Bill Text: CA AB648 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: healthy forest and fire prevention: appropriation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2022-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB648 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AB648-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 648
| Introduced by Assembly Member Fong |
February 12, 2021 |
An act to amend Section 39719 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to forestry, and making an appropriation therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 648, as introduced, Fong.
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: healthy forest and fire prevention: appropriation.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include the use of market-based compliance mechanisms in regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board from a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available to the state upon appropriation by the Legislature. Existing law continuously appropriates 35% of the annual proceeds of the fund for transit, affordable housing, and sustainable communities programs and 25% of the annual proceeds of the fund for certain components of a specified high-speed rail project. Existing law also annually appropriates, through the
2023–24 fiscal year, $165,000,000 from the fund to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for healthy forest and fire prevention projects that improve forest health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by uncontrolled wildfires and $35,000,000 to the department for prescribed fire and other fuel reduction projects through proven forestry practices.
This bill would continuously appropriate, beginning in the 2021–22 fiscal year and ending in the 2028–29 fiscal year, $200,000,000 of the annual proceeds from the fund to the department for (1) healthy forest and fire prevention programs and projects that improve forest health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by uncontrolled wildfires and (2) prescribed fire and other fuel reduction projects through proven forestry practices consistent with the recommendations of the California Forest Carbon Plan, including the operation of year-round prescribed fire crews and implementation of a research and
monitoring program for climate change adaptation.
Digest Key
Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: YES Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 39719 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:39719.
(a) The Legislature shall appropriate the annual proceeds of the fund for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in this state in accordance with the requirements of Section 39712.(b) To carry out a portion of the requirements of subdivision (a), the annual proceeds of the fund are continuously appropriated for the following:
(1) Beginning in the 2015–16 fiscal year, and notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, 35 percent of the annual proceeds of the fund are continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, for transit, affordable housing, and sustainable communities programs as follows:
(A) Ten percent
of the annual proceeds of the fund is hereby continuously appropriated to the Transportation Agency for the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program created by Part 2 (commencing with Section 75220) of Division 44 of the Public Resources Code.
(B) Five percent of the annual proceeds of the fund is hereby continuously appropriated to the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program created by Part 3 (commencing with Section 75230) of Division 44 of the Public Resources Code. Moneys shall be allocated by the Controller, according to requirements of the program, and pursuant to the distribution formula in subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 99312 of, and Sections 99313 and 99314 of, the Public Utilities Code.
(C) Twenty percent of the annual proceeds of the fund is hereby continuously appropriated to the Strategic Growth Council for the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program
created by Part 1 (commencing with Section 75200) of Division 44 of the Public Resources Code. Of the amount appropriated in this subparagraph, no less than 10 percent of the annual proceeds of the fund shall be expended for affordable housing, consistent with the provisions of that program.
(2) Beginning in the 2015–16 fiscal year, notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, 25 percent of the annual proceeds of the fund is hereby continuously appropriated to the High-Speed Rail Authority for the following components of the initial operating segment and Phase I Blended System as described in the 2012 business plan adopted pursuant to Section 185033 of the Public Utilities Code:
(A) Acquisition and construction costs of the project.
(B) Environmental review and design costs of the project.
(C) Other capital costs of the project.
(D) Repayment of any loans made to the authority to fund the project.
(3) (A) Beginning in the 2020–21 fiscal year, and until June 30, 2030, 5 percent of the annual proceeds of the fund, up to the sum of one hundred thirty million dollars ($130,000,000), is hereby annually transferred to the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund established pursuant to Section 116766 for the purposes of Chapter 4.6 (commencing with Section 116765) of Part 12 of Division 104.
(B) Moneys transferred under this paragraph shall be used for the purpose of facilitating the achievement of reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in this state in accordance with the requirements of Section 39712 or to improve climate
change adaptation and resiliency of disadvantaged communities or low-income households or communities, consistent with Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500). For purposes of the moneys transferred under this paragraph, a state agency may also comply with the requirements of paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 16428.9 of the Government Code by describing how each proposed expenditure will improve climate change adaptation and resiliency of disadvantaged communities or low-income households or communities.
(4) Beginning in the 2021–22 fiscal year and until the 2028–29 fiscal year, notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) of the annual proceeds of the fund is hereby continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for either of
the following programs and projects described in Section 45 of Chapter 626 of the Statutes of 2018:
(A) Healthy forest and fire prevention programs and projects that improve forest health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by uncontrolled wildfires.
(B) Prescribed fire and other fuel reduction projects through proven forestry practices consistent with the recommendations of the California Forest Carbon Plan, including the operation of year-round prescribed fire crews and implementation of a research and monitoring program for climate change adaptation.
(c) In determining
the amount of annual proceeds of the fund for purposes of the calculation in subdivision (b), the funds subject to Section 39719.1 shall not be included.
