Bill Text: CA SB1261 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Energy: low-emissions buildings.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-06-27 - Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96. [SB1261 Detail]

Download: California-2021-SB1261-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  April 27, 2022

Amended  IN  Senate  April 04, 2022

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1261

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Introduced by Senator Stern
(Coauthor: Senator Hertzberg)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Eduardo Garcia, Mullin, and Luz Rivas)

February 17, 2022

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An act to add Section 25402.16 to the Public Resources Code, relating to energy assistance.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1261, as amended, Stern. Energy assistance: residential building extreme heat zone mitigation grant program.

Existing law requires the Department of Community Services and Development to receive and administer the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Block Grant. Existing law prescribes amounts to be applied to certain services under the program, including for weatherization and related services and the reduction of home energy needs, among other things. Existing law establishes programs designed to provide long-term reductions in energy consumption by low-income household dwelling units, including assistance for the purchase of energy-efficient appliances. The Energy Conservation Act of 2001 requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to establish a grant program to provide financial assistance to eligible low-income individuals for constructing and retrofitting buildings to be more energy efficient by using design elements, including, among other things, the use of products certified by the commission as energy-efficient zone heating products.

This bill would require the commission, in consultation with the Natural Resources Agency, to develop a residential building extreme heat zone mitigation grant program to provide grants to residents to mitigate extreme heat-related impacts, as provided. The bill would require the commission, beginning February 1 of the year following the first year in which grants are awarded and annually thereafter, to report to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature a summary of the grants awarded under the program, as specified.

Digest Key

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

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 25402.16 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

25402.16.

 (a) The commission, in consultation with the Natural Resources Agency, shall develop a residential building extreme heat zone mitigation grant program to provide grants to residents to mitigate extreme heat-related impacts on health or economics and to mitigate extreme heat-related impacts of climate risk.

(b) (1) The grant program shall provide grants in areas that include, but are not limited to, weatherization, energy and water efficiency, and net-zero retrofits for heating and cooling, including electric heat pumps.

(2) Where appropriate and feasible, the commission may fund nature-based solutions that will help to cool residential buildings or mitigate extreme heat impacts to residential buildings, including, but not limited to, planting trees, increasing vegetation coverage, and increasing awareness of best practices to green urban residential areas. Nature-based solutions funded by the commission shall be consistent with the final version, when issued, of the draft report entitled “Protecting Californians Amidst Extreme Heat: A State Action Plan to Build Community Resilience” issued by the Natural Resources Agency on January 10, 2022.

(c) In developing the guidelines and application process for the grant program, the commission shall do all of the following:

(1) Provide applications for low-income residents that are vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat.

(2) Conduct no less than two public meetings to receive and consider public comment before approving the guidelines and application process.

(3) Ensure that the grant program complements and, where possible, maximizes the reach of existing related programs.

(d) (1) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, beginning February 1 of the year following the first year in which grants are awarded, the commission shall annually report to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature a summary of the grants awarded, including populations and geographic communities served, funds awarded, and challenges and opportunities of the program.

(2) The report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.