Land use and planning: Office of Planning and Research: Planning and State Clearinghouse Unit.

(1) The Planning and Zoning Law provides that the Office of Planning and Research is the comprehensive state planning agency, requires the office to serve the Governor and his or her cabinet as staff for long-range planning and research, and sets forth the various duties of the office. That law requires the Governor to appoint the Director of State Planning and Research, and the Director of State Planning and Research to head the office and carry out and effect all purposes vested by law in the office. This bill would establish the Planning and State Clearinghouse Unit within the office, and provide that the unit is under the direct control of the Director of the Planning and State Clearinghouse Unit. The bill would require the Director of the Planning and State Clearinghouse Unit to oversee the work of the unit, and report directly to the Director of State Planning and Research. The bill would authorize the Director of State Planning and Research, in accordance with constitutional provisions governing civil service, to employ and fix the compensation of the Director of the Planning and State Clearinghouse Unit and those officers and employees whom the Director of State Planning and Research deems necessary for the effective conduct of the work of the unit. The bill would prohibit the attainment of civil service status pursuant to this authorization prior to June 1, 2011, but would require the Department of Personnel Administration to begin preparation to convey civil service status pursuant to the authorization as of the operative date of the bill. This bill would delete certain statutory duties of the office, and transfer specified statutory duties, powers, and responsibilities of the office and the Director of State Planning and Research to the unit and the Director of the Planning and State Clearinghouse Unit. The bill would require the Director of the Planning and State Clearinghouse Unit to perform all duties, exercise all powers, assume and discharge all responsibilities, and carry out and effect all purposes prescribed to either the office or the unit by specified provisions of the Planning and Zoning Law, and require the Director of State Planning and Research to be responsible for the fulfillment of those duties and responsibilities, and the exercise of those powers. (2) The Planning and Zoning Law requires the office, in conjunction with the Planning Advisory and Assistance Council, to evaluate plans and programs of state government, identify conflicts or omissions in those plans and programs, and recommend to the Governor and Legislature new actions to resolve those conflicts, advance statewide environmental goals, and ensure state policies and programs conform to adopted land use planning goals and programs. This bill would transfer the above-described statutory duty from the office to the unit, and additionally require the unit to report to the Governor and the Legislature, by no later than January 1, 2012, and by that date every two years thereafter, on its efforts to accomplish its duties in conjunction with the Planning Advisory and Assistance Council. (3) The Planning and Zoning Law also requires each transportation planning agency to prepare and adopt a regional transportation plan, including, among other things, a sustainable communities strategy prepared by each metropolitan planning organization, as specified. This bill would require the unit to assist the State Air Resources Board in providing technical assistance to a local government in developing its sustainable communities strategy or alternative planning strategy. (4) Existing law establishes the Strategic Growth Council in state government and requires the council to consist of specified state government officials, including the Director of State Planning and Research. This bill would require the council to be administered by the office, and any remaining funds out of the existing appropriation to support the council as of January 1, 2011, to be transferred to the office to pay the costs of administration of the council. This bill would also require the unit to work with the council to assist state and local entities in the planning of sustainable communities and in meeting the goals of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. (5) The Planning and Zoning Law requires the office to cooperate with the Department of Transportation and other federal, state, regional, and local agencies in the development of a long-range master plan for aviation, as specified. This bill would require the office to serve as the state's liaison with the United States Department of Defense in order to facilitate coordination regarding issues that are of significant interest to the department. The bill would require the office to perform specified duties in this capacity. (6) The California Environmental Quality Act requires certain agencies to submit to the State Clearinghouse specified documents relating to environmental impact reports in an electronic format and imposes specific duties on the Office of Planning and Research and the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency in creating guidelines for the submission of those documents. This bill would require the Office of Planning and Research, no later than August 31, 2011, to prepare, develop, and transmit to the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency recommended proposed changes or amendments to the guidelines implementing this submission requirement.