BILL NUMBER: SB 1294INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Pavley FEBRUARY 19, 2016 An act to add Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 42200) to Part 3 of Division 30 of the Public Resources Code, relating to the environment. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1294, as introduced, Pavley. The California Community Climate, Drought, and Jobs Resiliency Act. Existing law establishes the California Conservation Corps in the Natural Resources Agency as a service organization providing employment and training for young men and women. Existing law authorizes the Director of the California Conservation Corps, implementing the corps program, to recruit and employ corpsmembers and to adopt criteria for employment in the program. This bill would require the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to award grants to local conservation corps certified by the California Conservation Corps for projects that improve the climate and drought resiliency of urban canopies, community landscaping, and urban greening efforts through the use of various water conservation methods, including the application of compost and mulch. The project would require the department to consider certain factors in selecting a project for a grant, and would require the department to give priority to projects that would aid urban canopies at the greatest risk from drought. The bill would require a project that receives a grant to leverage state and local funds. The bill would authorize the department, in coordination with local water agencies, to develop a pilot program to study the use of compost in landscaping to assist local water agencies in increasing groundwater supply and reducing evaporation. 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. Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 42200) is added to Part 3 of Division 30 of the Public Resources Code, to read: CHAPTER 4. THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY CLIMATE, DROUGHT, AND JOBS RESILIENCY ACT 42200. (a) The department shall award grants to local conservation corps certified by the California Conservation Corps for projects that improve the climate and drought resiliency of urban canopies, community landscaping, and urban greening efforts through the use of various water conservation methods, including the application of compost and mulch. (b) The department, in selecting a project for a grant pursuant to subdivision (a), shall consider the extent to which the project would employ at-risk youth, save existing climate-beneficial green spaces, save water, beautify low-income communities, use compost and mulch, increase onsite stormwater infiltration and groundwater recharge, and build healthy, biologically active soil able to sequester carbon and support healthy plants. (c) Projects eligible for grants pursuant to subdivision (a) include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) Projects that use local water sources as the water supply for urban canopies. (2) Landscaping projects that benefit the climate and use water sustainably. (3) Projects that develop, transport, and apply compost and mulch for purposes of improving tree and plant health, increasing groundwater supply, and reducing evaporation. (d) A project that receives a grant pursuant to subdivision (a) shall leverage state and local funds. (e) In awarding grants pursuant to subdivision (a), the department shall give priority to projects that would aid urban canopies at the greatest risk from drought. 42201. The department, in coordination with local water agencies, may develop a pilot program to study the use of compost in landscaping to assist local water agencies in increasing groundwater supply and reducing evaporation.