The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include in its regulation of those emissions the use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Existing law continuously appropriates portions of the fund for various purposes. Existing law requires the state board to implement various programs to improve air quality, including air monitoring programs, grant programs, community emissions reduction programs, programs to reduce mobile and stationary sources of criteria air pollutants or toxic air contaminants, and various incentive programs to purchase or retrofit vehicles that meet specified criteria. This bill would continuously appropriate 10% of the annual proceeds of the fund to the state board to provide funding for purposes of awarding grants, providing technical assistance, supporting community participation, and offering incentives in connection with specified programs to improve air quality, thereby making an appropriation.
The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, approved by the voters as Proposition 4 at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience, wildfire and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity and nature-based climate solutions, climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and working lands, park creation and outdoor access, and clean air programs. Of these funds, the act makes available $1,500,000,000, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for wildfire prevention, including, among other things, by making $25,000,000 available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for technologies that improve detection and assessment of new fire ignitions. This bill would require, of the $25,000,000 made available to the department, $10,000,000 be allocated for purposes of the ALERTCalifornia fire camera mapping system.
Existing law prohibits new residential-type gas appliances that are equipped with a pilot light from being sold in the state 24 months after an intermittent ignition device has been demonstrated and certified by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, as specified. Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to adopt and implement motor vehicle emission standards, in-use performance standards, and motor vehicle fuel specifications for the control of air contaminants and sources of air pollution that the state board has found necessary, cost effective, and technologically feasible, as specified. Pursuant to its authority, the state board has adopted regulations, known as Advanced Clean Cars II, which reduce emissions from passenger cars, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles sold in California, including a requirement that 100% of new vehicle sales be zero emission by 2035. This bill, the California Energy Consumer Freedom Act, would prohibit state agencies and local governments from adopting or enforcing a rule, regulation, resolution, or ordinance that directly or indirectly results in prohibiting the use of gas appliances in residential or nonresidential buildings, and the buying, selling, or use of gasoline-powered vehicles or equipment. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.
Existing law designates air pollution control districts and air quality management districts as having the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources, and, subject to the powers and duties of the State Air Resources Board, requires that air districts adopt and enforce rules and regulations to achieve and maintain the state and federal ambient air quality standards in all areas affected by emission sources under their jurisdiction. Existing law requires the board of each air district to establish by regulation a system by which all reductions in the emission of air contaminants that are to be used to offset certain future increases in the emission of air contaminants be banked as credits prior to use to offset future increases in emissions, except as specified. This bill would require each air district, for all active permits required for equipment or processes that may release or control air pollutants and that require or required the use of one or more emission reduction credits, to make publicly available on its internet website a map of permitted facilities containing specified information regarding those permits. By adding to the duties of air districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995 requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to establish and oversee an environmental farming program to provide incentives to farmers whose practices promote the well-being of ecosystems, air quality, and wildlife and their habitat. The act also requires the department to establish the Healthy Soils Program and a technical assistance grant program, as specified. This bill would require the department, as part of the Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995, to establish and oversee the Organic Transition Program on or before July 1, 2026. The bill would require the department, under the program, to award grants to eligible organizations to provide incentives to farmers and ranchers to transition land to certified organic production, as specified, and to make available 25% of moneys appropriated to the department for the program to support certain activities at organic technical assistance provider organizations. The bill would also authorize the department to provide funding for the preparation and implementation of conservation management plans for organic transition
The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, approved by the voters as Proposition 4 at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience, wildfire and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity and nature-based climate solutions, climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and working lands, park creation and outdoor access, and clean air programs. The act makes $135,000,000 available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Office of Emergency Services for a wildfire mitigation grant program to provide, among other things, loans, direct assistance, and matching funds for projects that prevent wildfires, increase resilience, maintain existing wildfire risk reduction projects, reduce the risk of wildfires to communities, or increase home or community hardening. The act provides that eligible projects include, but are not limited to, grants to local agencies, state agencies, joint powers authorities, tribes, resource conservation districts, fire safe councils, and nonprofit organizations for structure hardening of critical community infrastructure, wildfire smoke mitigation, evacuation centers, including community clean air centers, structure hardening projects that reduce the risk of wildfire for entire neighborhoods and communities, water delivery system improvements for fire suppression purposes for communities in very high or high fire hazard areas, wildfire buffers, and incentives to remove structures that significantly increase hazard risk. This bill would include in the list of eligible projects grants to the above-mentioned entities for improvements to public evacuation routes in very high and high fire hazard severity zones, mobile rigid dip tanks, as defined, to support firefighting efforts, prepositioned mobile rigid water storage, as defined, and improvements to the response and effectiveness of fire engines and helicopters. The bill would also include grants, in coordination with the Public Utilities Commission, to local agencies, state agencies, special districts, joint powers authorities, tribes, and nonprofit organizations for backup electrical generators for water reservoirs.
(1) Existing law generally designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency with the primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution, and air pollution control districts and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources. "?>Existing law authorizes air districts to establish a permit system to require, with specified exceptions, that a person obtain a permit before constructing or operating any article, machine, equipment, or contrivance that may cause the issuance of air contaminants. Existing law prohibits an air district from issuing a permit to a Title V source, as defined, if the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency objects to its issuance, as specified. Existing law requires each district with moderate, serious, or severe air pollution to include certain measures in its plan to attain state ambient air quality standards, including the use of best available control technology for any new or modified stationary source, and the use of best available retrofit control technology for all existing stationary sources, under certain circumstances, as prescribed. Under the federal Clean Air Act, a new or modified major stationary source is required to meet various requirements in order to obtain a permit to operate, including a requirement that the source employs best available control technology on its emission-emitting equipment. This bill would establish definitions for the terms "best available control technology" and "best available retrofit control technology" for purposes of the laws governing air pollution and would set forth various requirements for the determination of best available control technology. The bill would require an air district to submit a proposed permit for a Title V source to the executive officer of the state board. The bill would require the executive officer to review the permit and, if the executive officer determines that the permit does not comply with the federal Clean Air Act or state law governing air pollution, to object to the issuance of that permit. If the executive officer objects to the issuance of a permit, the bill would prohibit the air district from finalizing that permit without revising it to address the objection to the satisfaction of the executive officer. The bill would also authorize any person to petition the executive officer to object to a proposed Title V permit within 30 days of the executive officer's receipt of the proposed permit, as specified. The bill would require an applicant for a renewal of a Title V permit to submit a technical feasibility analysis to the air district as part of its application for the renewal of that permit if the facility's current effective operating permit includes equipment or control apparatus that meets certain criteria. The bill would require an air district to require best available retrofit control technology to be applied at each piece of equipment or source category identified in the technical feasibility analysis and would authorize an air district to impose measures more stringent than those proposed by the applicant, as specified. (2) Existing law requires the state board to implement a program to assist air districts to improve efficiencies in the issuance of permits and requires that program to include a process to precertify simple, commonly used equipment and processes as being in compliance with air quality rules and regulations, to expedite permitting of air pollution sources. Existing law requires the California Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate the feasibility of expanding the precertification program to involve other state and local regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over other environmental media. This bill would revise the precertification program including by requiring the state board to update criteria and guidelines for precertification at least once every 8 years. The bill would authorize the precertification program to include the identification of equipment, controls, fuels, and processes, as specified. As part of the precertification program, the bill would authorize the state board to prescribe rules to establish a voluntary program for the temporary assignment or loan of employees within an agency, or between agencies or jurisdictions, including air districts, on a limited-term basis, to enable the state to obtain expertise needed to meet a compelling program need. The bill would authorize the California Environmental Protection Agency to expand the precertification program to involve other state and local regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over other environmental media. (3) Existing law requires every air district, except as provided, to establish a program to provide for the expedited review of permits. Existing law requires that expedited permit system to include, among other things, a precertification program for equipment that is mass-produced and operated by numerous sources under the same or similar conditions and a training and certification program for private sector personnel, as specified. This bill would eliminate the requirement that the expedited permit system include a precertification program established by the applicable air district. The bill would instead require the expedited permit system to include an expedited permit review pathway for permit applications that propose to use equipment and processes identified through the state board's precertification program described above, as specified. The bill would also eliminate the requirement that the expedited permit system include a training and certification program and would instead require the publication of online training resources for private sector personnel that explain expedited permitting pathways. (4) Existing law requires the state board to establish and maintain a statewide clearinghouse that identifies the best available control technology and best available retrofit control technology for criteria air pollutants, and related technologies for the control of toxic air contaminants. When updating best available control technology determinations, existing law requires a district to use the information in the statewide clearinghouse. This bill would require the state board to periodically issue determinations to suggest best available control technology, and best available retrofit control technology, for any class or category of sources and to establish best available control technology for the control of toxic air contaminants for any class or category of sources. The bill would authorize members of the public to petition the state board to issue a determination. (5) Existing law authorizes the state board to appoint employees and prescribe their duties. This bill would authorize the state board and any district to temporarily loan and assign staff members to each other, via a memorandum of agreement, for any lawful purpose. (6) Existing law generally makes any violation of a rule or regulation of the state board or an air district relating to nonvehicular air pollution control a misdemeanor. To the extent that the bill would expand the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (7) By expanding the duties of air districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (8) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons.
Existing law establishes the Clean Cars 4 All Program, which is administered by the State Air Resources Board, to focus on achieving reductions in the emissions of greenhouse gases, improvements in air quality, and benefits to low-income state residents through the replacement of high-polluter motor vehicles with cleaner and more efficient motor vehicles or a mobility option. Existing law requires the implementing regulations to ensure that the program complies with certain requirements. This bill would require the implementing regulations for the Clean Cars 4 All Program to additionally ensure that, among other things, incentives provided under the program are available in all areas of the state and that, in those areas where a local air district has not elected to participate in the program to manage the distribution of incentives within its jurisdiction, the state board manages the distribution of incentives to eligible residents of those areas, as specified. The bill would make certain conforming changes in that regard. The bill would require, as one of the program goals for replacement of passenger vehicles and trucks, the state board to prioritize vehicle retirement in areas of the state that meet specified criteria. The bill would also require the state board to update the guidelines for the program no later than July 1, 2027, as specified. Existing law requires the state board to annually post on its internet website a performance analysis of the replacement and mobility options component of the Clean Cars 4 All Program that includes an evaluation of the funding for targeted outreach in low-income or disadvantaged communities, as specified. This bill would require that analysis to additionally include an evaluation of the funding for targeted outreach in low-income or disadvantaged communities with the highest number of vehicles manufactured before 2004 or that are at least 20 years old, as specified. Existing law requires the state board to consider certain metrics in allocating funding under the program to local air districts participating in the program, and to the statewide program, including the number of vouchers deployed and the population in eligible program ZIP Codes. This bill would require the state board, in allocating funding to local air districts participating in the program and to the portion of the program managed by the state board, to consider additional metrics, including the total value of vouchers deployed and a specified metric for retired vehicles, and would delete the requirement to consider the population in eligible ZIP Codes. The bill would also require the state board, in coordination with local air districts and specified organizations, to establish a means-based strategy to identify potential recipients of incentives under the Clean Cars 4 All Program that meet certain criteria and, as part of that strategy, require an increased incentive to be provided under the program to those individuals.
Existing law imposes various limitations on emissions of air contaminants for the control of air pollution from vehicular and nonvehicular sources. Existing law generally designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency with the primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution. Existing law requires the state board to adopt standards, rules, and regulations necessary for the proper execution of the powers and duties granted to, and imposed upon, the state board. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the state board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. The act requires the state board to adopt rules and regulations, as provided, to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reductions to ensure that the statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40% below the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit, as defined, no later than December 31, 2030. Pursuant to its authority, the state board has adopted the Low Carbon Fuel Standard regulations to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels used in California, as specified. This bill would require the state board, beginning no later than January 31, 2026, to reconsider and revise the Low Carbon Fuel Standard to reduce the program's financial burden on drivers in the state, including by taking specified actions.
Existing law generally designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency with the primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution, and air pollution control districts and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources. Existing law authorizes air districts to adopt and implement regulations to reduce or mitigate emissions from indirect sources of air pollution. Existing law authorizes an air district to adopt a schedule of fees to be assessed on indirect sources of emissions to recover the costs of district programs related to these sources. Existing law requires the state board to adopt rules and regulations relating to vehicular emissions standards, as specified, that will achieve the ambient air quality standards required by federal law in conjunction with other measures adopted by the state board, air districts, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. This bill would require the state board, if necessary to carry out that duty to achieve those ambient air quality standards, to adopt and enforce rules and regulations applicable to indirect sources of emissions. The bill would require the state board to establish a schedule of fees on facilities and mobile sources to cover the reasonable costs of implementing and enforcing the regulations and would require the fees to be deposited in the Air Pollution Control Fund and made available to the state board upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would require each air district, no later than 120 days after the adoption by the state board of indirect source regulations, to determine if the district or the state board will implement and enforce those regulations within its jurisdiction, as specified. The bill would require the state board to annually prepare a presentation on the impacts and effects of any indirect source regulations that it adopts and to post that presentation on its internet website. Existing law requires the state board to identify toxic air contaminants that are emitted into the ambient air of the state and to adopt airborne toxic control measures to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants. Existing law also requires the state board to designate any substance that is listed as a hazardous air pollutant under federal law as a toxic air contaminant and to establish airborne toxic control measures applicable to the substance in accordance with specified procedures. Existing law requires each district to implement and enforce an airborne toxic control measure adopted by the state board or to propose regulations enacting airborne toxic control measures on nonvehicular sources within its jurisdiction that meets certain requirements, as specified. This bill would require the state board, for a given toxic air contaminant or airborne toxic control measure, to adopt and enforce rules and regulations applicable to indirect sources of emissions. The bill would require the state board to establish a schedule of fees on facilities and mobile sources to cover the reasonable costs of implementing and enforcing the regulations and would require the fees to be deposited in the Air Pollution Control Fund and made available to the state board upon appropriation by the Legislature. Existing law makes any violation of a rule or regulation of the state board relating to nonvehicular air pollution control a misdemeanor. Because a violation of these rules or regulations of the state board with respect to nonvehicular sources subject to those rules and regulations would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
