California Senate Bill SB246 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 246AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 1, 2015 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 2, 2015 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 5, 2015 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 13, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Senator Wieckowski FEBRUARY 18, 2015 An act to add Part 4.5 (commencing with Section 71350) to Division 34 of the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental protection. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 246, as amended, Wieckowski. Climate change adaptation. 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 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. The act requires all state agencies to consider and implement strategies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. An executive order establishes a climate action team consisting of specified ex officio members and requires the team to make a specified biannual report to the Legislature and Governor. This bill would  establish the Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program to be administered by the Office of Planning and Research to coordinate state, regional, and local agency efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change, as specified. The bill would  require  the California Environmental Protection Agency,  the Natural Resources Agency,  and the office,  no later than January 1,  2019,   2017, and every 3 years thereafter,  to update the 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy, as specified. The bill also would require the  Office of Planning and Research   office  , no later than January 1,  2017,   2018, and every 3 years thereafter,  to update the Adaptation Planning Guide, as specified. The bill would establish an advisory council, as specified, to support those goals of the  Office of Planning and Research.   office. The bill would require the office to establish a clearinghouse for climate adaptation information, 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. Part 4.5 (commencing with Section 71350) is added to Division 34 of the Public Resources Code, to read: PART 4.5. Climate  Change  Adaptation  and Resiliency Program   71350. For purposes of this part, "office" means the Office of Planning and Research.   71350.  71352.  The Legislature finds and declares: (a) The state has been a leader in climate mitigation efforts. However, the state's efforts alone will not prevent global climate change from occurring, as noted in the update to the 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy issued in July 2014. Due to the inevitability of climate change impacts on the state, the state must invest in building resiliency and strengthening adaptation efforts at the state, regional, and local levels using the best-available science. (b) Improved coordination of existing adaptation planning efforts and funding by the state, as well as increased implementation and support of adaptation programs, can directly protect the state's infrastructure, communities, environmental quality, public health, natural resources, and economy from the unavoidable impacts of climate change for decades to come.  (c) In order to have a cohesive and comprehensive adaptation response to climate change impacts, the state must have integrated planning with coordinated strategies across state, regional, and local governments and agencies.   (d) The office is established as the comprehensive state planning agency that shall engage in the formulation, evaluation, and updating of long-range goals for factors that shape statewide development patterns and significantly influence the quality of the state's environment, in addition to assisting state, regional, and local agencies in a variety of research and planning efforts, pursuant to Section 65040 of the Government Code. Therefore, the office is well-positioned to work with state, regional, and local entities across the state in coordinating climate adaptation strategies.   (c)   (e)  It is the intent of the Legislature, therefore, that adaptation strategies to build resiliency to the risks and impacts from climate change be integrated in state policies, projects, and permitting  processes.   processes, and that the office serve as a coordinating body for adaptation projects and goals across California.   71354. The Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program is hereby established to be administered by the office. No later than January 1, 2017, the Director of State Planning and Research shall establish the program to coordinate state, regional, and local agency efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change with, to the extent feasible, an emphasis on climate equity considerations across sectors and regions and strategies that benefit both reductions greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation efforts. The program shall include all of the following: (a) Assisting state agencies in coordinating the planning and preparation of regular updates to the 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy, pursuant to Section 71356, and maintain copies of the updates on the office's Internet Web site. (b) Working with relevant state agencies and public and private entities to create regular updates to the Adaptation Planning Guide, pursuant to Section 71358, and maintain copies of the updates on the office's Internet Web site. One or more lead state agencies may be designated to prepare the updates. (c) Coordinating and maintaining the state's clearinghouse for climate adaptation information, pursuant to Section 71362. (d) Conducting regular meetings with the advisory council established pursuant to Section 71360 in order to have expertise and advice from regional and local experts working in climate adaptation throughout the research and planning processes, as described in this section.   71352.   71356.  No later than January 1,  2019, the Natural Resources Agency,   2017, and every three years thereafter, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Natural Resources Agency, and the office,  in coordination with  those agencies that have previously led sector-specific adaptation efforts and any  relevant public and private entities, shall update the 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy, for which the first update was titled Safeguarding California: Reducing Climate Risk, to incorporate advances in climate science and risk management options regarding regional and statewide climate change impacts and vulnerabilities and recommended adaptation strategies.  71355.   71358.  (a) No later than January 1,  2017, the Office of Planning and Research,   2018, and every three   years thereafter, the office,  in coordination with all relevant public and private entities, shall update the Adaptation Planning Guide to provide tools and guidance to regional and local governments and agencies in creating and implementing climate adaptation and community resiliency plans and projects. The Adaptation Planning Guide updates shall be informed by  the climate adaptation clearinghouse established pursuant to Section 71362 and  the scientific assessments and recommendations in the most recent update prepared pursuant to Section  71352   71356  . The Adaptation Planning Guide updates shall include, at a minimum, all of the following: (1) Information concerning funding opportunities for adaptation research, planning, and projects. (2) Regionally prioritized best-practice adaptation projects that, where appropriate, integrate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the state. (3) Recommended metrics and indicators to track the progress and success of adaptation efforts locally, regionally, and statewide. (4) Adaptation planning templates for use by local governments and regional collaboratives. (5) Guidelines for coordinating adaptation activities among state and local governments and regional collaboratives. (b) As part of updating the Adaptation Planning Guide,  the office with  the advisory council created pursuant to Section 71360 shall hold public meetings and workshops at least annually in the northern, southern, and central regions of the state to obtain input from the public and leaders in local and regional climate preparedness. 71360. (a) An advisory council to the  Office of Planning and Research   office  is hereby established. The advisory council shall be comprised of 15 members from a range of disciplines in order to provide scientific and technical support, as well as regional and local perspectives, to support the  Office of Planning and Research's   office's  goals identified in  Section 71355   this part  . (b) Members of the advisory council shall be appointed based on their expertise in the intersection of climate change and areas that include, but need not be limited to, any of the following: (1) Public health. (2) Environmental quality. (3) Environmental justice. (4) Agriculture. (5) Transportation and housing. (6) Energy. (7) Natural resources and water. (8) Planning. (9) Recycling and waste management. (10) Local or regional government. (c) Five members of the advisory council shall be appointed by the Governor, five members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, and five members shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. All members shall be appointed to four-year terms with the possibility of reappointment. (d) The advisory council shall meet with the  Office of Planning and Research   office  as needed but not less than three times a year. (e) The members of the advisory council shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.  71362. (a) (1) The office shall coordinate with appropriate entities, including state, regional, or local agencies, to establish a clearinghouse for climate adaptation information for use by state, regional, and local entities. (2) The clearinghouse shall be a centralized source of information that provides downscaled climate data to guide decisionmakers at state, regional, and local levels when planning for and implementing climate adaptation projects to promote resiliency to climate change. The clearinghouse shall include all of the following: (A) A collection of the best-available science, projections and models, and vulnerability assessments of climate change impacts throughout the state at statewide, regional, and local levels for both near-term and longer term timescales, including year 2050 and year 2100 projections. Climate change impacts shall include, but are not limited to, impacts to public health, natural resources, environmental quality, and infrastructure. (B) Tools that allow for the visualization or identification of regional and local impacts across the state and that integrate best-available data on vulnerable populations and infrastructure. (C) A library of relevant white papers, case studies, research articles, and climate adaptation best practices that are searchable by relevance to region, locality, and sector. (b) The clearinghouse shall be regularly updated with relevant information to improve its functionality as a tool to guide decisionmaking at state, regional, and local levels.