Bill Text: CA AB2800 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Bill 2800 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Climate change: state infrastructure planning: Climate-Safe Infrastructure Working Group.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-09-24 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 118, Statutes of 2020. [AB2800 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB2800-Chaptered.html

Assembly Bill No. 2800

CHAPTER 118

An act to amend Section 71155 of the Public Resources Code, relating to climate change.

[ Approved by Governor September 24, 2020. Filed with Secretary of State September 24, 2020. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2800, Quirk. Climate change: state infrastructure planning: Climate-Safe Infrastructure Working Group.

Existing law requires state agencies to take into account the current and future impacts of climate change when planning, designing, building, operating, maintaining, and investing in state infrastructure, as provided.

This bill would require state agencies to take into account the economic damages and financial liabilities associated with the above impacts.

Existing law requires the Natural Resources Agency to establish a Climate-Safe Infrastructure Working Group for the purpose of examining how to integrate scientific data concerning projected climate change impacts into state infrastructure engineering, including oversight, investment, design, and construction. Existing law requires the working group to work in coordination with other state climate adaption planning efforts, and to consider and build upon existing information produced by the state, as specified.

This bill would add a specified 5-year infrastructure plan to the information that the working group is required to consider and build upon.

Existing law requires the working group, by July 1, 2018, to make recommendations to the Legislature and the Strategic Growth Council that address specified climate change issues. Existing law makes the provisions governing the working group inoperative on July 1, 2020, and repeals them on January 1, 2021.

This bill would delete both the requirement for the working group to make recommendations to the Legislature and the council and the inoperative and repeal dates, thereby extending the above provisions indefinitely beginning January 1, 2021. The bill would also provide that the working group shall only convene and perform its functions to the extent resources are available to fund the support of the working group and its activities.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Section 71155 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

71155.

(a) Consistent with this part, state agencies shall take into account the current and future impacts of climate change, including the economic damages and financial liabilities associated with those impacts, when planning, designing, building, operating, maintaining, and investing in state infrastructure.

(b) (1) The Climate-Safe Infrastructure Working Group is established under the agency for the purpose of examining how to integrate scientific data concerning projected climate change impacts into state infrastructure engineering, including oversight, investment, design, and construction.

(2) The working group shall consist of the following:

(A) Professional engineers registered in accordance with Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 6700) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code with relevant expertise in state infrastructure design from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Water Resources, the Department of General Services, and other relevant state agencies, as applicable.

(B) Scientists from the University of California, the California State University, and other institutions who have expertise in climate change projections and impacts across California.

(3) The two groups specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) shall be equitably represented in the membership of the working group, to the extent reasonable and appropriate.

(4) The working group shall work in coordination with other state climate adaptation planning efforts and shall consider and build upon existing information produced by the state, including information from the most recent California Climate Change Assessment conducted pursuant to Executive Order S-3-05, the plan, the five-year infrastructure plan developed pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 13100) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the State of California Sea-Level Rise Guidance Document completed pursuant to Executive Order S-13-08, among other resources.

(5) The working group shall work in coordination with other state agencies that advance sustainability in infrastructure, including the council and the Government Operations Agency.

(1) The current informational and institutional barriers to integrating projected climate change impacts into state infrastructure design.

(2) The critical information that engineers responsible for infrastructure design and construction need to address climate change impacts.

(3) How to select an appropriate engineering design for a range of future climate scenarios as related to infrastructure planning and investment.

(d) The working group shall only convene and perform its functions to the extent resources are available to fund the support of the working group and its activities.