California Air Resources Board

Summary

Would have required CARB to phase in a 100 percent green and zero carbon hydrogen fuel standard by 2045. The bill would have provided a ten year, steadily declining set of personal and corporate income tax credits for green hydrogen production and distribution, as well as for hydrogen fueling stations. CARB would have had to annually certify green hydrogen production and available hydrogen fueling stations to the Franchise Tax Board. Green hydrogen was defined to be hydrogen not produced from fossil fuel feedstock sources. Was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

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Summary

Would have directed the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to adopt a new net energy metering (NEM) standard contract or tariff, which the bill would have defined as the "replacement tariff," by August 1, 2022, and would have required an electrical investor-owned utility to offer the replacement tariff to an eligible customer-generator by December 31, 2023. If CPUC failed to act, CPUC would have been required to adopt a new tariff under prescribed terms. Moved to the Assembly Inactive File.

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Summary

Would have exempted certain leased zero-emission medium- or heavy-duty trucks from vehicle license and registration and weight fees, as well as exempting the fuel for these vehicles from sales tax. Eligible vehicles were those leased after July 1, 2022. Was not heard in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee.

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Summary

Would have provided a partial sales tax exclusion starting 2023 for the sale of zero-emission or near-zero-emission drayage trucks that qualify for the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project, Carl Moyer, or Volkswagen mitigation programs. Was not heard in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee.

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Summary

Requires CARB to coordinate with air quality management districts (Air Districts) and local nonprofit and community-based organizations (CBOs) to identify barriers to accessing the Clean Cars 4 All (CC4A) program, and to develop outreach protocols and metrics to assess the success of outreach across the Air Districts. The bill also adds to CARB’s Annual Report on Program Performance pursuant to AB 630 (Cooper, Chapter 636, Statutes of 2017) by requiring the inclusion of an assessment identifying populations that are eligible for CC4A but underserved by the program. Additionally, the bill allows the Air Districts to utilize up to 10 percent of allocated funds for outreach, but requires the submission of additional justification and reporting requirements to CARB. The bill also provides an exemption from sales and use tax for someone participating in the CC4A program.

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Summary

Requires CARB to create, contingent upon appropriation by the Legislature, a single unified education and application portal that would enable an applicant to apply with a single application, to at least all of the following programs: Clean Vehicle Rebate Project; the Clean Cars 4 All Program (CC4A); and the Clean Vehicle Assistance Project. The bill also requires CARB to adopt revisions to the aforementioned programs to ensure an opportunity to become prequalified for an incentive before the applicant purchases a vehicle, mobility option, or other item or service for which the incentive is provided. The bill allows CARB to post a report on its webpage if it deems any of these provisions infeasible to implement, with justification. The bill also requires the removal of conventional hybrids from the CC4A program beginning in 2025.

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Summary

Would have provided an exemption from the State General Fund portion of the Sales and Use Tax (3.9375 percent) for qualified motor vehicles, which are defined as meeting the following requirements: (1) a vehicle eligible for an incentive under CARB’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP); (2) a zero-emission vehicle over 8,500 Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR); (3) the purchase of the vehicle was not made using a voucher through HVIP; and (4) is a new vehicle. This bill also would have required CARB to maintain an updated website listing vehicle eligibility. This bill would have required the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to provide a report to the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation and the Senate Committee on Governance and Finance on the use of the exemption. This bill would also have specified that for sales made on or after January 1, 2025, the exemption does not apply to transactions where the purchaser has received an HVIP voucher. Finally, this bill provisions would have sunset and been repealed on January 1, 2027. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Summary

Would have clarified that for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, gross income does not include moneys awarded to a taxpayer pursuant to the Clean Cars 4 All Program (Article 11 (commencing with Section 44124.5) of Chapter 5 of Part 5 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code). Was not heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee.

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Summary

Extends provisions of CARB’s Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program to January 1, 2034, including the tire fee as well as provisions that allow CARB to consider particulate matter and reactive organic gases in cost-effectiveness calculations. The bill also extends the authority of air districts to levy additional fees on residents in their region to support projects to reduce air pollution from vehicles and equipment.

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Summary

Would have required CARB, by January 1, 2024, to develop a tool to calculate the average annual gallons of gasoline or diesel that a particular vehicle has used and ensure, when administering incentive programs for light-duty zero-emission vehicles, including but not limited to the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, Clean Cars 4 All, and the Clean Vehicle Assistance program, that incentives awarded under applicable programs be awarded based on the average annual gallons of gasoline or diesel that the applicant’s vehicle consumed. The bill also would have required incentive amounts to be set at a level that maximizes the displacement of gasoline or diesel and the reduction of emissions criteria pollutants per dollar spent. Additionally, the bill would have required, in order to ensure equity is prioritized, that incentive amounts be further modified to ensure that additional per gallon incentive payments are provided to an applicant of a ZEV incentive program if the applicant is either low or moderate income or resides in an under-resourced community. Finally, the bill also would have required, by January 1, 2024 and biennially afterwards, a legislatively mandated report that includes: (1) Actual gasoline or diesel and criteria emissions reduced per dollar spent on ZEV incentives under applicable programs; (2) The impacts of ZEV incentive spending in terms of quantifiable emissions reductions and transportation savings within under-resourced communities and among low- to middle-income individuals; and (3) The changes in annual gasoline and diesel use at local levels by census tract or ZIP Code. Held on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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