Air Quality Improvement Program: Clean Vehicle Rebate Project.

Existing law establishes the Air Quality Improvement Program that is administered by the State Air Resources Board for the purposes of funding projects related to, among other things, the reduction of criteria air pollutants and improvement of air quality. Pursuant to its existing statutory authority, the state board has established the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, as a part of the Air Quality Improvement Program, to promote the production and use of zero-emission vehicles by providing rebates for the purchase of new zero-emission vehicles. Existing law, until July 1, 2017, requires the state board, for the purposes of the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, to, among other things, offer rebates only to applicants who purchase an eligible vehicle and have a specified maximum gross annual income; increase rebate payments by $500 for low-income applicants, as defined; and prioritize rebate payments for low-income applicants. This bill instead would extend the applicability of these provisions to January 1, 2019. This bill would require the state board to work with, and contract with, either the University of California or the California State University to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report on the impact of the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project on the state's zero-emission vehicle market no later than December 31, 2018. The bill would require the Department of Finance to submit to the Legislature a report evaluating the fiscal impacts of the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project no later than July 1, 2018. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.