Bill Text: CA AB2722 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Greenhouse gases: work-from-home option.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-19 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB2722 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB2722-Introduced.html

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2722

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Introduced by Assembly Member Grayson

February 18, 2022

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An act to add Section 39735 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to greenhouse gases.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2722, as introduced, Grayson. Greenhouse gases: work-from-home option.

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 that cause global warming to reduce those emissions of greenhouse gases.

This bill would require the state board to annually prepare a report quantifying the actual reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from work-from-home options offered by employers of the state and compare that with the actual reduction in the state’s overall emissions of greenhouse gases for the same year.

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.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) An analysis performed by Energy Innovation reported in “Insights From the California Energy Policy Simulator: On the state’s current greenhouse gas emission trajectory and six policy opportunities for deepening emission reductions,” issued in January of 2020, found that under various scenarios the projected 2030 emission levels will result in a “2030 emission gap, which ranges from 15 [to] 45 [million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent]” above the 2030 target set pursuant to Section 38566 of the Health and Safety Code, with a current trajectory scenario resulting in “emissions approximately 25 [million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent] above the 2030 target.”

(b) One-half of California’s greenhouse gases emissions are related to the transportation sector.

(c) The Governor’s 2022–23 Budget proposal eliminates state office space and increases work-from-home personnel to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by reducing commutes.

(d) Private employers are anticipating a permanent reduction in workforce commutes through an increase in both full and partial work-from-home options.

(e) Policymakers at all levels of state and local government would benefit from knowing how policies related to work-from-home options might contribute to achieving greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

(f) While longer term goals and future projections are critical tools in the formulation of policy, an annual accounting of actual reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases, measured in million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, will inspire additional practical policies that will make both large and small contributions to reaching California’s adopted climate goals.

SEC. 2.

 Section 39735 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

39735.

 (a) The state board shall annually prepare a report quantifying the actual reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases, measured in million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, resulting from work-from-home options offered by employers in the state.

(b) The report shall compare the actual reduction from work-from-home options to the actual reduction in the state’s overall emissions of greenhouse gases, measured in million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, for the same year.

(c) The report shall not contain projections or goals for reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases.