Bill Text: CA AB296 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Climate change: Climate Innovation Grant Program: voluntary tax contributions.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Vetoed) 2020-01-23 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB296 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB296-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Climate change: Climate Innovation Grant Program: voluntary tax contributions.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Vetoed) 2020-01-23 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB296 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB296-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION
| Assembly Bill | No. 296 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Cooley (Coauthor: Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia) |
January 28, 2019 |
An act to add and repeal Part 3.6.5 (commencing with Section 71140) of Division 34 of the Public Resources Code, relating to climate change, and making an appropriation therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 296, as introduced, Cooley.
Climate change: Climate Innovation Commission.
Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop and implement the Electric Program Investment Charge program for the purpose of awarding funds to projects that may lead to technological advancement and breakthroughs to overcome barriers that prevent the achievement of the state’s statutory energy goals and that may result in a portfolio of projects that are strategically focused and sufficiently narrow to make advancement on the most significant technological challenges.
This bill would establish the Climate Innovation Grant Program, to be administered by the Climate Innovation Commission, which the bill would establish in the Natural Resources Agency. The program would award grants in the form of matching funds for the development and research of new innovations and
technologies to address issues related to emissions of greenhouse gases and impacts caused by climate change. The bill would establish the Climate Innovation Fund, a special fund, in the State Treasury and would continuously appropriate the moneys in the fund to the commission for purposes of the program. The bill would repeal the program and the commission on January 1, 2031.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: YES Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill 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) Climate change poses a serious threat to public health, natural resources, the environment, and the economic well-being of California. Adverse impacts of climate change have led to increased frequency of extreme weather events, such as drought, heat, fire, and flooding.
(2) Potential further impacts include the exacerbation of air quality problems, a reduction in the quality and supply of water to the state from the Sierra snowbank, a rise in sea levels resulting in the displacement of thousands of coastal businesses and residences, damage to marine ecosystems and the natural
environment, and an increase in the incidences of infectious diseases, asthma, and other health-related problems.
(3) As droughts and fires have become more severe, ecosystems have become stressed, negatively impacting the quality of California water, air, and soil. With California’s growing population and economy, climate change will further strain water supplies and electricity generation capacity throughout the state.
(4) This will have detrimental effects on some of California’s largest industries, including agriculture, wine, tourism, skiing, recreational and commercial fishing, and forestry unless steps are taken to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, criteria air pollutants, and other contaminants, and clean and efficient energy and transportation solutions are generated.
(b) It is the intent of the
Legislature to do both of the following:
(1) Minimize current and future risks posed by climate change to human health and safety, quality of life, economic growth, ecosystems, and the natural environment.
(2) To spur innovation and new technologies that neutralize or remove contaminants and emissions from the environmental through research and development projects that do any of the following:
(A) Promote permanent and safe sequestration of greenhouse gases and carbon storage.
(B) Promote permanent and safe removal of criteria air pollutants.
(C) Promote a clean, reliable, and affordable electric grid.
(D) Promote clean,
reliable, and affordable transportation solutions.
(E) Address water quality and reliability issues that reduce environmental impacts in an affordable manner.
(F) Address soil quality issues in an affordable manner.
SEC. 2.
Part 3.6.5 (commencing with Section 71140) is added to Division 34 of the Public Resources Code, to read:PART 3.6.5. Climate Innovation Act
CHAPTER 1. General Provisions and Definitions
71140.
This part shall be known, and may by cited, as the Climate Innovation Act.71140.1.
For purposes of this part, the following definitions apply:(a) “Commission” means the Climate Innovation Commission established pursuant to Section 71141.
(b) “Fund” means the Climate Innovation Fund established pursuant to Section 71143.
(c) “Program” means the Climate Innovation Grant Program established pursuant to Section 71142.
CHAPTER 2. Climate Innovation Commission
71141.
(a) There is hereby established in the Natural Resources Agency the Climate Innovation Commission consisting of __ members, as follows:(1) __ members shall be appointed by the Governor.
(2) __ members shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.
(3) __ members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.
(b) (1) The members shall serve __-year terms.
(2) If a vacancy occurs within a term, the appointing authority shall appoint a replacement within 30
days of the vacancy to serve the remainder of the term.
(3) If the term of a member expires, that member shall continue to serve until a replacement of the member is appointed.
(c) Members of the commission shall elect from its membership a chair and a vice chair of the commission.
71141.1.
The commission may seek private donations and publicly available moneys for purposes of the program.CHAPTER 3. Climate Innovation Grant Program
71142.
(a) There is hereby established the Climate Innovation Grant Program to be administered by the commission.(b) The program shall provide grants through a competitive process for the development and research of new innovations and technologies that do any of the following:
(1) Promote permanent and safe sequestration of greenhouse gases and carbon storage.
(2) Promote permanent and safe removal of criteria air pollutants.
(3) Promote a clean, reliable, and affordable electric grid.
(4) Promote clean, reliable, and affordable transportation solutions.
(5) Address water quality and reliability issues that reduce environmental impacts in an affordable manner.
(6) Address soil quality issues in an affordable manner.
(c) The grants provided pursuant to the program shall serve as a matching fund for a project and the amount of moneys provided shall not exceed __ percent of the total funding for a project.
71142.1.
(a) The commission shall develop a solicitation and evaluation criteria for project proposals and shall establish the qualifications of grant applicants.(b) The evaluation criteria shall include a peer review process to evaluate the merits and likelihood of success of each project proposal.
71142.2.
(a) The commission shall submit an annual finance report for the program to the Natural Resources Agency and the Legislature.(b) The report required to be submitted to the Legislature shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
71142.3.
The chair of the commission shall, upon request, appear before the Joint Committee on Climate Change Policies to report on the status and accomplishment of the program.CHAPTER 4. Climate Innovation Fund
71143.
(a) There is hereby established in the State Treasury the Climate Innovation Fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, moneys in the fund are hereby continuously appropriated without regards to fiscal years to the commission for purposes of the program.(b) (1) Moneys received pursuant to Section 71141.1 shall be deposited in the fund.
(2) General fund moneys shall not be deposited into the fund.
(c) Of the moneys appropriated for purposes of the program:
(1) Up to __ percent of the moneys may be expended by the
commission to solicit donations or seek publicly available moneys for the program.
(2) Up to __ percent of the moneys may be expended by the commission for the administration of the program.
