California Assembly Bill AB2722 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2722AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 31, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 20, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 12, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Burke FEBRUARY 19, 2016 An act to add Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) to Division 44 of the Public Resources Code, relating to greenhouse gases. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2722, as amended, Burke. Transformative Climate Communities 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 from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.   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.  Existing law establishes the Strategic Growth Council and requires the council to identify and review activities and funding programs that may be coordinated to improve air and water quality, improve natural resource protection, increase the availability of affordable housing, improve transportation, meet the goals of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, encourage sustainable land use planning, and revitalize urban and community centers in a sustainable manner. This bill would create the Transformative Climate Communities Program, to be administered by the council.  The bill would provide that, upon appropriation by the Legislature, up to $250,000,000 shall be available from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the council to administer the program.  The bill would require the council, in coordination with the California Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, to award competitive grants to specified eligible entities for the development of transformative climate community plans, and projects that implement plans, that contribute to the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases and demonstrate potential climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental benefits in disadvantaged  communities, as defined,   communities  that have a demonstrated need for climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental benefits. 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. Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) is added to Division 44 of the Public Resources Code, to read: PART 4. Transformative Climate Communities Program 75240. The Transformative Climate Communities Program is hereby created, to be administered by the Strategic Growth Council. The program shall fund the development and implementation of neighborhood-level transformative climate community plans that include multiple, coordinated greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects that provide local economic, environmental, and health benefits that are directly connected to communities most impacted by pollution and vulnerable to climate change. By making such comprehensive public investments, it is the intent of the Legislature that private resources can more effectively be catalyzed to support innovative community and climate transformation in disadvantaged communities. 75241. (a) The council, in coordination with the California Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, shall award competitive grants to eligible entities through an application process. To be eligible, an entity shall demonstrate multistakeholder partnerships with local agencies, community-based organizations, labor groups, workforce investment boards, and other stakeholders, as appropriate. An eligible entity includes any of the following: (1) A nonprofit organization. (2) A community-based organization. (3) A faith-based organization. (4) A coalition or association of nonprofit organizations. (5) A community development finance institution. (6) A community development corporation. (7) A local agency. (b) (1) The council shall award grants for the development of transformative climate community plans, and projects that implement plans, that contribute to the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases and demonstrate potential climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental benefits located in disadvantaged  communities, as identified pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code,   communities  that have a demonstrated need for climate, economic, workforce, health, and environmental benefits. The council shall award grants for plans that are designed to achieve, and projects that demonstrate, an integrated, innovative, cross-cutting project with multiple benefits provided directly in a disadvantaged community and that demonstrate community engagement and leadership in all phases. A plan shall identify metrics to meet the overall goals of the Transformative Climate Communities Program and the desired long-term changes in the plan's region. In awarding grants, the council may make grant awards for plan development contingent on the implementation of one or more projects identified by the plan. (2) The council may award a grant over multiple years. (c) In awarding grants, the council shall weigh economic, environmental, and health benefits equally with climate benefits resulting from greenhouse gas emissions reductions. (d) (1) For purposes of this part, "economic benefits" means high-quality, well-paid employment opportunities for residents in the plan's region, benefits for small businesses located directly in the relevant disadvantaged community, and benefits for minority-, LGBT-, woman-, or disabled veteran-owned small businesses in the plan's region. (2) For purposes of this subdivision, "LGBT" means lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. 75242. (a) The council and all funded entities shall endeavor to identify additional public and private sources of funding to sustain and expand the program. (b) The council shall endeavor to identify and coordinate a network of technical assistance providers to assist in plan development, implementation, and project financing.  SEC. 2.   Up to two hundred fifty million dollars ($250,000,000) shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section 16428.8 of the Government Code, to the Strategic Growth Council to administer the Transformative Climate Communities Program pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 75240) of Division 44 of the Public Resources Code.