Bill Text: CA AB970 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 970 (Prior Session Legislation)

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

Bill Title: California Department of Aging: grants: transportation.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Vetoed) 2020-01-21 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB970 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB970-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 970

Introduced by Assembly Member Salas

February 21, 2019

An act to add Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 9580) to Division 8.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to aging.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 970, as introduced, Salas. California Department of Aging: grants: transportation.

Existing law, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include the use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available for appropriation.

Existing law establishes the Air Quality Improvement Program, which is administered by the state board for the purpose of funding projects related to, among other things, the reduction of criteria air pollutants and improvement of air quality. Existing law requires that moneys in the Air Quality Improvement Fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be expended by the state board in accordance with the program.

Existing law requires the California Department of Aging to designate various private nonprofit or public agencies as area agencies on aging to work for the interests of older Californians within a planning and service area and provide a broad array of social and nutritional services. Existing law states that the mission of the department is to provide leadership to the area agencies on aging in developing systems of home- and community-based services that maintain individuals in their own homes or the least restrictive homelike environments.

This bill would require the department to administer a grant program to receive applications from area agencies on aging to fund transportation to and from nonemergency medical services for older individuals with disabilities who reside in rural, desert, or mountain areas within a planning and service area, for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The bill would require that transportation be made available using the purchase, lease, or maintenance of zero-emission or near-zero-emission vehicles with a capacity for 7, 12, or 15 passengers.

The bill would authorize the allocation of moneys from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and the Air Quality Improvement Fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to fund the grant program.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 9580) is added to Division 8.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

CHAPTER 8.5. Transportation for Medical Services

9580.

(a) The department shall administer a grant program to fund transportation to and from nonemergency medical services for older individuals with disabilities pursuant to this section for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

(b) Area agencies on aging may apply for grants from the department pursuant to this section. An area agency on aging that has been awarded a grant shall use the funds to provide transportation as described in subdivision (c).

(c) (1) Eligible transportation includes transportation to and from nonemergency medical services for older individuals with disabilities who reside in rural, desert, or mountain areas within a planning and service area.

(2) Eligible transportation shall be made available using the purchase, lease, or maintenance of zero-emission or near-zero-emission vehicles with a capacity for 7, 12, or 15 passengers.

(d) (1) The department may use moneys allocated to the grant program pursuant to Section 9581 to cover reasonable administrative costs incurred by the department under this section.

(2) An area agency on aging that has been awarded a grant may use grant moneys to cover reasonable administrative costs incurred by the area agency on aging under this section.

9581.

Moneys from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section 16428.8 of the Government Code, and the Air Quality Improvement Fund, created pursuant to Section 44274.5 of the Health and Safety Code, may be allocated, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to fund the grant program described in Section 9580.