CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1296


Introduced by Assembly Member Kamlager

February 19, 2021


An act to amend Section 40420 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to air pollution.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1296, as introduced, Kamlager. South Coast Air Quality Management District: district board: membership.
Existing law imposes various limitations on the emissions of air contaminants for the control of air pollution from vehicular and nonvehicular sources. Existing law assigns the responsibility for controlling air pollution for sources other than vehicular sources to an air pollution control district or air quality management district. Existing law establishes the South Coast Air Quality Management District as the district with the responsibility for controlling air pollution from sources other than vehicular sources in the South Coast Air Basin. Existing law establishes a district board consisting of 13 members to govern the south coast district. Existing law requires one member of the district board to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and one member to be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.
This bill would increase the number of members of the district board of the south coast district to 15 members by adding 2 environmental justice appointees, one appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and one appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NO   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 40420 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

40420.
 (a) The south coast district shall be governed by a district board consisting of 13 15 members appointed as follows:
(1) One member appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate.
(2) One member (A) Two members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.
(B) One of the members appointed under subparagraph (A) shall be an environmental justice appointee who is a person who works directly with communities in the south coast district that are most significantly burdened by, and vulnerable to, high levels of pollution, including, but not limited to, communities with diverse racial and ethnic populations and communities with low-income populations.
(3) One member (A) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.
(B) One of the members appointed under subparagraph (A) shall be an environmental justice appointee who is a person who works directly with communities in the south coast district that are most significantly burdened by, and vulnerable to, high levels of pollution, including, but not limited to, communities with diverse racial and ethnic populations and communities with low-income populations.
(4) Four members appointed by the boards of supervisors of the counties in the south coast district. Each board of supervisors shall appoint one of these members, who shall be one of the following:
(A) A member of the board of supervisors of the county making the appointment.
(B) A mayor or member of a city council from a city in the portion of the county making the appointment that is included in the south coast district.
(5) Three members appointed by cities in the south coast district. The city selection committee of Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties shall each appoint one of these members, who shall be either a mayor or a member of the city council of a city in the portion of the county included in the south coast district.
(6) A member appointed by the cities of the western region of Los Angeles County, consisting of the Cities of Agoura Hills, Artesia, Avalon, Bell, Bellflower, Bell Gardens, Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Carson, Cerritos, Commerce, Compton, Cudahy, Culver City, Downey, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawaiian Gardens, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Hidden Hills, Huntington Park, Inglewood, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Lakewood, Lawndale, Lomita, Long Beach, Lynwood, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Maywood, Montebello, Norwalk, Palos Verdes Estates, Paramount, Pico Rivera, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Monica, Signal Hill, South Gate, Torrance, Vernon, West Hollywood, Westlake Village, and Whittier. These cities shall organize as a city selection committee for the purposes of subdivision (f), and shall be known as the city selection committee of the western region of Los Angeles County. The member appointed shall be either a mayor or a member of the city council of a city in the western region.
(7) A member appointed by the cities of the eastern region of Los Angeles County, consisting of the cities in Los Angeles County that are not listed in paragraph (6) or (8), and excluding the Cities of Lancaster, Los Angeles, and Palmdale. These cities shall organize as a city selection committee for the purposes of subdivision (f), and shall be known as the city selection committee of the eastern region of Los Angeles County. The member appointed shall be either a mayor or a member of the city council of a city in the eastern region.
(8) A member appointed by the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles from among the members of the Los Angeles City Council.
(b)  All members shall be appointed on the basis of their demonstrated interest and proven ability in the field of air pollution control and their understanding of the needs of the general public in connection with air pollution problems of the South Coast Air Basin.
(c) The member appointed by the Governor shall be either a physician who has training and experience in the health effects of air pollution, an environmental engineer, a chemist, a meteorologist, or a specialist in air pollution control.
(d) Each member shall be appointed on the basis of his or her the member’s ability to attend substantially all meetings of the south coast district board, to discharge all duties and responsibilities of a member of the south coast district board on a regular basis, and to participate actively in the affairs of the south coast district. No member may designate an alternate for any purpose or otherwise be represented by another in his or her their capacity as a member of the south coast district board.
(e) Each appointment by a board of supervisors shall be considered and acted on at a duly noticed, regularly scheduled hearing of the board of supervisors, which shall provide an opportunity for testimony on the qualifications of the candidates for appointment.
(f) The appointments by cities in the south coast district shall be considered and acted on at a duly noticed meeting of the city selection committee, which shall meet in a government building and provide an opportunity for testimony on the qualifications of the candidates for appointment. Each appointment shall be made by not less than a majority of all the cities in the portion of the county included in the south coast district having not less than a majority of the population of all the cities in the portion of the county included in the south coast district. Population shall be determined on the basis of the most recent verifiable census data developed by the Department of Finance. Persons residing in unincorporated areas or areas of a county outside the south coast district shall not be considered for the purposes of this subdivision.
(g) The members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly shall have one or more of the qualifications specified in subdivision (c) or shall be a public member. None of those appointed members may be a locally elected official.
(h) All members shall be residents of the district.
(i) (1) The member who was serving on the district board as of June 1, 2007, who had been appointed to represent the eastern region of Los Angeles County shall be deemed on January 1, 2008, to be the member appointed to represent the western region of Los Angeles County pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) and shall serve from January 1, 2008, until the end of the term of office for the member who had been appointed to represent the western region of Los Angeles County. At the end of that term, the city selection committee of the western region of Los Angeles County shall make an appointment pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (a).
(2) The member who was serving on the district board as of June 1, 2007, who had been appointed to represent the western region of Los Angeles County shall be deemed on January 1, 2008, to be the member appointed pursuant to paragraph (8) of subdivision (a) until the end of that member’s term. At the end of that term, the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles shall make an appointment pursuant to paragraph (8) of subdivision (a).
(3) On or after January 1, 2008, the city selection committee of the eastern region of Los Angeles County shall convene promptly to make an appointment pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (a).