California Assembly Bill AB2702 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2702AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 18, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Atkins FEBRUARY 19, 2016 An act  to add Section 39733 to the Health and Safety Code,  relating to climate change. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2702, as amended, Atkins.  Climate change.   Greenhouse gases: study.  The 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 state board is required to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020 and to adopt rules and regulations in an open public process to achieve the maximum, technologically feasible, and cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reductions.  Existing law establishes the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program, which is administered by the Office of Planning and Research, to coordinate regional and local efforts with state climate adaptation strategies to adapt to the impacts of climate change, as specified. Existing law requires the California Environmental Protection Agency to update the state's climate adaptation strategy to identify vulnerabilities to climate change.   This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would continue the work with local governments, state agencies, and others to meet the goals set forth in Governor Brown's Under 2 MOU, which brings together subnational governments willing to commit to either reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases 80% to 95% below 1990 levels by 2050 or achieving a per capita annual emissions target of less than 2 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050.   This bill would require the state board to conduct a study that outlines best practices and policies for meeting state goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill also would authorize the state board to collaborate with air pollution control and air quality management districts.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no   yes  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1.  (a)    The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:  (1)   (a)  California has been a leader on climate change for more than a decade through the enactment of landmark  legislation   legislation,  such as the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health and Safety Code) and the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015 (Chapter 547 of the Statutes of  2015)   2015),  and through policies and practices that allow for Californians to be innovators and early adapters for new  technologies   technologies,  like those related to renewable energy and clean fuels.  (2)   (b)  In May of 2015, Governor  Brown,   Edmund G. Brown Jr.,  along with leaders from 11 other states and provinces from seven countries, entered into the "Under 2 MOU" committing the signatories to either reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases 80 to 95 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 or achieving a per capita annual emissions target of less than 2 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050.  (3)   (c)  As of January of 2016, a total of 127 jurisdictions representing 27 countries and 6 continents have signed or endorsed the Under 2 MOU.  (4)   (d)  In December of 2015, 195 counties from around the globe adopted the Paris Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC/CP/2015/L.9/Rev.1) at the United Nations Climate Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, signaling a commitment to limit the effects of climate change and further reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases.  (5)   (e)  California's leadership and vision on climate change helped open the door to the historic Paris Agreement.  (6)   (f)  The achievements made in COP21, the Under 2 MOU, and recent legislative efforts in California are by no means the end in the state's effort to combat climate change. In California, we know the serious damage climate change can cause to everything from our supply of food and clean water to the health of the forests and from neighborhood public safety to our national security. We need to continue to work together to create and implement innovative policies that move us forward in our efforts to address the impacts of climate change.  (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would continue the work with local governments, state agencies, and others to meet the goals set forth in Governor Brown's Under 2 MOU, which brings together subnational governments willing to commit to either reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases 80 to 95 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 or achieving a per capita annual emissions target of less than 2 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050.   SEC. 2.   Section 39733 is added to the   Health and Safety Code   , to read:   39733. No later than July 1, 2018, the state board shall conduct a study that outlines best practices and policies for meeting state goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In conducting the study, the state board may collaborate with districts.