Fluorinated refrigerants.

(1) Existing law prohibits the manufacture and sale of specified chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as aerosol propellants, limits the percentage of new motor vehicles equipped with air-conditioners that utilize CFC-based products, requires the State Air Resources Board to adopt regulations to provide for the enforcement of those provisions, and imposes a civil penalty on persons violating those provisions. This bill would apply all prohibitions on the use of class I substances, as defined, class II substances, as defined, and substitutes, as defined, under the federal Clean Air Act, as it read on specified dates, except as specified. The bill would authorize the state board to include in a specified regulation the modification of the deadlines of those prohibitions, a prohibition on the use of any substitute, and the creation and update of a list of approved substitutes, use conditions, or use limits if the state board makes certain findings for each. The bill would allow a violation of these provisions to be enjoined and would subject persons who violate these provisions to specified penalties. The bill would require all civil penalty money collected by the state board to be deposited in the Air Pollution Control Fund rather than the General Fund. Because a violation of these requirements would also be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would establish the Fluorinated Gases Emission Reduction Incentive Program, to be administered by the state board, to promote the adoption of new refrigerant technologies to achieve short- and long-term climate benefits, energy efficiency, and other cobenefits, as specified. The bill would authorize moneys from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to be allocated for incentives offered as part of the program. This bill would require the Public Utilities Commission to consider developing a strategy for including low-global-warming-potential refrigerants in equipment funded by the energy efficiency programs overseen by the Public Utilities Commission. This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to identify opportunities to assess the energy efficiency performance for low-global-warming-potential alternatives to current fluorinated-gas-based appliances and equipment. This bill would require the Department of Community Services and Development to consider integrating low global warming potential as part of its ongoing administration of energy efficiency programs for household appliances. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.