California Air Resources Board

Would have required CARB to include greenhouse gas emissions from wildlands and forest fires in the AB 32 Scoping Plan. Died at the desk.

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Requires CARB to include greenhouse gas emissions from wildlands and forest fires in the AB 32 Scoping Plan. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Authorizes up to 35 projects per year that are exclusively for noncommercial wildfire fuels reduction in timberland, less than 1,500 acres in size, and paid for in part or in whole with public funds, to prepare a timber harvesting plan as an alternative to complying with CEQA. The provision expires on January 1, 2031. Was not heard in the Senate Committee of Natural Resources and Water Committee.

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Requires CARB to designate public fire protection agencies or other equivalent agencies to oversee controlled burning activities and to exempt wildland vegetation management burning, as defined, from permitting requirements if conducted by or under the supervision of a public fire protection agency or other equivalent agency designated by CARB. The bill also requires CARB to develop guidelines and best practices for wildland vegetation management burning to ensure public safety and environmental protection. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have established the Wildfire Smoke and Health Outcomes Data Act, which would have required the Department of Public Health, in consultation with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force, to create, operate, and maintain a statewide integrated wildfire smoke and health data platform no later than July 1, 2026. The data platform would have, among other things, integrated wildfire smoke and health data from multiple databases with the purpose of providing adequate information to understand the negative health impacts on California’s population caused by wildfire smoke and evaluating the effectiveness of investments in forest health and wildfire mitigation on health outcomes in California. Was held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Allows local air districts, in support of Tribal sovereignty, to enter into written agreements with federally recognized California Native American Tribes to allow cultural burning in their ancestral territories without undergoing the permitting, regulatory, or administrative requirements for prescribed burning. In the event of a disagreement between a local air district and a tribe in developing or implementing an agreement, the Secretary for Environmental Protection must assist in resolving the disagreement. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to enter into written agreements with federally recognized California Native American tribes in support of tribal sovereignty with respect to cultural burning in their ancestral territories. The Secretary may agree in the written agreement that compliance with specified permitting or regulatory requirements is not required.

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Summary

Enacts the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, which would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 if approved by voters, for safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience; wildfire and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity and nature-based climate solutions; climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and working lands; park creation and outdoor access; and clean air programs.

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Summary

Would have enacted the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparation, Flood Protection, Extreme Heat Mitigation, Clean Energy, and Workforce Development Bond Act of 2024, which, if approved by the voters, would have authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $15,995,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, drought preparation, flood protection, extreme heat mitigation, clean energy, and workforce development programs. Was not heard in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee.

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Summary 

Enacts the Park Creation and Outdoor, Access, and Clean Energy Bond Act of 2024, which would authorize $15.5 billion in bonds, if approved by voters, at the March 5, 2024, statewide primary election. As related to CARB, the bond allocates $150 million to CARB, and requires CARB to consult with the California Natural Resources Agency and State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to fund projects that provide long-term capital infrastructure to convert forest and other vegetative waste removed for wildfire mitigation to uses that maximize reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions, provide local air quality benefits, and increase local community resilience against climate change impacts. The bill also provides $500 million upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the California Energy Commission, in coordination with CARB, for grants to assist in obtaining, or as a match for, federal grants. Hearing postponed in the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources.

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Summary 

Enacts the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparation, Flood Protection, Extreme Heat Mitigation, and Workforce Development Bond Act of 2024, which, if approved by voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $15.995 billion to finance projects for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, drought preparation, flood protection, extreme heat mitigation, clean energy, and workforce development programs. As related to CARB, the bond allocates $125 million to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, who would consult with CARB and California Natural Resources Agency to fund projects that provide long-term capital infrastructure to convert forest and other vegetative waste removed for wildfire mitigation to uses that maximize reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions, provide local air quality benefits, and increase local community resilience against climate change impacts. This bill also allocates $500 million to the California Energy Commission, in coordination with CARB and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, for grants to assist in obtaining, or as a match fund for, federal grants related to regional hubs in the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the federal Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Was not heard in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. 

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