California Air Resources Board

Summary 

Would have required the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to include drones as an eligible agricultural equipment under the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE) as part of the Air Quality Improvement Program (AQIP). Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. 

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Would have established a Green Assistance Program under the California Environmental Protection Agency to provide technical support to small businesses and non-profits seeking to apply for Greenhouse Gas Reductions Fund money, and also provide technical assistance on environmental regulations. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Would have increased the priority population minimum investment amounts for California Climate Investments from 25% to 50% for disadvantaged communities and from 5% to 15% for low-income communities. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

Summary 

This bill would have required CARB, when providing a voucher for the purchase of a new or used drayage truck, to ensure the incentive amount be determined pursuant to a sliding scale that authorizes increased vouchers in different amounts for fleets of 50 or fewer, 30 or fewer, or 5 or fewer vehicles. The bill would have also required CARB, when administering incentives specified by this bill, to prioritize fleets of five or fewer trucks and drayage operations transporting goods between the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, or Oakland and warehouses located in the State. Was not heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. 

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Would have transferred Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds currently provided to the High-Speed Rail Authority to the State’s General Fund and made the funding available for rural road safety. Failed passage in the SenateTransportation Committee.

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Summary

Would have created the California Compost Tax Credit Fund providing refundable tax credits for California farmers, ranchers, and landowners who employ farming practices that maximize carbon sequestration through the utilization of compost on natural and working lands. Would have transferred one percent of annual Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund proceeds, not exceeding $120 million per fiscal year through FY 2035-36 to the California Compost Tax Credit Fund. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have added climate change and climate change exacerbated conditions to the list of conditions for which a state of emergency or local emergency could be declared. The bill would have also created the California Individual Assistance Act and California Local Assistance Act programs. These programs were intended to give individuals, community-based organizations, local and tribal governments, transportation systems, and communities the assistance they need to quickly recover following a disaster related to climate change. Would have appropriated $100 million for the California Individual Assistance Act and $400 million for the California Local Assistance Act, both from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have authorized the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to jointly adopt a commute benefit ordinance that requires covered employers operating within the common area of the BAAQMD and MTC respective jurisdictions to offer all covered employees one of the following choices: (1) A pretax option, (2) Employer-paid benefit, (3) Employer-provided transit, or (4) Employer-provided regional transit pass. The bill would have authorized MTC to propose new taxes, allocate new revenue, and issue bonds for specified transportation projects, among other things. Remains at the Assembly Desk.

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Summary

Authorizes a State agency administering a grant program to provide advanced payment of up to 25% to a federally recognized Indian tribe recipient under nearly the same conditions afforded 501(c)(3) nonprofits. The bill allows CARB to authorize advance payment from contract recipients and grant recipients to subrecipients.

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Summary

Would have streamlined the application and implementation process for covered grants, defined as a grant award not exceeding $20,000 with a duration not more than a year, with 501(c)(3) nonprofits as the eligible recipient. The bill would have had website requirements for a State agency or third-party contractor to post application information for a covered grant and to allow completion of a covered grant application online. The bill would have required advanced payment of at least 50% of the grant award and prohibited an administrator from requiring specified receipts, reports, and insurance coverage. Held on suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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