Bill Text: CA AB1261 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: State Air Resources Board: greenhouse gas emissions: incentive programs.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)
Status: (Passed) 2021-10-08 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 714, Statutes of 2021. [AB1261 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AB1261-Chaptered.html
Assembly Bill
No. 1261
CHAPTER 714
An act to add Section 38568 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to greenhouse gases.
[
Approved by
Governor
October 08, 2021.
Filed with
Secretary of State
October 08, 2021.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1261, Burke.
State Air Resources Board: greenhouse gas emissions: incentive programs.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases, as well as implementing various regulatory and incentive programs to assist the state in reaching its greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals. Existing law, for example, establishes the Air Quality Improvement Program that is administered by the state board for purposes of funding projects related to, among other things, the reduction of criteria air pollutants and improvement of air quality. Pursuant to its existing statutory authority, the state board has established the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, as a part of the Air Quality Improvement Program, to promote the production and use of zero-emission vehicles by providing rebates for the purchase of new zero-emission vehicles.
This bill would require the state board to establish specified processes to assist the state in achieving its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, including a process to identify any overlap among its incentive programs, as defined, that share the same objectives and a process to define, collect, and evaluate data on the behavioral changes that result from each of its incentive programs. The bill would require the state board to use the information collected pursuant to these processes to refine the greenhouse gas emissions estimates for its incentive programs in its annual reports to the Legislature, its funding plans, or any long-term planning documents or reports. The bill would
require the state board to develop a process to define, collect, and evaluate data that will translate to metrics demonstrating the socioeconomic benefits that result from each of its incentive programs, and to use this data to make funding and design recommendations in its annual reports to the Legislature or funding plans, as provided. The bill would require the state board to contract with the University of California or the California State University to collect the information necessary to better isolate greenhouse gas emission reductions and socioeconomic benefits ascribed to its incentive programs. The bill would make the requirement for the state board to perform these duties contingent upon
appropriation by the Legislature and would require the state board to complete certain of these duties within 3 years of receiving an appropriation from the Legislature for these purposes.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 38568 is added to the Health and Safety Code, immediately following Section 38566, to read:38568.
(a) Contingent upon appropriation by the Legislature, to better assist the state in achieving its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, the state board shall do all of the following with respect to incentive programs administered by the state board:(1) To improve the state board’s ability to isolate the greenhouse gas emissions reductions for each of its incentive programs, the state board shall establish a process to formally identify any overlap among any incentive programs that share the same objectives.
(2) To improve its ability to identify the effectiveness of each of its incentive
programs in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
the state board shall develop a process to define, collect, and evaluate data on the behavioral changes that result from each of its incentive programs.
(3) To better demonstrate that its incentive programs are as effective as possible in achieving specific socioeconomic benefits, the state board shall develop a process to define, collect, and evaluate data that will translate to metrics demonstrating the socioeconomic benefits that result from each of its incentive programs.
(4) The state board shall enter into a contract with either the University of California or the California State University to collect the information necessary to better isolate greenhouse gas emission reductions and socioeconomic benefits ascribed to
its incentive programs. The findings from that contract shall inform the processes and methodologies implemented by the state board.
(5) (A) The state board shall use the information collected pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) to refine any
greenhouse gas emissions estimates of its incentive programs that are included in its annual reports to the Legislature, funding plans, or any long-term planning documents or reports.
(B) The state board shall use the metrics and data collected pursuant to paragraph (3) to make any funding and design recommendations in its annual reports to the Legislature
or funding plans based on the efficacy and costs of its incentive programs in providing socioeconomic benefits.
(b) The state board shall complete the requirements of paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (a) within three years of receiving an appropriation from the Legislature for the purposes of this section.
(c) For purposes of this section, “incentive program” means an incentive program administered by the state board that is included in the audit
entitled “California Air Resources Board: Improved Program Measurement Would Help California Work More Strategically to Meet Its Climate Change Goals” (Report Number 2020-114) conducted by the California State Auditor.
