California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have established the California Fire Safe Council (Council) in the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) consisting of 11 members, as specified.  The bill would have required the Council to identify and implement programs to address and minimize the risks of wildfire, to identify public and private programs that may be leveraged to facilitate structure-hardening and community resilience, to conduct public outreach to regional and local wildfire mitigation groups, and to make recommendations to the Legislature on how the programs identified by the Council can be coordinated to increase the effectiveness of those programs.  Upon appropriation by the Legislature, up to $7 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund would have been available to CNRA for the purposes of the bill.  Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would have established the Resilient Economies and Community Health Pilot Program, administered by the Strategic Growth Council (SGC).  This bill would have created a grant pilot program for eligible community-based organizations to provide a comprehensive suite of coordinated incentives and services to disadvantaged communities.  The pilot program was intended to result in economic savings at the residential household level, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, and improved resiliency to the impacts of climate change.  This bill would have also required SGC to submit a report to the Legislature on the program by January 2026.  Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would require the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) to provide a basic level of technological support to community organizations for wildfire risk reduction and resiliency, including technology for data, geospatial mapping, and data management, as well as software and limited technical support, and would require CNRA to structure this wildfire technology support in the same way that technology support is provided for similar services for wildfire-program building, outreach, and planning. The bill is contingent on a $5 million appropriation from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund each year through the 2022–23 fiscal year to CNRA for purposes of providing the technological support described above. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would require the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) to research, and provide a report to the Legislature with recommendations for, ways in which a community that undertakes science-supported wildfire resilience actions can be recognized with a peer-reviewed, community-level certification in order to acknowledge and motivate wildfire resilience activity, on or before January 1, 2023. The bill is contingent on a $2 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund each year through the 2022–23 fiscal year to CNRA for purposes of this research and report. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would require State agencies administering competitive Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) grant programs to ensure preferential points for specified populations and provide an application period of at least three months. The bill would also require State agencies that administer competitive grant programs involving housing, forestry, urban greening, or planning to develop application scoring categories to account for differences among urban, suburban, and rural communities during the application review process.  In addition, the bill would add eight additional co-benefits for GGRF-funded projects and required the California Department of Finance to report on additional elements of GGRF grants in the California Climate Investments Annual Report, including information on applications that did not receive funding. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

View full bill text here

Summary

Would require the California Natural Resources Agency to prepare a comprehensive, statewide inventory of the natural resources of the State and establish treatment measures necessary to protect those resources, and to post its initial inventory and annual updates on its internet website on or before January 1, 2023. The bill is contingent on an appropriation from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. 

View full bill text here

Summary

Would prohibit the California High Speed Rail Authority from directly or indirectly using local, State, federal, or any other public or private funding to purchase, lease, operate, or maintain a passenger or freight train powered by a diesel engine or other type of fossil fuel combustion engine, and from enabling such a train to operate on authority-owned rail infrastructure designed for speeds in excess of 125 miles per hour, except as specified. Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee. 

View full bill text here

Summary

Would have deleted the requirement that prescribed burns initiated at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention's request be on lands owned by a nonprofit organization or other public agencies. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

View full bill text here

Summary

Enacts the California Jobs Plan Act of 2021, which requires CARB to work with the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency to update the California Climate Investments Funding Guidelines by July 1, 2025 to ensure all applicants to grant programs that receive continuous appropriations from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) include fair and responsible employer practices and inclusive procurement policies. The bill also requires State agencies administering these GGRF funded programs to give preference to applicants that demonstrate a partnership with an educational institution or training program targeting residents of disadvantaged, tribal, and low-income communities. 

View full bill text here

Summary

Would extend the funding committed by SB 901 (Dodd, Chapter 626, Statutes of 2018) for fire prevention and management projects by continuously appropriating $200 million to California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE) from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). Beginning in the 2021-2022 fiscal year and ending in the 2028-2029 fiscal year, $200 million from GGRF would be appropriated to CAL FIRE for (1) healthy forest and fire prevention programs and projects and (2) prescribed fire and other fuel reduction projects. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. 

View full bill text here