California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have required the California Department of Food and Agriculture to provide the Environmental Farming Act Science Advisory Panel a report every two years with specified information on the implementation of the Healthy Soils Program and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) beginning after January 31, 2021.  The Healthy Soils Program and SWEEP receive, or have received, funding from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.  Was not heard in the Assembly Agriculture Committee.

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Summary

Would have required CARB to develop a carbon offset credit for whole orchard recycling.  This bill would have also appropriated an unspecified sum from the General Fund to the California Department of Food and Agriculture to provide grants to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Division and the California State University for research to assess the co-benefits from healthy soil practices.  Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have required 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 also would have required 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 have added 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.

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Summary

Removes the sunset for the Climate-Safe Infrastructure Working Group and for provisions that require State agencies to take the current and future climate change impacts into account in infrastructure projects.  The bill also clarifies that State agencies must account for the economic damages and financial liabilities associated with the climate change impacts. 

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Summary

Would have prohibited the 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 diesel passenger locomotive engine or a passenger locomotive engine that directly emits particulate matter from the onboard combustion of fossil fuels for propulsion.  Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Spot bill intended to encourage smart climate agriculture.  Remains in the Assembly Rules Committee.

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Summary

Would have continuously appropriated $200 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to support in-state markets for solid and organic waste recycling beginning in fiscal year 2020-21.  $100 million would have gone towards in-state waste recycling projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help achieve the State's goal that 75 percent of solid waste is source reduced, recycled, and composted.  The remaining $100 million would have gone towards in-state recycling projects to meet requirements established by SB 1383 (Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) to reduce landfill disposal of organic waste 75 percent by 2025.  Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to make programmatic changes to the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) to provide grants to agricultural operations to, among other specified requirements, implement irrigation systems that reduce greenhouse gases and energy use, and increase water use efficiency.  This bill would have also required the CDFA Secretary to convene a technical advisory committee of the Environmental Farming Act Science Advisory Panel and would have required the committee to make recommendations of the grant program.  The bill would have also revised the definition of “technical assistance,” to include training.  SWEEP has received funding from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.  Was not heard in the Assembly Agriculture Committee.

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Summary

Would have required the Treasurer’s Office to submit a report to the Legislature by March 2021 on the feasibility of securitizing revenues from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to spur innovation and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.  The securitized revenues would have been paid back by future revenues generated by the Cap-and-Trade Program.  Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

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Summary

Would have required transit agencies to offer free student transit passes to persons attending the California Community Colleges, the California State University, or the University of California 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 student 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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