Community emissions reduction programs.

Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to prepare, and to update at least once every 5 years, a statewide strategy to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants and criteria air pollutants in communities affected by a high cumulative exposure burden. Existing law requires the state board to include in the statewide strategy, among other components, an assessment and identification of communities with high cumulative exposure burdens for toxic air contaminants and criteria air pollutants, prioritizing disadvantaged communities and sensitive receptor locations based on specified factors. Existing law requires the state board, based on the assessment and identification of communities with high cumulative exposure burdens, to select locations around the state for preparation of community emissions reduction programs. Existing law requires an air district encompassing any location selected by the state board to adopt, in consultation with the state board, within one year of the state board's selection, a community emissions reduction program to achieve emissions reductions for the location selected using cost-effective measures, as specified. Existing law also requires an air district to submit the community emissions reduction program to the state board for review and approval as prescribed. Existing law requires the air district and the state board to implement and enforce the measures in the community emissions reduction program consistent with their respective authority. This bill would additionally require the air district, in adopting a community emissions reduction program, to consult with other relevant state agencies. By imposing additional duties on air districts, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would, for a community emissions reduction program adopted by an air district and approved by the state board that includes a measure that is not within the authority of the air district or the state board, authorize the state board to assign the measure to the state agency with authority over the measure. The bill would require a state agency to implement and enforce the measure assigned to it unless the state agency finds that the measure is infeasible at a public meeting of its governing body, or, for an agency without a governing body, if the highest ranking officer of the agency finds and declares in writing, after allowing a 30-day opportunity for public comment, that the measure is infeasible. Existing law requires the state board to provide grants to community-based organizations for technical assistance and to support community participation in the implementation of the community emissions reduction program. In the implementation of the requirement for community participation, various air districts have established community steering committees for each location selected by the state board for the preparation of a community emissions reduction program. This bill would specify that grants provided, to the extent the Legislature appropriates funds specifically for this purpose, include allocations of funds to serve as a budget for the committee of persons who are designated by a district to participate in the development and adoption of a community emissions reduction program for administrative items, which includes, but is not limited to, translation services, meeting venue, meeting coordination, training, and stipends, as authorized by the district, for members of the committee. 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.