BILL NUMBER: ACR 112CHAPTERED BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 117 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 16, 2016 ADOPTED IN SENATE AUGUST 11, 2016 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 6, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 6, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 5, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Hadley (Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Arambula, Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonta, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chvez, Chiu, Cooley, Frazier, Gatto, Gipson, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Harper, Roger Hernndez, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Maienschein, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, Quirk, Rendon, Rodriguez, Salas, Mark Stone, Ting, Weber, Wilk, and Wood) JANUARY 7, 2016 Relative to the State Air Resources Board. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 112, Hadley. State Air Resources Board. This measure would thank the State Air Resources Board for its exemplary work and tenacity in uncovering the emissions control defeat devices on certain diesel-fueled Volkswagen motor vehicles and would express the Legislature's support for specified future emissions test-related actions by the board. WHEREAS, The Legislature established the State Air Resources Board in 1967 to attain and maintain healthy air quality; and WHEREAS, In 2012, the State Air Resources Board initiated a testing campaign focused on light-duty diesel vehicles and agreed to provide in-kind support to the International Council on Clean Transportation and to West Virginia University for their light-duty diesel vehicle studies, which led to the discovery that two Volkswagen diesel-fueled motor vehicles emitted significantly higher levels of oxides of nitrogen in onroad tests than in standard emissions tests; and WHEREAS, Emissions of oxides of nitrogen have been linked to ozone formation, smog, and acid rain; and WHEREAS, The concerns raised by the study prompted the State Air Resources Board to open an investigation and discussions with Volkswagen Group of America (Volkswagen) in 2014; and WHEREAS, In December 2014, Volkswagen issued a voluntary recall in the United States of some of its diesel-fueled motor vehicles from model years 2009 to 2014 after conducting its own tests and identifying a recalibration fix that Volkswagen claimed would address excess emissions; and WHEREAS, The State Air Resources Board, in cooperation with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, conducted confirmatory testing in 2015; and WHEREAS, The State Air Resources Board notified Volkswagen in July 2015 that the test vehicles, despite having completed the recalibration fix under the voluntary recall, still showed emissions that exceeded state and federal limits; and WHEREAS, In September 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the State Air Resources Board demanded an explanation from Volkswagen and were prepared to withhold certification that Volkswagen's 2016 diesel-fueled motor vehicles complied with applicable emissions standards; and WHEREAS, Volkswagen then admitted defeat devices were installed on the emissions control equipment on certain Volkswagen diesel-fueled motor vehicles; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature acknowledges and praises the State Air Resources Board for its unwavering diligence and dedication to preserving the air quality in the state and its exposure of Volkswagen's circumvention of emissions standards on certain diesel-fueled motor vehicles; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature thanks the State Air Resources Board for its exemplary work and tenacity in uncovering Volkswagen's emissions control defeat devices; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature supports the State Air Resources Board increasing the use of real-world emissions verification testing; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature supports the State Air Resources Board enhancing its penalty authority for cheating emissions tests to deter future efforts to circumvent emissions standards; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit sufficient copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.