Environmental Justice Small Grant Program: advance payments.

Existing law establishes the Environmental Justice Small Grant Program and authorizes the California Environmental Protection Agency to award grants to eligible community groups, including a nonprofit entity, as defined, and a federally recognized tribal government, located in areas adversely affected by environmental pollution and hazards that work to address environmental justice issues. This bill would additionally authorize the agency to award grants to a nonfederally recognized California Native American tribe with nonprofit status or in partnership with a nonprofit organization and that is located in an area adversely affected by environmental pollution and hazards that works to address environmental justice issues. The bill also would authorize the agency to distribute advance payments, as specified, from a grant awarded under the program for projects providing service to or benefiting disadvantaged or low-income communities.