Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Water Resources, which is under the control of the Director of Water Resources. Existing law provides for the appointment of the director by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that provision.
The California Coastal Act of 1976 establishes the California Coastal Commission, and prescribes procedures for the preparation, approval, and certification of local coastal programs that regulate development in the coastal zone, as defined, in jurisdictions that have a certified local coastal program. The act specifies that it does not permit the commission to certify a local coastal program that provides for a lesser degree of environmental protection than that provided by the plans and policies of any state regulatory agency that are formally adopted by that agency, are used in the regulatory program of that agency, and are legally enforceable. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes in that latter provision.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities are under the direction of their governing boards. Under existing law, it is the policy of the state that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 90% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2035, 95% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2040, 100% of all retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers by December 31, 2045, and 100% of electricity procured to serve all state agencies by December 31, 2035. This bill would require the commission, on or before July 1, 2024, to consult with the Department of Conservation, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to assess challenges that exist when enabling farmers to repurpose their fallowed land for zero-emission energy infrastructure, and to develop best practices for navigating those challenges. The bill also would require the commission, on or before December 31, 2024, to publish on its internet website information to assist farmers in navigating the above-mentioned challenges.
Existing law requires the State Water Resources Control Board to adopt a model water well, cathodic protection well, and monitoring well drilling and abandonment ordinance implementing certain standards for water well construction, maintenance, and abandonment and requires each county, city, or water agency, where appropriate, not later than January 15, 1990, to adopt a water well, cathodic protection well, and monitoring well drilling and abandonment ordinance that meets or exceeds certain standards. Under existing law, if a county, city, or water agency, where appropriate, fails to adopt an ordinance establishing water well, cathodic protection well, and monitoring well drilling and abandonment standards, the model ordinance adopted by the state board is required to take effect on February 15, 1990, and is required to be enforced by the county or city and have the same force and effect as if adopted as a county or city ordinance. Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources that are designated as basins subject to critical conditions of overdraft to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2020, and requires all other groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2022, except as specified. This bill would, if 1% of domestic wells go dry in a critically overdrafted basin, as specified, prohibit a county, city, or any other water well permitting agency from approving a permit for a new groundwater well or for an alteration to an existing well in a basin subject to the act and classified as a critically overdrafted basin unless specified conditions are met. Under the bill, these conditions would include a requirement that the county, city, or other water well permitting agency obtain a written verification from the groundwater sustainability agency that manages the basin or area of the basin where the well is proposed to be located determining that, among other things, the extraction by the proposed well would not be inconsistent with a sustainable groundwater management program, as provided, and that the proposed well would not decrease the likelihood of achieving a sustainability goal for the basin covered by such a plan. The bill would prescribe certain exemptions from these provisions. By imposing additional requirements on a local agency, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.
Existing law establishes the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program, administered by the State Department of Education, with the purpose of encouraging, maintaining, and strengthening the delivery of high-quality career technical education programs. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation relating to career technical education and career guidance.
Existing law establishes the Active Transportation Program in the Department of Transportation to encourage the increased use of active modes of transportation. Existing law provides that the program is funded by state and federal moneys through appropriations in the annual Budget Act and that certain moneys, excluding specified federal moneys for recreational trails projects appropriated to the Department of Parks and Recreation, are to be appropriated for that purpose. Existing law requires the Director of Parks and Recreation to cause to be prepared the California Recreational Trails System Plan, a comprehensive plan for the development and operation of a statewide system of recreation trails, as specified. The California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018, approved by the voters as Proposition 68 at the June 5, 2018, statewide primary direct election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $4,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access for all program. Under the act, if any moneys allocated pursuant to the act are not encumbered or expended by the recipient entity within the time period specified by the administering agency, the unexpended moneys are required to revert to the administering agency for allocation, as specified. Article XVI of the California Constitution requires measures authorizing general obligation bonds to specify the single object or work to be funded by the bonds and further requires a bond act to be approved by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and a majority of the voters. This bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation to establish the California Recreational Trails and Greenways Program to, beginning in 2024, award competitive grants on a biennial basis for new, expanded, or improved public access opportunities through nonmotorized recreational trail creation, improvement, enhancement, and restoration projects. The bill would create the California Recreational Trails and Greenways Fund in the State Treasury, and would require that specified moneys, including, to the extent consistent with Proposition 68, unexpended Proposition 68 moneys that revert to the administering agency for allocation, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be deposited into the fund and, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be available for allocation by the department for purposes of the program, as specified. In order to reduce the financial burdens associated with frontloaded cost structures and match requirements, the bill would authorize the department to create a loan or grant process for advanced payment and match assistance to reduce barriers to participation in the program. Proposition 117, an initiative measure approved by the electors at the June 5, 1990, statewide primary direct election, enacted the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990. The act creates the Habitat Conservation Fund and requires the moneys in the fund to be used for specified purposes generally relating to the acquisition, enhancement, or restoration of wildlife habitat, including $2,000,000 annually for 50% matching grants to local agencies for projects meeting specified purposes and, additionally, for the acquisition of wildlife corridors and urban trails, nature interpretation programs, and other programs that bring urban residents into park and wildlife areas. The act, as initially approved by the electors, required the Controller, until June 30, 2020, to annually transfer $30,000,000 from the General Fund to the Habitat Conservation Fund, less any amount transferred to the Habitat Conservation Fund from specified accounts and funds, and authorizes the Legislature to extend the operative effect of this transfer by statute. Except for the extension of this transfer and other specified exceptions, the act prohibits the Legislature from amending the act except by a 45 vote of the membership of both houses of the Legislature. The act requires any amendment of the act to be consistent with, and further the purposes of, the act. Existing law extends the transfer of these funds until June 30, 2030. This bill would encourage the department, to the extent consistent with Proposition 117, to allocate 50% of the $2,000,000 described above for purposes of increasing access to trails.
Existing law establishes the Clean Transportation Program, administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation Development Commission to provide financial assistance to develop and deploy innovative technologies that transform California's fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state's climate change policies. Existing law specifies projects that are eligible for financial assistance, including alternative and renewable fuel projects to develop and improve alternative and renewable low-carbon fuels, including, among other fuels, hydrogen. Existing law specifies that the moneys in the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, are to be used by the commission to implement the program. Existing law, until January 1, 2024, requires the commission to annually allocate $20,000,000, not to exceed 20% of the moneys appropriated by the Legislature from the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund, to fund the deployment of publicly available hydrogen-fueling stations, as provided. This bill would, except for the Clean Transportation Program and moneys allocated from the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund, require the commission, when considering providing funding for projects for the construction and operation of hydrogen-fueling medium- and heavy-duty stations, to evaluate whether the project needs to also include access for light-duty vehicles. In this evaluation, the bill would require the commission to consider safety, regional light-duty vehicle hydrogen fueling needs, and the station fueling capacity.
The Emergency Services Act establishes in state government, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services and makes the office responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or man-made disasters and emergencies, as specified. This bill would enact the Emergency Fairgrounds Communications Grant Act and would require, on or before January 1, 2025, the office to establish a grant program to provide fairgrounds with grant funding for the purpose of building and upgrading communication and internet infrastructure on fairgrounds. The bill would require the office to establish standards to determine the awarding of grant funding that award funding based on a fairground's need for internet capabilities in order to service an emergency response operation. The bill would authorize the office to prioritize the order of grant disbursements based on prescribed criteria. The bill would also require the office to consult with the Department of Technology and the Department of Food and Agriculture to coordinate the statewide building and upgrading of communication and internet infrastructure on fairgrounds. The bill would provide that the program is operative only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes.
Existing law imposes various limitations on emissions of air contaminants for the control of air pollution from vehicular and nonvehicular sources. Existing law generally designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency with the primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution and air pollution control and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources. Existing law, upon the appropriation of funds by the Legislature, requires the state board to allocate funds on a competitive basis for projects that are shown to achieve the greatest emission reductions from each emission source identified as specified, from activities related to the movement of freight along California's trade corridors, commencing at the state's airports, seaports, and land ports of entry. This bill would, until January 1, 2032, enact the Lower Emissions Transition Program. The program would be administered by the state board and would require the state board to approve projects that reduce cumulative emissions from cargo handling equipment, as defined, sources at seaports in the state during the transition period to zero-emissions cargo handling equipment requirements. The bill would prohibit the approval of a project after the compliance date required by any applicable statute, regulation, or rule that requires a change in equipment to a zero-emission standard. The bill would require the state board to establish guidelines to determine eligibility for project approvals. The bill would describe certain types of eligible projects and would require the state board to approve projects that meet specified criteria. The bill would require the state board to establish an application fee, as specified. The bill would require the application fees to be deposited in the Air Pollution Control Fund and made available to the state board upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would establish eligibility criteria for projects. The bill would require the state board, by January 1, 2027, and January 1, 2031, to evaluate the impact of the program on state and local clean air efforts to meet state and local clean air goals and to hold at least one public workshop before completing the evaluation.
