Alternative and vehicle technologies: funding programs.

(1) Existing law establishes the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (commission) , to provide to specified entities, upon appropriation by the Legislature, grants, loans, loan guarantees, revolving loans, or other appropriate measures, for the development and deployment of innovative technologies that would transform California's fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state's climate change goals. Existing law specifies that only certain projects or programs are eligible for funding, including block grants administered by public entities or not-for-profit technology entities for multiple projects, education and program promotion within California, and development of alternative and renewable fuel and vehicle technology centers. Existing law require the commission to develop and adopt an investment plan to determine priorities and opportunities for the program. This bill would prohibit the State Air Resources Board (state board) from submitting, until a specified date, to the Office of Administrative Law specified amendments to the state board's clean fuels outlet regulation. The bill would require the state board to aggregate and make available to the public, no later than January 1, 2014, and every two years thereafter, the number of vehicles that automobile manufacturers project to be sold or leased, as reported to the state board. The bill would require the commission to allocate $20 million each fiscal year, as specified, and up to $20 million each fiscal year thereafter, as specified, for purposes of constructing and operating a hydrogen fueling network sufficient to provide convenient fueling to vehicle owners, and expand that network as necessary to support a growing market for vehicles requiring hydrogen fuel, until there are at least 100 publicly available hydrogen fueling stations. The bill, on or before December 31, 2015, and annually thereafter, would require the state board and the commission to jointly review and report on the progress toward establishing a hydrogen fueling network that provides the coverage and capacity to fuel vehicles requiring hydrogen fuel that are being placed into operation in the state, as specified. The bill would authorize the commission to design loan incentive programs, revolving loan programs, and other forms of financial assistance, as specified, for purposes of assisting in the implementation of these provisions. The bill, no later than July 1, 2013, would require the state board to convene working groups to evaluate the specified policies and goals of specified programs. (2) Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (commission) , in partnership with the State Air Resources Board (state board) , to develop and adopt a state plan to increase the use of alternative transportation fuels. This bill would require the commission and the state board, among other things, to coordinate efforts to measure the progress of alternative fuels use. The bill would require the commission and the state board, on or before November 1, 2014, to update a specified economic analysis. The bill would require the commission and the state board to evaluate how the use of new and existing investment programs could be used to increase the state alternative transportation fuels use, and evaluate how the impact of federal fuel policies and existing state policies will help increase the use of alternative transportation fuels in the state. The bill would require the commission and the state board, on or before November 1, 2015, and every 2 years thereafter, to report in the integrated energy policy report, as specified, the status of the state alternative transportation fuels use, as specified, and make specified evaluations. The bill would require the state board to include a finding on the effect of proposed regulations on state alternative transportation fuels use. (3) Existing law, until January 1, 2016, establishes vehicle registration fees of $34, vessel registration fees of $20 and of $40, as applicable, and specified service fees for identification plates of $20. Existing law requires a portion of that revenue generated by those fees to be deposited in the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund, the Air Quality Improvement Fund, and the Enhanced Fleet Modernization Subaccount, as provided. Existing law, until January 1, 2016, imposes smog abatement fees of $20, and requires a specified amount of those fees be deposited in the Air Quality Improvement Fund and in the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund. This bill would extend those fees in the amounts required to make these deposits into the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund, the Air Quality Improvement Fund, and the Enhanced Fleet Modernization Subaccount until January 1, 2023, at which time the fees would be reduced by those amounts. (4) Existing law establishes the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program (Carl Moyer program) , which is administered by the state board, to provide grants to offset the incremental cost of eligible projects that reduce emissions of air pollutants from sources in the state and for funding a fueling infrastructure demonstration program and technology development efforts. Existing law authorizes the district board of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District to adopt a surcharge on motor vehicle registration fees applicable to all motor vehicles registered in the counties within that district. Existing law, until January 1, 2015, raises the limit on the amount of that surcharge to $6 for a motor vehicle whose registration expires on or after December 31, 1990, and requires that $2 of the surcharge be used to implement the Carl Moyer program, as specified. Beginning January 1, 2015, existing law returns the surcharge limit to its previous amount of $4. This bill would extend the $6 limitation on the surcharge until December 31, 2023, with the limit returning to $4 beginning on that date. Existing law authorizes each air pollution control and air quality management district that has been designated a state nonattainment area by the state board for any motor vehicle air pollutant, except the Sacramento district, to levy a surcharge on the registration fees for every motor vehicle registered in that district, as specified by the governing body of the district. Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to collect that surcharge if requested by a district, and requires the department, after deducting its administrative costs, to distribute the revenues to the districts. Existing law, until January 1, 2015, raises the limit on the amount of that surcharge to $6 and requires that $2 of the surcharge be used to implement the Carl Moyer program, as specified. Beginning January 1, 2015, existing law returns the surcharge limit to its previous amount of $4. This bill would extend the $6 limitation on the surcharge until December 31, 2023, with the limit returning to $4 beginning on that date. (5) Existing law imposes a California tire fee amount on every person who purchases a new tire, with the revenues generated to be allocated for prescribed purposes related to disposal and use of used tires. Existing law, until January 1, 2015, raises the limit on the tire fee to $1.75 and requires that 75¢ per tire on which the fee is imposed, be deposited in the Air Pollution Control Fund for use by the state board and districts for specified purposes. Beginning January 1, 2015, existing law returns the tire fee limit to 75¢. This bill would extend the $1.50 limitation on the tire fee until December 31, 2023, with the limit returning to 75¢ on that date. (6) This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature.