California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have required the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to develop and implement backup power rules for telecommunication services in areas that the CPUC has determined to be at high risk of wildfire.  The bill at one time included language on electrical system reliability and backup generation that could have involved cleaner backup generation technology of interest to CARB.  Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Spot bill expressing the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would incentivize the use of fuel cells to address reliability issues associated with public safety power shutoffs.  Was not heard in the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee.

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Summary

Would have exempted emergency vehicles used by a community college, police academy, fire academy, or similar facility, solely for the training of emergency response personnel from motor vehicle pollution control regulations.  Was not heard in the Senate Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Would have amended State law to enhance fire prevention efforts by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) through improving vegetation management and home hardening, expanding the area where fire safety building standards apply, and increasing the eligible activities under CAL FIRE’s local assistance grant program.  This bill would have required CAL FIRE, in consultation with CARB and the California Forest Management Task Force, to report specified outcomes of the funds spent on healthy forest and fire prevention programs and projects to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2022.  Was not heard on the Assembly Floor.

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Summary

Would have established a new registration and identification program for off-highway vehicles (OHV) that are model year 2022 or newer and used in competition.  The bill would have imposed fees for the issuance or renewal of competition identification stickers and would have required certain competition OHVs to have a competition sticker to operate on public lands.  This bill would have required OHV riders to possess a current and valid competition card from a competition-sanctioning organization when practicing for a competition event on public lands.  Additionally, this bill would have required CARB, in consultation with the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), to adopt a regulation by January 1, 2023, that would have provided the requirements for when competition OHVs were allowed to operate on public lands to practice for sanctioned competition events.  This regulation would have sunsetted on July 1, 2026.  Lastly, the bill would have required DPR, in collaboration with CARB and the Department of Motor Vehicles, to submit a report to the Legislature, by March 1, 2025, containing certain information regarding OHVs.  Was not heard on Senate Concurrence.

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Summary

Would have allowed a local air district to adopt and implement regulations to require data regarding air pollution within the district’s jurisdiction from areawide stationary sources to enable the calculation of health risks from toxic air contaminants.  The bill would have also specified that the district regulations may also require air pollution data from mobile sources drawn by those areawide stationary sources.  Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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