Bill Text: CA SB246 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Climate change adaptation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2015-10-08 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 606, Statutes of 2015. [SB246 Detail]

Download: California-2015-SB246-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 246	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  SEPTEMBER 1, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JULY 1, 2015
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 2, 2015
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 5, 2015
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 13, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Wieckowski

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2015

   An act to add Part 4.5 (commencing with Section 71350) to Division
34 of the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental
protection.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 246, as amended, Wieckowski. Climate change adaptation.
   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 state board is required to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas
emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions
level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020 and to adopt rules and
regulations in an open public process to achieve the maximum,
technologically feasible, and cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions
reductions. The act requires all state agencies to consider and
implement strategies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. An
executive order establishes a climate action team consisting of
specified ex officio members and requires the team to make a
specified biannual report to the Legislature and Governor.
   This bill would establish the Climate Adaptation and Resiliency
Program to be administered by the Office of Planning and Research to
coordinate state, regional, and local  agency 
efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change, as specified.
 The bill would require the California Environmental
Protection Agency, the Natural Resources Agency, and the office, no
later than January 1, 2017, and every 3 years thereafter, to update
the 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy, as specified.
 The bill also would  require the office, no later
than January 1, 2018, and every 3 years thereafter,  
require, within one year of an update to the Safeguarding California
Plan, the Office of Emergency Services,   in coordination
with the Natural Resources Agency, the Office of Planning and
Research, and relevant public and private entities,  to 
update   review and update, as necessary,  the
Adaptation Planning Guide, as specified. The bill would establish an
advisory council, as specified, to support  those 
 the  goals of the  office.   Office of
Planning, and Research as identified by the bill.  The bill
would require the  office   Office of Planning,
and Research  to establish a clearinghouse for climate
adaptation information, as specified.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Part 4.5 (commencing with Section 71350) is added to
Division 34 of the Public Resources Code, to read:

      PART 4.5.  Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program


   71350.  For purposes of this part, "office" means the Office of
Planning and Research.
   71352.  The Legislature finds and declares:
   (a) The state has been a leader in climate mitigation efforts.
However, the state's efforts alone will not prevent global climate
change from occurring, as noted in the update to the 2009 California
Climate Adaptation Strategy issued in July 2014. Due to the
inevitability of climate change impacts on the state, the state must
invest in building resiliency and strengthening adaptation efforts at
the state, regional, and local levels using the best-available
science.
   (b) Improved coordination of existing adaptation planning efforts
and funding by the state, as well as increased implementation and
support of adaptation programs, can directly protect the state's
infrastructure, communities, environmental quality, public health,
natural resources, and economy from the unavoidable impacts of
climate change for decades to come.
   (c) In order to have a cohesive and comprehensive adaptation
response to climate change impacts, the state must have integrated
planning with coordinated strategies across state, regional, and
local governments and agencies.
   (d) The office is established as the comprehensive state planning
agency that shall engage in the formulation, evaluation, and updating
of long-range goals for factors that shape statewide development
patterns and significantly influence the quality of the state's
environment, in addition to assisting state, regional, and local
agencies in a variety of research and planning efforts, pursuant to
Section 65040 of the Government Code. Therefore, the office is
well-positioned to work with state, regional, and local entities
across the state in coordinating climate adaptation strategies.
   (e) It is the intent of the Legislature, therefore, that
adaptation strategies to build resiliency to the risks and impacts
from climate change be integrated in state policies, projects, and
permitting processes, and that the office serve as a coordinating
body for adaptation projects and goals across California.
   71354.  The Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program is hereby
established to be administered by the office. No later than January
1, 2017, the Director of State Planning and Research shall establish
the program to coordinate state, regional, and local  agency
 efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change with, to
the extent feasible, an emphasis on climate equity considerations
across sectors and regions and strategies that benefit both 
reductions  greenhouse gas emissions  reductions 
and adaptation  efforts.   efforts, in order to
facilitate the development of holistic, complimentary strategies for
adapting to climate change impacts.  The program shall 
include   include, but is not limited to,  all of
the following: 
   (a) Assisting state agencies in coordinating the planning and
preparation of regular updates to the 2009 California Climate
Adaptation Strategy, pursuant to Section 71356, and maintain copies
of the updates on the office's Internet Web site.  
   (a) Working with and coordinating local and regional efforts for
climate adaptation and resilience, including, but not limited to, the
following:  
   (1) Developing tools and guidance.  
   (2) Promoting and coordinating state agency support for local and
regional efforts. 
   (3) Ensuring that state planning, guidance, and guidelines reflect
the efforts and challenges faced by local and regional entities
pursuing adaptation and resilience. 
   (b)  Working with   Assisting the Office of
Emergency Services and other  relevant state agencies 
and public and private entities to create   with
coordinating  regular  updates   reviews
and updates, as needed,  to the Adaptation Planning Guide,
pursuant to Section  71358,   71356,  and
 maintain copies   maintaining a copy  of
the  updates   guide, or an electronic link to a
copy of the guide hosted on another Internet Web site,  on the
office's Internet Web site.  One or more lead state agencies
may be designated to prepare the updates. 
   (c) Coordinating and maintaining the state's clearinghouse for
climate adaptation information, pursuant to Section  71362.
  71360. 
   (d) Conducting regular meetings with the advisory council
established pursuant to Section  71360   71358
 in order to have  technical support, as well as 
expertise and advice from regional and local experts working in
climate adaptation throughout the research and planning processes, as
described in this section. 
   71356.  No later than January 1, 2017, and every three years
thereafter, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the
Natural Resources Agency, and the office, in coordination with those
agencies that have previously led sector-specific adaptation efforts
and any relevant public and private entities, shall update the 2009
California Climate Adaptation Strategy, for which the first update
was titled Safeguarding California: Reducing Climate Risk, to
incorporate advances in climate science and risk management options
regarding regional and statewide climate change impacts and
vulnerabilities and recommended adaptation strategies. 
    71358.   71356.   (a)  No later
than January 1, 2018, and every three years thereafter, 
 Within one year of an update to the Safeguarding California
Plan, the Office of Emergency Services, in coordination with the
Natural Resources Agency,  the office,  in coordination
with all   and  relevant public and private
entities, shall  update   review and update, as
necessary,  the Adaptation Planning Guide to provide tools and
guidance to regional and local governments and agencies in creating
and implementing climate adaptation and community resiliency plans
and projects.  The  An  Adaptation Planning
Guide  updates   update  shall be informed
by the climate adaptation clearinghouse established pursuant to
Section  71362   71360  and the scientific
assessments and recommendations in the most recent update 
prepared pursuant to Section 71356. The   of the
Safeguarding California Plan. An  Adaptation Planning Guide
 updates   update  shall  include,
at a minimum, all of the following:   provide
information and planning support for assessing climate
vulnerabilities across impact sectors and regions and developing
  adaptation strategies that can be tailored to meet local
needs.  
   (1) Information concerning funding opportunities for adaptation
research, planning, and projects.  
   (2) Regionally prioritized best-practice adaptation projects that,
where appropriate, integrate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions across the state.  
   (3) Recommended metrics and indicators to track the progress and
success of adaptation efforts locally, regionally, and statewide.
 
   (4) Adaptation planning templates for use by local governments and
regional collaboratives.  
   (5) Guidelines for coordinating adaptation activities among state
and local governments and regional collaboratives. 
   (b) As part of updating the Adaptation Planning Guide, the office
with the advisory council created pursuant to Section  71360
  71358  shall hold public meetings and workshops
 at least annually  in the northern, southern, and
central regions of the state to obtain input from the public and
leaders in local and regional climate preparedness.
    71360.   71358.   (a) An advisory
council to the office is hereby established. The advisory council
shall be comprised of  15  members from a range of
 disciplines   disciplines,  in order to
provide scientific and technical support,  as well as
  and from  regional and local 
perspectives, to   governments and entities. The
advisory council shall  support the office's  goals
  goals, as  identified in this  part.
  part, to facilitate coordination among state,
regional, and local agency efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate
change. 
   (b) Members of the advisory council shall  be appointed
based on their   have  expertise in the
intersection of climate change and areas that include, but need not
be limited to, any of the following:
   (1) Public health.
   (2) Environmental quality.
   (3) Environmental justice.
   (4) Agriculture.
   (5) Transportation and housing.
   (6) Energy.
   (7) Natural resources and water.
   (8) Planning.
   (9) Recycling and waste management.
   (10) Local or regional government. 
   (11) Tribal issues.  
   (12) Emergency services.  
   (c) Five members of the advisory council shall be appointed by the
Governor, five members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
Assembly, and five members shall be appointed by the Senate Committee
on Rules. All members shall be appointed to four-year terms with the
possibility of reappointment.  
   (d) 
    (c)  The advisory council shall meet with the office as
 needed   needed,  but not less than three
times a year. 
   (e) The members of the advisory council shall serve without
compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred
in the performance of their duties. 
    71362.   71360.   (a) (1) The office
shall coordinate with appropriate entities, including state,
regional, or local agencies, to establish a clearinghouse for climate
adaptation information for use by state, regional, and local
entities.
   (2) The clearinghouse shall be a centralized source of information
that provides  downscaled   available 
climate data to guide decisionmakers at state, regional, and local
levels when planning for and implementing climate adaptation projects
to promote resiliency to climate change. The clearinghouse 
shall include all   may include, but is not limited to,
any  of the following:
   (A) A collection of the best-available  science, 
 resources that may include  projections and models,
 and  vulnerability  assessments of
  assessments, and downscaled data for climate
change impacts throughout the  state   state,
when available,  at statewide, regional, and local levels for
both near-term and longer term timescales, including year 2050 and
year 2100 projections. Climate change impacts  shall
  may  include, but are not limited to, impacts to
public health, natural resources, environmental quality, and
infrastructure.
   (B) Tools that allow for the visualization or identification of
regional and local impacts across the state and that integrate
best-available data on vulnerable populations and infrastructure.
   (C) A library of relevant white papers, case studies, research
articles, and climate adaptation best practices that are searchable
by relevance to region, locality, and sector. 
   (D) Information concerning funding opportunities for adaptation
research, planning, and projects.  
   (E) Regionally prioritized best-practice adaptation projects that,
as appropriate, integrate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
across the state. 
   (b) The clearinghouse shall be regularly  updated with
relevant information to improve its functionality as a tool to guide
decisionmaking at state, regional, and local levels.  
updated.