California Assembly Bill AB2293 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2293AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 29, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 10, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Cristina Garcia,  Alejo,  Eggman, Eduardo Garcia, and Gomez (Principal coauthor: Senator Leyva) FEBRUARY 18, 2016 An act to add Part 10 (commencing with Section 44480) to Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to greenhouse gases. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2293, as amended, Cristina Garcia. Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: Green 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 establish the Green Assistance Program, to be administered by the Secretary for Environmental Protection to, among other things, assist small  businesses,   businesses and  small nonprofit  organizations, and small cities   organizations  in applying for moneys from programs using moneys from the fund, as specified. 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. The Legislature finds and declares both of the following: (a) Small  businesses,   businesses and  small nonprofit  organizations, and small cities   organizations  often lack the technical expertise to develop grant and financing options. (b) For the state to meet its air quality goals, every business and community must have the same opportunity to compete for funding that is available to meet those air quality goals. SEC. 2. Part 10 (commencing with Section 44480) is added to Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, to read: PART 10. Green Assistance Program 44480. For purposes of this part, the following definitions apply: (a) "Fund" means the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, established pursuant to Section 16428.8 of the Government Code. (b) "Secretary" means the Secretary for Environmental Protection.  (c) "Small city" means a city with a population of less than 500,000 as determined by the latest census.  44481. The Green Assistance Program is hereby established and shall be administered by the secretary. The program shall do all of the following: (a) Provide technical assistance, including the development of competitive project proposals, to small  businesses,  businesses and  small nonprofit  organizations, and small cities   organizations  when applying for an allocation of moneys from the fund.  (b) Assist small cities in equitably applying for funding to help mitigate the impacts of poor air quality and help improve the health of the state's most disadvantaged communities.   (c)   (b)  Assist small businesses in applying for funding for energy efficiency upgrades to meet and exceed the greenhouse gas emission reductions established pursuant to Section 38560.  (d)   (c)  Assist small businesses  and small cities  in complying with all applicable federal, state, and local air quality laws.  (e) Assist small cities to develop plans that would assist the state in meeting the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit.   (f)   (d)  Identify state agencies with appropriate grant programs.  (g)   (e)  Coordinate existing local programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with new programs receiving moneys from the fund.  (h) Conduct community outreach to residents of small cities that the state board determines require technical assistance on consumer programs receiving state or local moneys from the fund 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.