Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to adopt procedures for determining the compliance of any system designed for the control of gasoline vapor emissions during gasoline marketing operations, including storage and transfer operations, and additional performance standards to ensure that systems for the control of gasoline vapors from motor vehicle fueling operations do not cause excessive spillage and emissions. Existing law prohibits the state board from requiring a gasoline dispensing facility that meets certain requirements from undergoing an Enhanced Vapor Recovery Phase II upgrade until April 1, 2011. This bill, except as specified, would limit the fines imposed on a gasoline dispensing facility that fails to meet an April 1, 2009, compliance deadline to a total of no more than $1,000 for all violations that occur between April 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009, if the gasoline dispensing facility meets specified requirements. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Sponsored bills
Existing law establishes a process for the identification of excess state lands and for their transfer to the Department of General Services for sale or other disposition. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature that, for any sale, lease, or exchange of state-owned property, the Department of General Services make every effort to maximize revenue to the state.
Existing law requires the California Travel and Tourism Commission to establish one or more industry marketing advisory committees, which may include noncommissioners as members. The industry marketing advisory committees are required to be structured so that they include, to the maximum extent feasible and reasonable, representation from every geographic region of the state and every segment of the state's travel and tourism industry. The commission is required to establish procedures for the operation of the industry marketing advisory committees that will provide appropriate opportunity for every geographic region of the state and every segment of the travel and tourism industry to offer advice and recommendations to the commission relative to the development of its written marketing plan. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to this provision.
(1) Existing law establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the Electricity Oversight Board with jurisdiction related to energy matters. Existing law provides the Public Utilities Commission with jurisdiction over the certification of natural gas and electric facilities. Existing law also provides the Office of Planning and Research, the Department of General Services, and the Office of the State Architect with jurisdiction over certain energy-related matters. Existing law provides the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission with the jurisdiction over the certification of thermal powerplants. This bill would abolish the State Energy Resources and Conservation Commission and the Electricity Oversight Board. The bill would create the Department of Energy, headed by a Secretary of Energy, and would create the California Energy Board and the Office of Energy Market Oversight within the department. The bill would provide for the creation of various divisions and subdivisions as deemed necessary by the secretary. The secretary would be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of, the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. The bill would require the Governor to appoint the initial secretary by January 31, 2011. The bill would authorize the Governor to appoint an Assistant Secretary of Energy who would serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The bill would require the department to create a legal subcommittee comprised of specified members to develop a single statewide position on litigation concerning energy matters. The bill would provide that the California Energy Board consists of the following members: the Secretary of Energy who would be the chair of the board, 4 members of the public with qualifications, as specified, appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Senate, the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, and the president of the California Public Utilities Commission. The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, and the president of the California Public Utilities Commission would serve as ex officio, nonvoting members of the board. The bill would specify that the public members shall serve for a term of 4 years. The bill would require the board to nominate for appointment by the Governor a public adviser to the board who would serve for a 3-year term and may be removed upon the joint concurrence of 4 board members and the Governor. The bill would vest the Office of Energy Market Oversight with the powers, duties, responsibilities, obligations, liabilities, and jurisdiction of the Electricity Oversight Board and add to the functions of the office. The bill would vest the new department and the California Energy Board with the powers, duties, responsibilities, obligations, liabilities, jurisdiction, and rights and privileges of the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, as specified. The bill would transfer jurisdiction over the certification of thermal powerplants and grant jurisdiction over certification of specified solar nonthermal powerplants to the California Energy Board. The bill would also transfer jurisdiction of certain energy-related matters from the Office of Planning and Research, the Department of General Services, and the Office of the State Architect to the Department of Energy or the California Energy Commission, as specified. The bill would transfer all responsibilities with respect to the certification of certain electric transmission facilities from the Public Utilities Commission to the exclusive jurisdiction of the California Energy Board. The bill would require the Department of Energy, on or before January 1, 2012, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission and the Independent System Operator, to submit to the Governor and the Legislature a strategic plan identifying administrative and statutory measures that would improve the siting and licensing process for electric transmission lines. (2) Existing law requires a person proposing to construct a thermal powerplant or electric transmission line on a site to submit to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission a notice of intention to file an application for the certification of the site. This bill would repeal this requirement. (3) Existing law prohibits the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission from certifying a facility that adds generating capacity to a potential multiple facility site in excess of the maximum allowable capacity determined by the commission. This bill would repeal this prohibition. (4) Existing law requires the Department of Community Services and Development to administer federal funds for programs to provide energy assistance to qualified low-income households and to administer the community services block grant program. This bill would transfer the above-described duties and responsibilities of the Department of Community Services and Development, on and after January 1, 2013, to the Department of Energy. (5) Existing law established the Katz Safe Schoolbus Clean Fuel Efficiency Demonstration Program to assist local educational agencies in replacing older schoolbuses with schoolbuses meeting federal safety standards that operate with greater efficiency and fewer adverse air emissions. This bill would repeal this program. (6) Existing law establishes the Small Business Energy Efficient Refrigeration Program and the State Solar Medallion Passive Design Competition. This bill would repeal the program and competition. (7) The bill would make conforming changes in existing law. (8) The bill would provide that the provisions of the bill are severable.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (the act) requires the State Air Resources Board (state board) to adopt regulations to require the reporting and verification of emissions of greenhouse gases and to monitor and enforce compliance with the reporting and verification program, and requires the state board to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions levels in 1990 to be achieved by 2020. The act requires the state board to prepare and approve a scoping plan for achieving the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The state board is required by January 1, 2011, to adopt greenhouse gas emissions limits and emission reduction measures by regulation to achieve the prescribed emission reductions. This bill would suspend the act until the state unemployment rate is 5.5% or lower for four consecutive calendar quarters. The bill would require the resuspension of the act whenever the state unemployment rate rises above 5.5% for four consecutive calendar quarters. The bill would prohibit the state board, and specified other state agencies, from proposing, promulgating, or adopting any regulation pursuant to the act during a period of suspension and would require that any such regulation adopted prior to January 1, 2011, be inoperative until the suspension is lifted. The bill would request local agencies to refrain from adopting rules, regulations, and policies that derive authority or responsibility from the act and to revise or repeal those rules, regulations, or policies adopted prior to January 1, 2011, until the suspension is lifted.
Existing law requires that ballot labels for state measures voted on at elections contain specified information. Existing law requires the Legislative Analyst to prepare a discussion of the state's current bonded indebtedness for the ballot pamphlet at a statewide general election in which a state bond measure is submitted for voter approval. This bill would require the Legislative Analyst to include additional information in the ballot pamphlet for an election for each state initiative measure that proposes the issuance of a state bond.
The Planning and Zoning Law requires each city, county, and city and county to prepare and adopt a general plan that contains certain mandatory elements, including a housing element that analyzes existing and projected housing needs and includes a statement of goals, quantified objectives, policies, financial resources, and scheduled programs for the maintenance, preservation, improvement, and development of housing. The housing element is required to identify the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community. The Department of Housing and Community Development is authorized to allow a city or county to substitute the provision of units for up to 25% of the community's obligation to identify adequate sites for any income category in its housing element, as specified, when the community includes in its housing element a program committing the local government to provide units in that income category within the city, county, or city and county that will be made available through the provision of committed assistance during the planning period covered by the housing element to low- and very low income households at affordable housing costs or affordable rents, as defined. This bill would authorize the department to allow a city or county to substitute the provision of units for up to 50% of its site identification obligation if it includes in its housing element a program to provide units within the city or county in any income category that will be made available to low- and very low income households through the provision of committed assistance, as defined.
The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law provide that gain or loss upon the disposition of a capital asset is determined by reference to the adjusted basis of that asset. This bill would, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2009, provide that gross income does not include any gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset, as defined, that is purchased during the 2009 or 2010 calendar year, and is held for more than one year. Net capital losses would not be allowed for any capital asset purchased during the 2009 or 2010 calendar year. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, on or before January 1, 2004, requires the State Water Resources Control Board, in consultation with others, to adopt regulations or standards for the permitting and operation of specified onsite sewage treatment systems. The act requires the board to apply those regulations or standards to those systems commencing 6 months after their adoption. This bill would repeal those provisions.
Existing law requires the Attorney General, upon receipt of a draft of a petition for a proposed initiative or referendum, to prepare a title and summary of the proposed measure. Under existing law, the Attorney General is required to determine the effect of a proposed initiative measure on revenues and expenditures of the state or local government. If the Attorney General determines that a proposed measure would affect state or local revenues or expenditures, he or she must include in the title either the estimate of the amount of change in state or local revenues or costs or an opinion as to whether a substantial net change in state or local finances would result if the proposed initiative is adopted. Existing law requires the Department of Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to prepare jointly the fiscal estimate that is included in the title. This bill would require the Legislative Analyst, instead of the Attorney General, to prepare the ballot title and summary for all measures submitted to the voters of the state and would require the Legislative Analyst, instead of the Department of Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, to prepare any fiscal estimate or opinion required by a proposed initiative measure. The bill would make its operation contingent upon the approval by the voters of ACA 20 of the 2009–10 Regular Session.