Bill Text: CA AB839 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Climate adaptation strategy: strategic resiliency framework: Resiliency through Adaptation, Economic Vitality, and Equity Account.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-08-30 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB839 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB839-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Climate adaptation strategy: strategic resiliency framework: Resiliency through Adaptation, Economic Vitality, and Equity Account.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-08-30 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB839 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB839-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION
| Assembly Bill | No. 839 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Mullin |
February 20, 2019 |
An act to amend Section 71150 of, and to add Sections 71156 and 71157 to, the Public Resources Code, relating to climate change.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 839, as introduced, Mullin.
Climate adaptation: strategy: Adaptation through Resiliency, Economic Vitality, and Equity Account.
Existing law requires the Natural Resources Agency to update every 3 years the state’s climate adaptation strategy to identify vulnerabilities to climate change by sectors and priority actions needed to reduce the risks in those sectors.
This bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, no later than July 1, 2021, to develop, adopt, and implement a comprehensive, coordinated, and proactive strategy for the state to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change, with the intent to ensure the state is prepared for climate change impacts modeled for 2050 and beyond, as specified. The bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to coordinate with the Office of Planning and Research, the Secretary for Environmental Protection, and the Strategic Growth Council to develop and implement the strategy
developed, adopted, and implemented by the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency. The bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, no later than July 1, 2020, to establish a specified advisory committee to assist in the development and implementation of the strategy. The bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to coordinate with the Insurance Commissioner on developing policies for industry to provide reduced premiums for projects and development that improve resiliency, consistent with the strategy.
The bill would create the Adaptation through Resiliency, Economic Vitality, and Equity Account in the State Treasury, with moneys in the account, upon appropriation, to be allocated to provide financial assistance in the form of grants and financing for climate adaptation projects that further the goals of the strategy. The bill would require the Treasurer, in consultation with the Secretary of the Natural Resources
Agency, the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, and the Director of State Planning and Research, to develop grants and financing criteria offered by the strategy, as specified.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO 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) According to the state’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment, “emerging findings for California show that costs associated with direct climate impacts by 2050 are dominated by human mortality, damages to coastal properties, and the potential for droughts and mega-floods.”
(2) The economic cost to the state for losses across the state by 2050 is estimated over $100 billion each year.
(3) 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.
(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.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to assertively and comprehensively address the unavoidable impacts of climate change to protect the state.
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) “Office” means the Office of Planning and Research.
(c)
(d) “Plan” means the Safeguarding California Plan.
(e) “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency.
SEC. 3.
Section 71156 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:71156.
(a) No later than July 1, 2021, the secretary shall develop, adopt, and implement a comprehensive, coordinated, and proactive strategy for the state to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change, with the intent to ensure the state is prepared for climate change impacts modeled for 2050 and beyond. At a minimum, the strategy shall include all of the following:(1) Recommendations for policies to improve the climate change resiliency of the state’s communities, infrastructure, economy, and ecosystems, taking various regional and statewide policy and funding decisions into consideration to cohesively amplify their success.
(2) Recommendations for interim policies for 2025 and
2040, prepared for 2050.
(3) Establishment of standardized metrics that guide agencies on how to measure progress in meeting the state strategy.
(4) Incorporation of the plans and programs developed pursuant to this part and Part 4.5 (commencing with Section 71350) to Part 6 (commencing with Section 71420), inclusive.
(5) Assurance that state agencies, working with local governments, collaboratives, and nongovernmental organizations, implement programs and projects that address community, infrastructure, working lands, natural resources, and economic needs.
(6) Special preference to vulnerable communities, habitats, and industries that are disproportionately impacted by climate change.
(7) Actions that confront agency barriers to actions that promote and provide incentives for the protection of communities and the ecosystems we rely on. Specifically, the strategy should at a minimum require agencies to coordinate actions among the following:
(A) Community and economic resiliency.
(B) Ocean and coast.
(C) Ecosystems.
(b) The secretary shall coordinate with the office, the Secretary for Environmental Protection, and the council to develop and implement the strategy developed, adopted, and implemented by the secretary pursuant to subdivision (a).
(c) The council shall conduct three hearings across the state before adopting the strategy that was adopted and
implemented by the secretary pursuant to subdivision (a).
(d) No later than July 1, 2020, the secretary shall establish an advisory committee to assist the secretary in the development and implementation of the strategy developed, adopted, and implemented by the secretary pursuant to subdivision (a). At a minimum, the advisory committee shall include all of the following:
(1) The Director of State Planning and Research.
(2) The Secretary for Environmental Protection.
(3) The Director of Emergency Services.
(4) The Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
(5) Representatives from all of the
following:
(A) Vulnerable local communities.
(B) Coastal economies.
(C) Labor.
(D) Natural resources.
(E) Food and water security.
(F) Ocean interests.
(e) (1) In implementing the strategy developed, adopted, and implemented by the secretary pursuant to subdivision (a), state agencies shall collaboratively engage with regional entities, including local agencies and communities, to enhance policy and funding coordination and promote regional solutions and implementation.
(2) The state shall proactively engage disenfranchised communities that have been disproportionately impacted in planning and project development to ensure benefits to these regions while preventing potentially unintended consequences from land use and community development decisions.
(f) The secretary shall coordinate with the Insurance Commissioner on developing policies for industry to provide reduced premiums for projects and development that improve resiliency, consistent with the strategy developed, adopted, and implemented by the secretary pursuant to subdivision (a).
SEC. 4.
Section 71157 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:71157.
(a) The Adaptation through Resiliency, Economic Vitality, and Equity Account is hereby created in the State Treasury. Moneys in the account shall be available upon appropriation by the Legislature.(b) Moneys in the Adaptation through Resiliency, Economic Vitality, and Equity Account shall be allocated to provide financial assistance in the form of grants and financing for climate adaptation projects that further the goals of the strategy developed, adopted, and implemented by the secretary pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 71156.
(c) The Treasurer, in consultation with the secretary, the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, and the Director of State Planning and
Research, shall develop grants and financing criteria offered by the strategy developed, adopted, and implemented by the secretary pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 71156. The grants and financing criteria shall do all of the following:
(1) Leverage local, state, federal, and private funding sources to maximize the impact, including the ability to pool these moneys into the Adaptation through Resiliency, Economic Vitality, and Equity Account.
(2) Prioritize projects with multibenefits, including water supply and efficiency, natural infrastructure, economic development, habitat enhancement, and community revitalization.
(3) Maximize benefits to vulnerable communities.
(4) Seek to achieve a portfolio approach to funding that supports a diverse set of
projects.
(5) Provide technical assistance and capacity building support.
(6) Use regional collaboratives to guide projects.
(7) Support, when appropriate, projects and programs developed pursuant to this part and Part 4.5 (commencing with Section 71350) to Part 6 (commencing with Section 71420), inclusive.
(d) When allocating moneys in the Adaptation through Resiliency, Economic Vitality, and Equity Account for grants and loans consistent with this section, the Treasurer shall use the following schedule:
(1) At least 20 percent of the moneys shall be allocated to support low-income communities.
(2) At least 10 percent of the
moneys shall be allocated to support the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program (Part 4.5 (commencing with Section 71350)).
(3) At least 5 percent of the moneys shall be allocated to support workforce training programs that prevent or restore fire-impacted watersheds.
(4) At least 20 percent of the moneys shall be allocated to support infrastructure and habitat enhancement projects that protect ocean and coastal resources.
(5) At least 10 percent of the moneys shall be allocated to the Wildlife Conservation Board and state conservancies for the purposes of climate resiliency projects.
(6) At least 1 percent of the moneys shall be allocated to the California Conservation Corps and certified community conservation
corps.
