Bill Text: CA AB585 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 585 (Prior Session Legislation)

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

Bill Title: Climate change: Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-1)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-08-26 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB585 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB585-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 585

Introduced by Assembly Member Luz Rivas
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bloom and Cristina Garcia)
(Coauthor: Senator Eggman)

February 11, 2021

An act to add Part 4.6 (commencing with Section 71361) to Division 34 of the Public Resources Code, relating to climate change.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 585, as introduced, Luz Rivas. Climate change: Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program.

Existing law requires the Natural Resources Agency every 3 years to update the Safeguarding California Plan, the state’s climate adaptation strategy. 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 related to climate change. Existing law establishes the Office of Planning and Research in state government in the Governor’s office.

This bill would establish the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program to coordinate the state’s efforts to address extreme heat and to facilitate the implementation of regional and state climate change planning into effective projects through the awarding of competitive grants to eligible entities for implementation of those projects. The bill would require the Office of Planning and Research to administer the program. The bill would establish the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Fund in the State Treasury and would require the office, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to expend moneys in the fund for the implementation of the program.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Part 4.6 (commencing with Section 71361) is added to Division 34 of the Public Resources Code, to read:

PART 4.6. Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program

71361.

For purposes of this part, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Eligible entities” include nonprofit organizations or coalitions of nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, community development corporations or financial institutions, local and regional public agencies, joint powers authorities, and tribal governments, that demonstrate multistakeholder partnership in the development and implementation of a project.

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

71361.5.

The Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program is hereby established and shall be administered by the office. The purpose of the program is to coordinate the state’s efforts to address extreme heat and to facilitate the implementation of regional and state climate change planning into effective projects to do the following:

(a) Mitigate the impacts of extreme heat through the use of reflective surface materials in the built environment and other activities consistent with the purposes of the program. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

(1) Cool roofs to increase solar reflectance and reduce structural temperatures.

(2) Cool pavements on roadways and other active transportation surfaces and school playgrounds to increase solar reflectance, reduce heat transmitted, and improve water permeability.

(3) Cool building surfaces.

(4) Other cool surface materials that increase shade, increase solar reflectance, or otherwise reduce heat island impacts.

(5) Building design, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, that reduce heat.

(b) Reduce the public health risks of extreme heat and related climate change impacts and enhance the resilience of affected populations by establishing community resilience centers and supporting community resilience planning efforts and other activities consistent with the purposes of the program. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

(1) The construction of new facilities or the retrofit of existing facilities that will serve as community resilience centers, including hydration stations, cooling centers, clean air centers, respite centers, community evacuation and emergency response centers, and similar facilities to mitigate the public health impacts of extreme heat and related climate change impacts on local populations.

(2) (A) Local planning activities to adapt community infrastructure, the built environment and natural systems to the impacts of climate change, including heat action plans to prepare for and respond to extreme heat events.

(B) The updating of local plans, including general plans, local coastal programs, local hazard mitigation plans, heat action plans, and other local plans to improve community resilience to the impacts of climate change.

(C) Public education campaigns and other measures to increase awareness of the public health risks of extreme heat, the services available to reduce those risks, and further opportunities to reduce those risks.

71362.

(a) To maximize the effectiveness of projects described in subdivision (a) of Section 71361.5, the office shall consult with the Natural Resources Agency on climate resilience, including the agency’s urban forestry and greening program, the Department of Transportation, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the State Department of Public Health, and other state agencies, as appropriate, in awarding grants to those projects.

(b) To maximize the effectiveness of projects described in subdivision (b) of Section 71361.5, the office shall seek input from, and promote interagency coordination among public agencies, as appropriate, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Public Health, and local and regional public health agencies.

(c) In administering the program, the office shall be informed by the California’s Fifth Climate Change Assessment and any subsequent climate assessments, the climate science research programs administered by the Strategic Growth Council, and other relevant climate science research.

71362.5.

(a) The office shall manage and award competitive grants for extreme heat and community resilience projects to eligible entities through an application process.

(b) Before awarding grants under the program, the office shall adopt guidelines that include all of the following:

(1) Guidelines for awarding grants, including criteria for eligibility.

(2) Criteria for determining the amount of the grant to be awarded.

(3) Provision of technical assistance to prepare grant applications.

(4) Requirements for grant recipients to report on project progress, including a final report at the conclusion of the project on measurable results of the project, including, but not limited to, public health benefits and improved health outcomes of the population served by the project.

(5) Provision for the recovery of funds from an applicant that fails to complete the project for which financial assistance was awarded.

(c) In developing guidelines pursuant to subdivision (b), the office may refer to guidelines adopted for other funding programs in this division.

(d) In awarding grants, the office shall give priority to projects that do any of the following:

(1) Serve disadvantaged communities, as identified in Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) Demonstrate participation in a regional climate collaborative program established in accordance with Part 3.6 (commencing with Section 71130).

(3) Serve those populations most vulnerable to the impacts of extreme heat, as determined by the relevant local health department.

71363.

The Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury. Moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, shall be expended by the office for the implementation of the program.