Bill Text: CA SB306 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Senate Bill 306

Bill Title: Climate change: Equitable Building Decarbonization Program: Extreme Heat Action Plan.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-10-07 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 387, Statutes of 2023. [SB306 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SB306-Chaptered.html

Senate Bill No. 306

CHAPTER 387

An act to add Section 71361 to, and to add and repeal Section 25665.7 of, the Public Resources Code, relating to climate change.

[ Approved by Governor October 07, 2023. Filed with Secretary of State October 07, 2023. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 306, Caballero. Climate change: Equitable Building Decarbonization Program: Extreme Heat Action Plan.

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to establish the Equitable Building Decarbonization Program, which includes establishing a statewide incentive program for low-carbon building technologies and the direct install program to fund certain projects, including installation of energy efficient electric appliances, energy efficiency measures, demand flexibility measures, wiring and panel upgrades, building infrastructure upgrades, efficient air-conditioning systems, ceiling fans, and other measures to protect against extreme heat, where appropriate, and remediation and safety measures to facilitate the installation of new technologies. Existing law authorizes the commission to administer the direct install program through regional direct install third-party implementers, as specified. Existing law requires that the direct install program give preference to projects in buildings that meet specified criteria. The Budget Act of 2022 appropriated $112,000,000 from the General Fund for purposes of the Equitable Building Decarbonization Program.

This bill would require the commission, on or before September 1, 2024, and annually thereafter until the moneys described above have been expended, to submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature that includes information about the progress of the direct install program, including the selected administrators and implementers and implementation progress, as specified.

Existing law establishes the Office of Planning and Research in state government in the Governor’s office. Existing law establishes the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program (ICARP) to be administered by the office to coordinate regional and local efforts with state climate adaptation strategies to adapt to the impacts of climate change, as prescribed. The Budget Act of 2022 appropriated $50,000,000 for state operations or local assistance for the ICARP Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Grant Program.

This bill would require the office and the Natural Resources Agency, on or before July 1, 2026, and every 3 years thereafter, in consultation with relevant state agencies, to update the Extreme Heat Action Plan, as defined, to promote comprehensive, coordinated, and effective state and local government action on extreme heat, as provided. The bill would require the Extreme Heat Action Plan and subsequent updates to be posted on the office’s and agency’s internet websites and provided to the relevant fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Section 25665.7 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

25665.7.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, on or before September 1, 2024, and annually thereafter until all moneys appropriated in Items 3360-002-0001 and 3360-102-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2022, as amended by Chapter 249 of the Statutes of 2022, for the Equitable Building Decarbonization Program have been expended, the commission shall submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature that includes information about the progress of the direct install program, including the selected administrators and implementers and implementation progress, including, but not limited to, the number of residents and buildings provided low- and zero-cost projects, the number of each project type implemented, the estimated reductions of the emissions of greenhouse gases, and the locational distribution of the expenditures by county and region.

(b) (1) Upon the complete expenditure of all moneys described in subdivision (a), the commission shall notify the Secretary of State contemporaneously with the submission of the report required by subdivision (a) that includes information regarding the last expended moneys.

(2) This section shall become inoperative on the date the commission notifies the Secretary of State pursuant to paragraph (1) and is repealed on January 1 of the following year.

SEC. 2.

Section 71361 is added to the Public Resources Code, immediately following Section 71360, to read:

71361.

(a) On or before July 1, 2026, and every three years thereafter, the office and the Natural Resources Agency, in consultation with relevant state agencies and to be integrated into the climate adaptation strategy developed pursuant to Section 71153, shall update the Extreme Heat Action Plan to promote comprehensive, coordinated, and effective state and local government action on extreme heat. Updates to the Extreme Heat Action Plan shall include all of the following:

(1) Review of relevant actions and grants that state agencies have undertaken to mitigate extreme heat and implement the Extreme Heat Action Plan, including, but not limited to, an in-depth review of select programs and actions, including, but not limited to, the ICARP Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Grant Program, as described in Item 0650-101-0001 of the Budget Act of 2022, projects that use cool and reflective surfaces, and efforts to address extreme heat on California’s school campuses.

(2) A description of the resources, budget allocations, expenditures, and staff dedicated to addressing extreme heat.

(3) A review of state programs that address extreme heat to identify potential gaps or unmet needs in the state’s approach and that includes recommendations on ways to improve policies, programs, and interagency coordination.

(4) Recommendations on additional measures to protect vulnerable populations, such as pupils and students, from the impacts of extreme heat, including, but not limited to, community cooling strategies.

(b) The Extreme Heat Action Plan and subsequent updates shall be posted on the office’s and the Natural Resources Agency’s internet websites and, notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, shall be provided to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature.

(c) For purposes of this section, “Extreme Heat Action Plan” means the April 2022 plan entitled “Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat: A State Action Plan to Build Community Resilience.”