Transportation funding programs: eligibility: commercial harbor craft: public transportation ferries.

(1) Existing law establishes the California Clean Truck, Bus, and Off-Road Vehicle and Equipment Technology Program, which is administered by the State Air Resources Board, in conjunction with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to fund development, demonstration, precommercial pilot, and early commercial deployment of zero- and near-zero-emission truck, bus, and off-road vehicle and equipment technologies. This bill would expand the purposes of the program to include the funding of the development, demonstration, precommercial pilot, and early commercial deployment of zero- and near-zero-emission commercial harbor craft technologies. (2) Existing law establishes the Clean Transportation Program, administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to provide funding to certain entities to develop and deploy innovative technologies that transform California's fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state's climate change policies. Under existing law, the commission may only provide funding under the Clean Transportation Program to specified eligible programs and projects. This bill would expand the programs and projects that are eligible to receive funding under the Clean Transportation Program to include programs and projects that accelerate the commercialization of commercial harbor craft and alternative and renewable fuels and programs and projects to retrofit fleets of commercial harbor craft with technologies that create higher fuel efficiencies. (3) Existing law establishes the Air Quality Improvement Program, administered by the State Air Resources Board, for the purpose of funding air quality improvement projects relating to fuel and vehicle technologies, including, but not limited to, providing funding for research to determine and improve the air quality impacts of alternative transportation fuels and vehicles, vessels, and equipment technologies. Under existing law, the state board is limited to providing funding under the Air Quality Improvement Program to specified eligible programs. This bill would expand the programs that are eligible to receive funding under the Air Quality Improvement Program to include incentives for commercial harbor craft, including low- or zero-emission commercial harbor craft. (4) Existing establishes the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program, administered by the Department of Transportation, to provide operating and capital assistance for transit agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve mobility. Existing law authorizes, among other things, capital or operating assistance for new or expanded waterborne transit as an eligible expenditure under the program. This bill would specifically provide that expenditures related to the purchase of zero-emission public transportation ferries are an eligible expenditure under the program if the expenditure would result in new or expanded waterborne transit.