Bill Text: CA AB2900 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Small agricultural truck fleet assistance program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-01 - In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file. [AB2900 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB2900-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 21, 2024 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2900
| Introduced by Assembly Member Soria |
February 15, 2024 |
An act to add Section 43021.5 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to air pollution.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2900, as amended, Soria.
Toxic air contaminant emissions: California’s central valley. Small agricultural truck fleet assistance program.
Existing law imposes various limitations on emissions of air contaminants for the control of air pollution from vehicular sources. Existing law generally designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency with the primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution. Existing law requires the board, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to allocate funds on a competitive basis for projects that are shown to achieve the greatest emission reduction from sources associated with the movement of freight along California’s trade corridors.
This bill would require the state board, in order to minimize the impact of the energy transition on the supply chains in the critical agricultural sector and ensure that disadvantaged communities equitably share in the benefits of and investments in emission
reductions, to establish the Small Agricultural Truck Fleet Assistance Program to provide dedicated technical and funding assistance, upon an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, to owner-operators or owners of small fleets to support the transition to cleaner emission-compliant trucks, as provided.
Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to establish airborne toxic control measures for toxic air contaminants, as provided.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to address toxic air contaminant emissions in California’s central valley.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee:Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Freight-related emissions, including heavy-duty motor vehicle emissions, comprise the majority of criteria pollutant and air toxics emissions, and contribute to community-level air quality-related public health impacts. Reducing emissions from this sector is critical to assisting areas of the state, including the San Joaquin Valley, attain public health-based air quality standards.
(b) Studies show that lower income households and people of color are more likely to be disproportionately impacted by transportation-related impacts.
(c) To reduce criteria and air toxics emissions, the state has adopted aggressive timelines for fleets to replace aging heavy-duty vehicles with cleaner vehicles.
(d) It is not economically viable for many owner-operators and owners of small fleets, including seasonal agriculture operators, to replace their heavy-duty vehicles with newer, cleaner equipment.
(e) Many seasonal use trucks used in agriculture owned by owner-operators and owners of small fleets face significant challenges in complying with the truck and bus regulation (Section 2025 of Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations).
(f) As the state transitions to zero-emission technologies, owner-operators and owners of small fleets are having difficulty obtaining the
significantly more expensive battery electric and other advanced heavy-duty motor vehicle technologies, and the associated fueling infrastructure.
SEC. 2.
Section 43021.5 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:43021.5.
In order to minimize the impact of the energy transition on the supply chains in the critical agricultural sector and ensure that disadvantaged communities equitably share in the benefits of and investments in emission reductions, the state board shall establish the Small Agricultural Truck Fleet Assistance Program to provide dedicated technical and funding assistance, upon an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, to owner-operators or owners of small fleets to support the transition to cleaner emission-compliant trucks, giving priority for near-zero-emission or zero-emission trucks as feasible.It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to address toxic air contaminant emissions in California’s central valley.
