California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have required transit agencies to offer free senior transit passes to persons over 65 years of age in order to be eligible for state funding under the Mills-Deddeh Transit Development Act, the State Transit Assistance Program, and the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP).  This bill would have also required the free senior transit passes to count as full-price fares for purposes of calculating the ratio of fare revenues to operating costs.  LCTOP receives a continuous appropriation from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.  Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Would have expanded project types eligible under the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) to include funding for passenger tramway (gondola) transit systems.  This bill would have made continuous appropriations from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to fund gondolas through TIRCP.  Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Would have appropriated $330 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in fiscal year 2020-2021 for healthy forest and fire prevention programs and projects to improve forest health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by uncontrolled wildfires.  This bill also would have specified that no less than $10 million of the appropriation go to the California Conservation Corps for fire prevention projects and activities in, or adjacent to, the State Responsibility Areas.  Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the State Lands Commission (Commission), in collaboration with the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, to hold stakeholder engagement meetings on the impacts of automated technology at California's ports.  In addition, this bill would have required the Commission to submit two reports to the Legislature on its activities involving stakeholder engagement meetings, with the first due by July 1, 2021, and the second due by July 1, 2023.  Was not heard on the Senate Floor.

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Summary

Would have required the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to administer the Agricultural Climate Adaptation Tools Program for grant disbursement.  Grants under this program would have funded activities including the development of planning tools for adapting to climate change and developing resiliency strategies in the agricultural sector.  This bill would have also required CDFA to conduct pilot projects and hold trainings for technical assistance with an emphasis on meeting the needs of small- and moderately-scaled farmers and ranchers, socially-disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and female farmers and ranchers.  This bill would have required CARB to compile the greenhouse gas quantification data of the grant program if the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund was the funding source.  Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Makes statutory changes to the fiscal year 2020-21 budget package to implement actions related to transportation.  Of interest to CARB, the budget trailer bill appropriates $1.7 million from the Air Pollution Control Fund to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to develop an interface system for the DMV’s vehicle registration system to communicate with CARB’s compliance database.  The budget trailer bill also requires the State Controller to allocate Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) funding for the 2020–21 and 2021–22 fiscal years to recipient transit agencies based on transit operator ratios.  LCTOP receives a continuous appropriation from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. 

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Summary

Establishes the Climate Catalyst Revolving Loan Fund Act of 2020.  The bill creates the Climate Catalyst Revolving Loan Fund (Fund) within the State Treasury and makes the moneys in the fund available for expenditure, upon appropriation by the Legislature.  The bill also requires the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank) to administer the Fund and authorizes IBank to provide financial assistance to any eligible sponsor or participating party for eligible Climate Catalyst projects.

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Summary

Would have expanded existing school site acquisition and environmental certification requirements under the California Education Code for public and State-funded schools to include private and charter schools.  The requirements would have included evaluation of the schoolsite for hazardous substances, waste, and air emissions, among other provisions.  The bill would have also extended the requirements for the purchase of a schoolsite or the construction of a school under the California Environmental Quality Act to include charter schools.  Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. 

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