Existing law establishes the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation, under the direction of the State Oil and Gas Supervisor, who is required to supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state and the operation, maintenance, and removal or abandonment of tanks and facilities related to oil and gas production within an oil and gas field, so as to prevent damage to life, health, property, and natural resources. Existing law requires the operator of a well to file a written notice of intention to commence drilling with, and prohibits any drilling until approval is given by, the supervisor or district deputy. Existing law authorizes the supervisor to require other pertinent information to supplement the notice. Existing law requires the owner of any well to file with the supervisor a monthly statement that provides certain information relating to the well, as provided. Existing law requires an operator proposing to perform a well stimulation treatment to apply to the supervisor or district deputy for a permit to perform the well stimulation treatment and imposes other requirements and conditions on the use of well stimulation treatments. Under existing law, a person who fails to comply with this and other requirements relating to the regulation of oil or gas operations is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would prohibit, commencing January 1, 2023, the division from approving any notice of intention within a health protection zone, as defined, except for reasons related to preventing or responding to a threat to public health, safety, or the environment, complying with a court order, or to plug and abandon or reabandon a well, as provided. The bill would also explicitly authorize the division to approve notices of intention to public and private entities who own, purchase, or lease land containing idle-deserted or previously plugged and abandoned wells for the purposes of those public and private entities plugging and abandoning, or replugging and abandoning, those oil and gas wells so development of nonfossil fuel production and injection and related uses can proceed, as provided. The bill would require an operator who submits a notice of intention, except for certain notices of intention, to also submit either a sensitive receptor inventory and map of the area within the 3,200 feet radius of the wellhead or proposed wellhead location to the division, or a statement certifying that the operator has confirmed that there are no sensitive receptors, as defined, located within 3,200-foot of the wellhead location, as provided. If a notice of intention is approved pursuant to compliance with a court order, the bill would require the operator of the oil or gas well to provide an individual indemnity bond sufficient to pay the full cost of properly plugging and abandoning the operator's well or wells, and decommissioning any attendant production facilities in the health protection zone, as provided. Commencing January 1, 2025, the bill would require all oil or gas production facilities or wells with a wellhead within a health protection zone to comply with specified health, safety, and environmental requirements, as provided. These health, safety, and environmental requirements would, among other things, require compliance with requirements related to applicable permits, public notice, sound levels, light generation, migration of dust and particulates beyond property boundaries, emissions and vapor venting, and chemical analyses of produced waters. The bill would also require all operators with a production facility or well with a wellhead in a health protection zone to submit a leak detection and response plan, as provided, to the division by January 1, 2025, require division approval or notice of deficiency by January 1, 2026, and require implementation of the plan by January 1, 2027. The bill would require the division to hold public workshops related to the leak detection and response plans, as provided, operators to review and update their plans at least once every 5 years, subject to division approval, and the supervisor to notify the applicable legislative budget and policy committees about these leak detection and response plans, as provided. The bill would require operators to contact property owners and tenants before commencing work that requires a notice of intention, and would also require operators to comply with water sampling requirements, as provided. The bill would require every operator to submit a sensitive receptor inventory and map to the division by July 1, 2023, and provide updates to the inventory and map annually thereafter, as provided, and require the division to make all current sensitive receptor inventories and maps publicly available on its internet website. The bill would, commencing January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, require operators with a wellhead or other production facility in a health protection zone to provide information to the division, as provided, and require the division to make this information publicly available on its internet website. Because a violation of these requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would exempt from its provisions underground gas storage wells and attendant production facilities. The bill would require the division, on or before July 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, to provide a legislative report to the applicable budget and policy committees regarding the implementation of health protection zones, as provided. The bill would authorize the division, the State Air Resources Board, and the State Water Resources Control Board to prescribe, adopt, and enforce any emergency regulations as necessary to implement, administer, and enforce these duties, as provided. The bill would require the State Air Resources Board, relevant local air districts, the State Water Resources Control Board, and relevant local water quality control boards, by June 1, 2023, to enter into memoranda of understanding with the division to clearly delineate respective responsibilities for the implementation and enforcement of health protection zones. By imposing requirements on local entities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would state that its provisions are severable. 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.
Sponsored bills
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. The act requires the state board to approve a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020 and to ensure that statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40% below the 1990 level no later than December 31, 2030. 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 and to update the scoping plan at least once every 5 years. Existing law requires, no later than July 1, 2023, the Natural Resources Agency, in coordination with the state board, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and other relevant state agencies, to establish the Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy and, in developing the strategy, to create a framework to advance the state's climate goals. Existing law requires the state board, as part of its scoping plan, to establish specified carbon dioxide removal targets for 2030 and beyond. This bill would require the Natural Resources Agency, in collaboration with specified entities including the state board and the expert advisory committee described below, to determine on or before January 1, 2024, an ambitious range of targets for natural carbon sequestration, and for nature-based climate solutions, that reduce greenhouse gas emissions for 2030, 2038, and 2045 to support state goals to achieve carbon neutrality and foster climate adaptation and resilience. The bill would require these targets to be integrated into the above-described scoping plan and other state policies. The bill would require the Natural Resources Agency, in consultation with specified agencies including the state board, to review and update the Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy to achieve these targets. The bill would require the Natural Resources Agency and the state board to jointly establish an expert advisory committee to inform and review modeling and analyses for natural and working lands, to advise state agencies on implementation strategies and standardized accounting, and to provide recommendations on addressing barriers to efficient implementation of the provisions of the bill. The bill would require the Natural Resources Agency to publish data on its internet website on progress made in achieving these targets, as specified. This bill would require the state board, no later than January 1, 2025, to develop standard methods for state agencies to consistently track greenhouse gas emissions and reductions, carbon sequestration, and, where feasible and in consultation with the Natural Resources Agency and the Department of Food and Agriculture, additional benefits from natural and working lands over time. The bill would require the state board, in estimating and tracking greenhouse gas emissions and reductions and carbon sequestration from natural working lands, to take into account, where feasible, greenhouse gas emissions and reductions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide related to natural and working lands and the potential impacts of climate change on the ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon from natural and working lands.
(1) The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has exclusive jurisdiction over the transmission of electricity in interstate commerce, over the sale of electricity at wholesale in interstate commerce, and over all facilities for the transmission or sale of electricity in interstate commerce. Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program requires the PUC to establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring all retail sellers, including electrical corporations, electric service providers, and community choice aggregators, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources so that the total kilowatthours of those products sold to their retail end-use customers achieves 25% of retail sales by December 31, 2016, 33% by December 31, 2020, 44% by December 31, 2024, 52% by December 31, 2027, and 60% by December 31, 2030. Existing law requires an electrical corporation that owns electrical transmission facilities to annually prepare, as part of a specified FERC process, a report identifying any electrical transmission facility, upgrade, or enhancement that is reasonably necessary to achieve the procurement requirements of the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program and to submit that report to the PUC. This bill would require each electrical corporation that owns electrical transmission facilities to annually prepare, and submit to the PUC, concurrently with each electrical corporation's annual renewable energy procurement plan, a report on any changes to previously reported in-service dates of transmission and interconnection facilities necessary to provide transmission deliverability to eligible renewable energy resources or energy storage resources that have executed interconnection agreements, and to identify the reason for any changes to the status of in-service dates. (2) Existing law requires the PUC to annually report specified information to the Legislature in order to evaluate the progress of the state's electrical corporations in complying with the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program. This bill would require that annual report to also include a systemwide assessment of delays to interconnection or transmission approvals for eligible renewable energy resources or energy storage resources, based on those annual reports. (3) Existing law requires the PUC to adopt a process for each electrical corporation, electric service provider, or community choice aggregator to file an integrated resource plan and a schedule for periodic updates to the plan, and to ensure that those entities take specified actions, including meeting certain greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and procuring at least 60% eligible renewable energy resources by December 31, 2030, as specified. For those purposes, existing law requires the PUC to consider the role of existing renewable generation, grid operational efficiencies, energy storage, and distributed energy resources in helping to ensure those entities meet energy and reliability needs during peak demand, while reducing the need for new electricity generation resources and new transmission resources in achieving the state's energy goals at the least cost to ratepayers. This bill would additionally require the PUC, for those purposes, to also consider the role of transmission. (4) Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and a violation of a PUC action implementing its requirements would be a crime, 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 authorizes the board of supervisors of a county to consolidate the duties of various county offices in various combinations, including combining the duties of the sheriff and the coroner. Existing law also authorizes the board of supervisors of a county to separate the duties of consolidated offices. This bill would remove the board of supervisors' authority to combine the duties of the sheriff with the duties of the coroner. The bill would also remove the board of supervisors' authority to combine the duties of the tax collector with the duties of the coroner. The bill would require the board of supervisors of a county where the offices of sheriff and coroner were consolidated before January 1, 2023, to separate those offices, in which case the separation would become effective upon the conclusion of the term of the person elected or appointed, on or before January 1, 2023, to the consolidated offices of sheriff and coroner. By requiring counties to comply with these requirements, this 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife, with the approval of the Fish and Game Commission, to, among other things, maintain, use, and administer land suitable for the purpose of establishing ecological reserves. The Budget Act of 2021 appropriated $50,000 from the General Fund to the department to rename the "Eden Landing Ecological Reserve" the "Congressman Pete Stark Ecological Reserve." This bill would amend the Budget Act of 2021 by revising "Congressman Pete Stark Ecological Reserve" to "Congressman Pete Stark Ecological Reserve at Eden Landing" within that appropriation and would rename the "Eden Landing Ecological Reserve," as specified in certain regulations, the "Congressman Pete Stark Ecological Reserve at Eden Landing." The bill would require the department to implement that name change and would provide that, notwithstanding any other law, commission approval is not required to implement the name change. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. Under the act, the state board is required to approve a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020 and to ensure that statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40% below the 1990 level by no later than December 31, 2030. Under the act, a violation of a rule, regulation, order, emission limitation, emission reduction measure, or other measure adopted by the state board under the act is a crime. This bill instead would require the state board to ensure that statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 55% below the 1990 level by no later than December 31, 2030. By expanding the scope of a crime, this 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.
The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including a credit for qualified renters in the amount of $120 for spouses filing joint returns, heads of household, and surviving spouses if adjusted gross income is $50,000, as adjusted, or less, and in the amount of $60 for other individuals if adjusted gross income is $25,000, as adjusted, or less. This bill would require the Franchise Tax Board to prepare a written report by April 1, 2023, on the number of taxpayers claiming the credit, and the average credit amount on returns claiming the credit.
Existing law establishes procedures for the formation of regional park districts and regional open-space districts or authorities and prescribes the powers, functions, and duties of those districts or authorities, including competitive bidding requirements relating to the construction of facilities or other buildings. Existing law authorizes certain types of local agencies and other entities to use the design-build process when contracting for the construction of a building or improvements directly related to construction of certain facilities or buildings in those entities' jurisdictions, as specified. Existing law sets forth the procurement process for design-build projects, as specified, and requires specified information submitted by design-build entities to be certified under penalty of perjury. Existing law, until January 1, 2023, authorizes the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and the Santa Clara Valley Open-Space Authority to use the design-build process for the construction of facilities or other buildings in those entities, as specified. This bill would repeal the January 1, 2023, sunset date, thereby indefinitely extending the authority of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and the Santa Clara Valley Open-Space Authority to use the design-build process. The bill would modify and expand the purposes for which the process is authorized to include construction, restoration, and improvement of buildings and facilities, the construction, restoration, and improvement of public access and recreation facilities, and prescribed nature-based infrastructure projects within the entity. The bill would similarly authorize the East Bay Regional Park District to use the design-build process. Existing law, except as specified, authorizes a local agency, with approval of its governing body, to procure design-build contracts for public works projects in excess of $1,000,000, awarding the contract either to the low bid or the best value. Existing law, until January 1, 2023, exempts the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and the Santa Clara Valley Open-Space Authority from the $1,000,000 minimum project threshold. This bill would repeal the January 1, 2023, sunset date, thereby indefinitely extending the exemption of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and the Santa Clara Valley Open-Space Authority. The bill would also exempt the East Bay Regional Park District from the $1,000,000 minimum project threshold. Because this bill would expand the authority to use the design-build procurement process to an additional entity and would extend that authority indefinitely for other entities, the bill would expand the crime of perjury, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, the East Bay Regional Park District, and the Santa Clara Valley Open-Space Authority. 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.
This measure would recognize August 15, 2022, as India's Independence Day and urge all Californians to join in celebrating India's independence.
Existing law regulates the administration of estates of decedents and permits the public administrator, an officer of a county, to be appointed to administer these estates under certain circumstances. Existing law grants public administrators a variety of powers in this regard, including the right to take control of a decedent's property and summarily dispose of property, as specified. Existing law establishes the compensation payable to the public administrator and the attorney, if any, for the public administrator for the filing of an application to summarily dispose of a decedent's estate that does not exceed a specified total value and for the performance of any duty or service connected with that filing. Existing law entitles the public administrator to a minimum compensation of $1,000. This bill would increase the minimum compensation to $3,000.