BILL NUMBER: AB 2293INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Cristina Garcia, Eggman, Eduardo Garcia, and Gomez FEBRUARY 18, 2016 An act to add Section 39717 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to greenhouse gases. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2293, as introduced, Cristina Garcia. Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: 3-year investment plan: technical assistance program. 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 the use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation. Existing law requires the California Environmental Protection Agency to identify disadvantaged communities and requires the Department of Finance, in consultation with the state board and any other relevant state agency, to develop, as specified, a 3-year investment plan for the moneys deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. This bill would require the state board to establish a technical assistance program, upon an appropriation of moneys from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, to assist small disadvantaged communities in applying for moneys from programs using moneys from the fund, as specified. The bill would also require the department to include in the 3-year investment plan an allocation to the state board for that technical assistance program. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 39717 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read: 39717. (a) For purposes of this section, "disadvantaged community" means a community identified pursuant to Section 39711. (b) The Department of Finance shall include in the investment plan developed and submitted to the Legislature pursuant to Section 39716 an allocation to the state board to implement this section. (c) Upon an appropriation of moneys from the fund, the state board shall establish a technical assistance program to assist small disadvantaged communities in applying for moneys from programs that have been appropriated moneys from the fund. (d) The program established pursuant to this section shall provide assistance to small disadvantaged communities with any of the following: (1) Identifying state agencies with appropriate grant programs. (2) Developing competitive project proposals to apply for moneys available through state agencies or pursuant to this chapter. (3) Coordinating existing local programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with new programs receiving moneys pursuant to this chapter. (4) Conducting community outreach to residents of small disadvantaged communities that the state board determines require technical assistance on consumer programs receiving state or local moneys pursuant to this chapter or for other programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Those programs may include, but are not limited to, programs that also improve air quality, reduce residential and commercial water use, and increase residential and commercial energy efficiency.