transportation options eligible under the Clean Cars 4 All existing guidelines. (3) Develop metrics to demonstrate the socioeconomic benefits that result from Clean Cars 4 All participation. (4) Establish a centralized online database for consumers to view all light-duty electric vehicle incentives offered in the State. (5) Develop a community outreach strategy with stakeholders of all participating districts, including Clean Cars 4 All administrators, eligible residents, and participating residents, to examine the barriers limiting a low-income consumer’s adoption of electric vehicles, including, but not limited to, barriers of cost, lack of information, language, and availability of charging infrastructure. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have postponed new regulations that affect small businesses located in an area declared a state of emergency until the state of emergency is lifted, unless the State agency makes specified findings. The bill would have declared that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have required each State agency to ensure that agency personnel, other than the Records Management Coordinator, who prepare, own, use, or retain public records on behalf of the State agency receive records management training using material offered by the Secretary of State. The bill would have required that such agency personnel complete 1 hour of records management training within 60 days of employment and complete a 30 minute refresher records management training biennially thereafter. The bill would have required a Records Management Coordinator to ensure that an agency’s records management program be in accordance with the provisions of the State Records Management Act and applicable standards established by the Secretary of State in the State Administrative Manual. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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