Bill Text: CA AB2371 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Climate change: Office of Planning and Research: science advisory team: climate adaptation and hazard mitigation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-07-08 - From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on EQ. [AB2371 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB2371-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  March 16, 2020

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2371

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Introduced by Assembly Member Friedman
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Eduardo Garcia Boerner Horvath, Eduardo Garcia, and Mullin)

February 18, 2020

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An act to amend Sections 71150 and 71153 of, and to add Sections 71153.5, 71156, and 71157 to, add Section 71157 to the Public Resources Code, relating to climate change.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2371, as amended, Friedman. Climate change: adaptation.

Existing law requires the Natural Resources Agency every 3 years to update the state’s climate adaptation strategy, known as the Safeguard California Plan. As part of the update, existing law requires the agency to coordinate with other state agencies to identify a lead agency or group of agencies to lead adaptation efforts in each sector. Existing law requires state agencies to work to maximize specified objectives. Existing law requires the update to the plan to include certain topics.

This bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, by January 1, 2022, to review the plan and develop a strategic resiliency framework that, among other things, makes recommendations on actions that are necessary to prepare the state for the most significant climate change impacts modeled for 2025, 2050, and beyond, review available funding sources and make recommendations for aligning investments with the framework, and establish actions for community and economic resiliency, the ocean and coast, and terrestrial ecosystems. The bill would require the Strategic Growth Council, by July 1, 2021, to convene a science advisory team of distinguished scientists to guide advise on climate planning and adaptation efforts in the state and to, among other things, review and make recommendations to improve the plan and the framework. The bill would require each state agency identified in the framework to report to the secretary on its progress in completing the recommendations and actions in the framework. The bill would require state agencies implementing the framework to engage regional agencies and communities that have been disproportionately impacted by environmental or socioeconomic burdens. The bill would require the secretary to solicit feedback from the science advisory team on the development of the framework. The bill would require the updates to the plan to include a review of the progress made in implementing the past plans and a detailed description of the framework. plan. The bill would require the council, by July 1, 2024, to submit to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature a report summarizing the actions of the science advisory team, the team’s contribution to climate resiliency and adaptation planning, and recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the team.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) California’s changing climate creates increased increases the risks of catastrophic wildfire, drought, floods, severe heat events, intense rain events, and sea level rise that rise. These changes will impact California’s residents, agriculture, water supply, water quality, and the health of forests, watersheds, fish and wildlife, biodiversity, and economy. Already many lives and even whole communities have been lost or destroyed.

(2) Rising average temperatures, destructive fires, higher sea levels, and more severe drought and flood put state residents in danger. Already many lives and even whole communities have been lost or destroyed.

(3) These risks and impacts The risks associated with a changing climate vary by region and can overwhelm the resources of local governments and communities that must may disproportionately harm vulnerable communities. Local and regional governments may not have the resources to cope with changing conditions and severe climate change-related events.

(4) The state has taken bold leadership to create the Safeguarding California Plan and other adaptation frameworks and should now shift these planning efforts into action that protects our state. frameworks. The state must now translate the plan and other frameworks into action to prepare our built and natural infrastructure to withstand the forecasted impacts of climate change.

(5) Planning The state must invest in transformative, cost-effective projects that will produce the greatest benefit to the state. Consequently, all planning and action to address the current and future impacts of climate change impacts should be guided by the best available science.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that this measure serves as a companion to complement any general bond obligation measures relating to climate resilience that are enacted during the 2019–20 Regular Session.

SEC. 2.Section 71150 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

71150.

For purposes of this part, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a)“Agency” means the Natural Resources Agency.

(b)“Council” means the Strategic Growth Council.

(c)“Framework” means the strategic resiliency framework prepared under Section 71153.5.

(d)“Office” means the Office of Planning and Research.

(e)“Plan” means the Safeguarding California Plan.

(f)“Secretary” means the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency.

SEC. 3.Section 71153 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

71153.

(a)By July 1, 2017, and every three years thereafter, the agency shall update the state’s climate adaptation strategy, known as the plan. As part of the update, the agency shall coordinate with other state agencies to identify a lead agency or group of agencies to lead adaptation efforts in each sector. The updates to the plan shall include all of the following:

(1)Vulnerabilities to climate change by sector, as identified by the lead agency or group of agencies, and regions, including, at a minimum, the following sectors:

(A)Water.

(B)Energy.

(C)Transportation.

(D)Public health.

(E)Agriculture.

(F)Emergency services.

(G)Forestry.

(H)Biodiversity and habitat.

(I)Ocean and coastal resources.

(2)Priority actions needed to reduce risks in those sectors, as identified by the lead agency or group of agencies.

(3)A review of the progress made in implementing past plans and an evaluation of each lead agency’s lead adaptation efforts.

(4)A detail description of the framework developed by the secretary.

(b)By January 1, 2017, and every three years thereafter, the agency shall release a draft plan. Between the release of the draft plan and the publication of the final update of the plan, the agency shall hold at least three public hearings for the purpose of providing an opportunity for the public to review and provide written and oral comments on the draft plan. The public hearings shall be held in northern California, the central valley of California, and southern California.

(c)The agency shall annually report to the Legislature, consistent with Section 9795 of the Government Code, on actions taken by each applicable agency to implement the plan.

SEC. 4.Section 71153.5 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

71153.5.

(a)On or before January 1, 2022, the secretary shall review the plan and develop a strategic resiliency framework that does all of the following:

(1)Makes recommendations on actions that are necessary to prepare the state for the most significant climate change impacts modeled for 2025, 2050, and beyond.

(2)Makes recommendations for improving climate impacts forecasting and models.

(3)Reviews available funding sources, including any voter-approved bonds and make recommendations for aligning investments with the strategic resiliency framework.

(4)Identifies and provides for special protections of vulnerable communities and industries that are disproportionately impacted by climate change.

(5)Develops timetables and metrics to measure progress in achieving the strategic resiliency framework.

(6)Establishes actions for community and economic resiliency, the ocean and coast, and terrestrial ecosystems.

(b)The secretary shall solicit feedback from the science advisory committee, established pursuant to Section 71157, on the development of the framework before the release of the framework.

(c)The agency shall make the framework publicly available on its internet website.

SEC. 5.Section 71156 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

71156.

(a)Each state agency identified in the framework shall report to the secretary on its progress in completing the recommendations and actions set forth in the framework for that agency.

(b)(1)In implementing the framework, state agencies shall collaboratively engage with regional entities, including local agencies and communities, to enhance policy and funding coordination and to promote regional solutions and implementation.

(2)State agencies shall probatively engage communities that have been disproportionately impacted by environmental or socioeconomic burdens to ensure benefits of programs implemented under the framework are provided to those communities while preventing potential unintended consequences of those programs.

SEC. 6.SEC. 2.

 Section 71157 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

71157.

 (a) On or before July 1, 2021, the council shall establish a science advisory team of distinguished scientists to guide advise on climate planning and adaptation efforts in the state. The team shall provide independent and timely advice to guide climate change planning and adaptation based on the best available science by drawing on state, national, and international experts.

(b) The science advisory team shall include scientists from geographically diverse institutions in California with expertise in a range of disciplines and institutions related to the study of climate change impacts an change, climate impacts, and adaptation.

(c) Except for reimbursement of expenses, scientists serving on the team shall serve without compensation.

(d) The science advisory team shall review and make recommendations to improve the plan and the framework. The team shall convene to make recommendations on prioritizing spending on project projects that, based on the best available science, will advance the state’s climate adaptation priorities. The team may also recommend new scientific studies and improvements to models for purposes of predicting climate impacts on statewide, regional, and local scales.

(e) To the extent authorized by law, the science advisory team shall do both of the following following:

(1) Review and comment on guidelines of public agencies related to the allocation and administration of programs and projects funded by a climate resiliency climate-related bond measure, based on the best available science. At a minimum, the team shall focus on making recommendations to agencies to assist them in soliciting projects that will be strategically deployed, science-based, and likely to advance the state’s resiliency to climate change.

(2) Assist public agencies in selecting metrics for measuring the success of programs, including programs funded by any climate-related bond measure. This includes advising on the development of standards and metrics for monitoring and adaptive management of programs funded by a climate resiliency bond. and projects to ensure that the state learns from their successes and failures.

(f) The science advisory team shall also provide recommendations to the council on the design and implementation of experimental adaptation and resiliency projects that will further the state’s understanding of mitigation of climate change impacts.

(g) (1) On or before July 1, 2024, the council shall submit to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature a report that summarizes the actions of the science advisory team, the team’s contributions to climate resiliency and adaptation planning planning, and the council’s recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the team.

(2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this subdivision shall become inoperative on July 1, 2028.