California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have required the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to develop and administer the Green Means Go Grant and Loan Program to award competitive grants and revolving loans to cities, counties, and special districts within the Sacramento region for qualifying projects within and benefitting green zones, as defined.  Was not heard in Assembly Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Would have authorized environmental leadership hospital projects, which would have allowed hospital projects to undergo expedited the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review if the project met certain requirements, including a CARB determination that the project maintained net-zero GHG emissions and other specified labor and environmental requirements. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would require CARB to appoint, on or before January 31, 2022, the State-Regional Collaborative for Climate, Equity, and Resilience, consisting of representatives of various entities. Would require the Collaborative to develop a quantitative tool for metropolitan planning organizations to use to evaluate a transportation plan’s consistency with long-range greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and recommend guidelines for metropolitan planning organizations to use when crafting long-range strategies that integrate state goals related to climate resilience and social equity. Would require CARB, on or before June 30, 2023, and in coordination with the California Transportation Commission (CTC) and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), issue new guidelines on sustainable communities strategies based on the Collaborative’s work and requires these guidelines to be updated thereafter at least every 4 years. Would require CARB, in consultation with CTC and HCD, identify greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for 2050 that align with the Collaborative’s work. Was not heard in the Senate Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Extends the sunset on the Road Usage Charge (RUC) Technical Advisory Committee until January 1, 2027, requires the State Transportation Agency to implement a RUC pilot program, as specified, to identify and evaluate issues related to the collection of revenue for a road charge program by January 1, 2023, and requires two reports to the Legislature, by 2024 and 2026 respectively.

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Summary

Would require CARB to adopt additional greenhouse gas targets for 2045 and 2050, and vehicle miles traveled targets for 2035, 2045, 2050, by 2024; would modify the timeline for Sustainable Community Strategies (SCS) development; and would require CARB to reject SCSs if they are not implementable based on specific evidentiary basis.  Would require local governments to collect data on housing, jobs, and transit infrastructure and report every two years to metropolitan planning organizations to demonstrate how SCS strategies are implemented, using the data described above. Was not heard in the Senate Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Would contain statutory provisions necessary to implement the Budget Act of 2021. Related to CARB, would establish the Regional Early Action Planning Grants Program of 2021, developed and administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), in collaboration with the Office of Planning and Research (OPR), the Strategic Growth Council (SGC), and CARB to provide regions with funding, including grants. Eligible activities for transformative planning and implementation would include administering specified programs, providing jurisdictions and other local agencies with technical assistance, planning, temporary staffing, or consultant needs associated with updating local planning and zoning documents, accelerating infill development, planning and upgrading infrastructure, creating multimodal transportation communities, shifting travel behavior through reducing driving, and increasing transit ridership, each as specified. HCD, in collaboration with COPR, SGC and CARB would review applications, and HCD would award funds, as specified.  Was not heard in the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review.

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Summary

Requires the courts, until January 1, 2025, to resolve CEQA challenges within 365 days for up to seven transit projects in Los Angeles County that meet specific vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emission criteria.

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Summary

Reauthorizes the AB 900 program, which requires the courts to resolve CEQA challenges within 270 days for mega development projects that meet specified environmental requirements, and establishes a new category for housing developments between $15 and $100 million. Requires the Governor to make a net zero greenhouse gas determination on projects except those in the new housing category, authorizes the Office of Planning and Research to charge an applicant fee to cover costs to the Governor's Office to implement the program, and updates labor requirements.

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Summary

Would have exempted from the requirements of CEQA projects by a public transit agency to construct or maintain infrastructure to charge or refuel zero-emission trains, provided certain requirements are met, including giving prior notice to the public and holding a noticed public meeting, as provided. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would require the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to develop and administer the Green Means Go Grant and Loan Program to award competitive grants and revolving loans to cities, counties, and special districts within the Sacramento region for qualifying projects within and benefitting green zones, as defined. Was not heard by the Assembly Committee on Transportation.

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