The Barbed Wire - February 18, 2022

February 18, 2022
RCRC Officers Visit Washington D.C.
Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 1707 (Boerner Horvath) – Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Property Tax Postponement Fund
RCRC Awarded Zero Emission Vehicle Grant Funding through VELOZ Partnership
White House Announces Electric Vehicle Charging Plan
Senate Majority Leader Schumer Asks Senators to Help Shape Marijuana Legalization Bill 
Senator Feinstein Urges Faster Processing of Firefighter Injury Claims
Partner Spotlight: County Medical Services Program
SPECIAL FEATURE! RCRC Digital Governance Series: If Phone and Internet Services Fail in an Emergency: 9 Preparation Strategies for Rural Counties
BULLETIN BOARD
IN THE NEWS
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

RCRC Officers Visit Washington D.C.

As is tradition, the RCRC Officers arrived in Washington D.C. late last week, prior to the convening of the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference, to hold meetings on Capitol Hill. RCRC Chair Dan Miller, First Vice Chair Doug Teeter, Second Vice Chair Chris Lopez, and immediate Past Chair Stacy Corless were joined by the NACo Western Interstate Region Representative, Matt Kingsley, as they met with members of the California congressional delegation, as well as key senior Administration officials from Department of Transportation; Department of Energy; and Department of Agriculture. The meetings focused on several important issues facing rural California, including: 

  • Deployment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funds in an equitable and expedient manner, with extended timelines for the expenditure of funds;  

  • The need for technical assistance, particularly for small counties that may not have internal resources to apply for funding opportunities; 

  • Broadband, electric vehicle, and water supply/treatment infrastructure needs; and 

  • Opportunities for further use of the Farm Bill’s Rural Development and Forestry Titles to increase the pace and scale of funding to rural communities. 

 

The RCRC team met with Senators Feinstein and Padilla, as well as with Congress Members Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), Costa (D-Fresno), Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove), Lofgren (D-San Jose), McClintock (R-Elk Grove), Thompson (D-Napa), Valadao (R-Hanford), and Vargas (D-San Diego). Generally, our key “asks” were well received and several offices reiterated that any specific earmarks (now known as Congressionally Directed Spending) for FY 2023 appropriations be sent to their office. The Team also met with USDA Forest Service Chief, Randy Moore, for robust discussion around California’s wildfire suppression and forest resiliency needs to protect our rural communities. 

Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 1707 (Boerner Horvath) – Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Property Tax Postponement Fund

RCRC has expressed support for Assembly Bill 1707, authored by Assembly Member Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Encinitas), which seeks to secure a permanent funding source for the Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Property Tax Postponement (PTP) Program.  

The PTP Program, administered by the State Controller’s Office, allows a person, under specified circumstances, to have the state pay their county property taxes in exchange for a lien on the home. That lien is removed when the home is sold, and the state is paid back out of the proceeds from the sale. The PTP Program is self-funded from repayments from previous program participants.  

The PTP Program is in jeopardy of being unable to fund all eligible applicants and cover its administrative costs as early as fiscal year (FY) 2023-24. To ensure the PTP program is able to meet the demand of all those who are eligible, the bill would require a transfer from the General Fund to the PTP fund on June 30, in years that the balance is less than $15 million, to maintain a long-term funding level of $15 million.  

AB 1707 enables the PTP Program to continue helping vulnerable populations and ensure counties continue to receive vital property tax payments that fund core public services. 

Read RCRC’s letter of support here. For additional information, contact RCRC Policy Advocate Sarah Dukett.

RCRC Awarded Zero Emission Vehicle Grant Funding through VELOZ Partnership

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) recently announced the awardees of their $5 million Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) consumer awareness grants, and RCRC was on a winning team. In addition to awardee Valley Clean Air Now, VELOZ will be receiving $2.5 million to expand their Electric For All campaign in hard-to-reach areas. During the past several months of RCRC’s ZEV infrastructure strategy development, RCRC has fostered a partnership with VELOZ and, as a result, will be a “sub-awardee” of these grant funds to assist its 38 member counties with in-depth information to support the roll out of ZEV infrastructure. Of the nearly 80,000 public charging stations in California, RCRC’s rural counties only have roughly 4,500 public charging opportunities, about 5.5%, in an area that covers close to two-thirds of the state geographically. RCRC’s combined efforts with VELOZ will be another step toward solving that infrastructure imbalance so ZEVs can be a viable transportation solution in rural and remote communities to better serve their residents, businesses, and visitors.

White House Announces Electric Vehicle Charging Plan

On February 10th, the White House announced a plan to use $5 billion from the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to build a national network of electric car chargers, largely along interstate highways, to accelerate adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs). This funding from the Departments of Transportation (DOT) and Energy (DOE) is part of the new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program established by the BIL, with California set to receive $56.8 million from the formula in Fiscal Year 2022. It is estimated that, over the next five years, $383.6 million will be available to California through this program. Alongside the announcement, the new Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, which has been created to facilitate collaboration between the DOT and DOE for the deployment EV infrastructure, also unveiled a website that helps provide technical assistance, data, and tools for planning and implementation.

Senate Majority Leader Schumer Asks Senators to Help Shape Marijuana Legalization Bill 

On February 10th, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), and Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) sent a “Dear Colleague" letter to fellow lawmakers requesting that they weigh in on a measure to federally legalize marijuana. The three Senators have stated their intention to officially file the bill in the coming weeks that “aims to right the wrongs of the past and ensure that the federal government is matching the advancements made in states across the country.” The 163-page draftCannabis Administration and Opportunity Act was first unveiled in July 2021. The proposal would remove cannabis from the federal list of Controlled Substances (also known as “descheduling” cannabis); expunge prior convictions; allow people to petition for resentencing; maintain the authority of states to set their own marijuana policies; and remove collateral consequences like immigration-related penalties for people who have been criminalized over cannabis.  

Senator Schumer has faced criticism from some advocates due to the time it has taken to get to this stage of the legislative process. In the “Dear Colleague” letter, the Senate majority leader and his two colleagues said they received more than 1,800 comments in response to their initial draft legislation “from a broad array of stakeholders…  In the weeks ahead, we will continue the work of incorporating these comments as we aim to introduce legislation soon that is as comprehensive and as reflective of as many relevant views and voices as possible,” they wrote. Now, the Senate trio says that in order to “appropriately address such a nuanced issue,” they are requesting input from leaders of “relevant committees” with jurisdiction on cannabis issues, as well as input from Senators “senators who have dealt with the challenges and realities of legalization in their own states.” 

Senator Feinstein Urges Faster Processing of Firefighter Injury Claims

On February 14th, Senator Dianne Feinstein led a bipartisan group of Senators calling on the Labor Department to expedite the creation of a special claims unit to handle firefighter compensation claims in advance of the 2022 wildfire season. Noting that federal wildland firefighters have reported difficulties in getting timely coverage of medical costs, and that firefighters who are diagnosed with certain cancers or other long-term illnesses associated with firefighting activities are refused coverage, the Senators called the handling of these claims “simply unacceptable—these firefighters put their lives at risk to defend American lives and property, and they deserve our support.”

Partner Spotlight: County Medical Services Program

The County Medical Services Program (CMSP) is increasing awareness about health care service programs available to low-income residents and RCRC is partnering to help spread the word. Operating since 1983, CMSP provides healthcare coverage options to low-income adults that may not be eligible for other public programs, regardless of immigration status. This coverage is available in 35 (primarily) rural counties throughout California (see map), most of which are RCRC member counties. The health benefits provided in CMSP’s programs include routine clinic visits and minor procedures, preventative health screenings, routine lab tests and adult immunizations, and prescription medications. Most benefits are available at no cost to members.

The CMSP Governing Board is comprised of County Supervisors, County Administrators, and Health Officials and Welfare Directors. CMSP has historically helped member counties meet their statutory requirements to provide health care for the indigent population. Most recently, CMSP has added a primary care benefit program called Connect to Care for low-income adults not enrolled in other health coverage. To ensure that counties are up to date on Connect to Care and the other CMSP program offerings now available to county residents, CMSP’s Executive Director Kari Brownstein is reaching out to CMSP member counties offering to provide a briefing at upcoming Board of Supervisor meetings. Counties interested in receiving a briefing on CMSP may contact Kari by email. Additional information regarding CMSP is available here with details on CMSP programs accessible here.

SPECIAL FEATURE! RCRC Digital Governance Series: If Phone and Internet Services Fail in an Emergency: 9 Preparation Strategies for Rural Counties

“Digital Governance” is a limited series, featured in RCRC’s Barbed Wire newsletter, to provide county leadership with essential guidance on information technology topics of key importance to local governments. Each month, Nevada County Chief Information Officer, Steve Monaghan, presents actionable direction on issues such as online service provision, cyber-risk reduction, rural broadband development, and more. In the third installment in this series, entitled “If Phone and Internet Services Fail in an Emergency: 9 Preparation Strategies for Rural Counties”, Monaghan details how emergencies can impact the core public communications channels relied upon and how counties can prepare for such occurrences. Read the article here.

BULLETIN BOARD

Announcements regarding hearings, grants, and public comment notices of importance to California's rural counties.

 

California Drinking Water Workshops – County Wide Regional Funding Solutions

The Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) and the California Water Board are offering a free training workshop intended to provide an overview of funding and resources available for counties to implement programs to address water quality and drought impacts to state small water systems and domestic well users within their jurisdiction. Participants will gain insight into programs that are currently being implemented to respond to persistent drought conditions; how to apply for available funding and assistance; and where to go for more information.  

Date: March 2, 2022 

Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 

Online Workshop 

Register here 

 
Date: March 4, 2022 

Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 

Online Workshop 

Register here

 

Grant Funding Available for Behavioral Health Projects

On January 31, 2022, the California Departments of Health Care Services and Social Services released Requests for Applications (RFA’s) for funding for behavioral health “launch-ready” projects AND capital expansion projects, as follows: 

  • $518.5M from Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) for expanding or developing infrastructure for behavioral health services; and 

  • $570M from Community Care Expansion (CCE) program for capital expansion of adult and senior care facilities that serve Supplemental Security Income / State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) and Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) applicants and recipients, and other adults who are experiencing or at risk for homelessness. 

The RFA’s are due by March 31, 2022. These funds are open to counties, cities, tribal entities, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, and private organizations whose projects reflect the state’s priorities. Additional information about the funding is available at the following locations by clicking on the respective links: 

 

Emergency Preparedness Summit 2022

Southern California Edison (SCE) in partnership with USC Price EXED Forum for Local Leaders, California Special Districts Association and Optimum Seismic present Emergency Preparedness Summit 2022. Join renowned industry experts and USC Price faculty to bridge the gap between theoretical learning and real-life experience, covering topics such as Cybersecurity; Infrastructure and Funding; Economics of a Disaster; Disaster Management Planning; and Earthquake Resilience.

When: February 25, 2022, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM
Cost: FREE
Location: Virtual
Register Here

 

Career Opportunities

County of Del Norte Seeks Deputy County Council

The County of Del Norte is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the position of Deputy County Council. The position closes March 4, 2022 at 5:00 PM. For additional information, see the job bulletin here.
 

Sierra Business Council

The Sierra Business Council is seeking to fill two positions in Government and Communications. See the links below for information about the open positions.

 

California Energy Storage Alliance 13th Annual Market Development Forum, March 1-2, 2022

The 13th Annual Market Development Forum of the California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA) is taking place March 1-2, 2022 in Berkely, California. The two-day event is a gathering of the energy storage ecosystem, including regulators, utilities, and CESA members, focused on how energy storage will support California's 2030 decarbonization and grid reliability goals. For more information, visit the CESA website here

 

CalRecycle to Host Webinar Providing Details on SB 1383 Changes to RDRS 

On Tuesday, March 1st, CalRecycle will host a second statewide webinar to provide additional details on changes to RDRS reporting requirements pursuant SB 1383. The webinar will highlight the entities and data required to be reported via RDRS to comply with SB 1383 regulations regarding organic material recovery, and provide screen-shots of the “Organic Measurement” section in RDRS where the data will be entered. This reporting will commence with the first RDRS reporting period for Transfer/Processors starting May 1, 2022, and every reporting period thereafter. 

Webinar Details
Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2022 
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 
Register here 

To watch the webinar only, you may use the customary webcast available on the CalRecycle website here. To submit questions prior to the webinar, send email to the SLCP inbox and indicate that the questions are for this webinar. 

Webinars are recorded and will be posted to the website as an implementation resource as soon as the materials are made ADA compliant. 

 

Public Participation Invited To Review PG&E’s Next Rate Increase

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced six upcoming public participation hearings to review and solicit input on PG&E’s 2023 General Rate Case application. Written public comments can also be made at any time here. These hearings will cover PG&E’s entire service territory, however, the March 10th hearing will focus on customers located in the San Joaquin Valley.

 WHEN:     Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 2pm and 6pm
                  Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 2pm and 6pm (San Joaquin Valley customer focus)
                  Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 2pm and 6pm

HOW:        1-800-857-1917. 
                  Passcode: 6032788# (English); 3799627# (Spanish). 
                  Press *1 to alert the operator you’d like to speak. 
                  To view live but not participate, please visit https://adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc/ at the times indicated.

 

USDOT Announces $1.5 Billion in Discretionary Grants Available for Local and Regional Infrastructure

The United States Department of Transportation released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $1.5 billion in grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program—originally created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as TIGER grants. RAISE grants can be used for a wide variety of projects and under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, RAISE expands the number of communities eligible for 100 percent federal share of funding, specifically those in rural communities, Areas of Persistent Poverty and Historically Disadvantaged Communities. To determine if a project location is considered as a Historically Disadvantaged Community, please use the tool available here. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. EST on April 14, 2022, and selections, which are vigorously reviewed and selected based on merit, will be announced no later than August 12, 2022. 

 

USDA Offers Rural Communities Financial Assistance for Renewable Energy Projects 

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the application window is now open for (competitive) Rural Energy Pilot Program grants. State, Local, Tribal and non-profit entities are eligible for up to $2 million over three years to support community-scale renewable energy projects in rural communities, with priority given to distressed and high-energy burden communities that spend a greater proportion on energy costs than the average U.S. household. Funds may be for planning, installing, equipping, and maintaining community scale distributed renewable energy technologies, systems and resources. For more information, see here. Letters of Intent are due on or before April 19, 2022, and completed applications are due no later than July 18, 2022.

 

Registration Open for 2nd Annual Virtual Statewide Conference on Illegal Dumping

The 2nd Annual Virtual Statewide Conference on Illegal Dumping is happening April 19-21, 2022 The Conference will begin at 9:00 AM daily. This virtual conference is free to attend and designed for elected officials, city and county staff, public works agency employees, community based organizations, faith groups, community members and anyone interested in illegal dumping, community beautification or blight removal. Registration is now open! See here to register or for more information.

 

California Air Resources Board Webinars on Regulatory Compliance Training

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is offering a variety of training webinars for regulatory compliance on issues affecting public fleets such as Off-Road Regulations, Truck and Bus Rules, and Diesel Truck Rules. 

The New Programs and Regulations course covers the requirements of existing regulations and then CARB's new regulatory programs that will eventually be in effect. The goals for this class are to cover the proposed program elements and elicit participation in the regulatory process.

Date:               March 31, 2022
Time:               1:00 p.m.
Webinar:         Register

The Compliance Overview: Truck & Bus Rule, Off-Road Regulation, and Portable Equipment course include the following topics:

Truck and Bus Regulation:

  • Regulation Applicability
  • Engine Model Year Schedule
  • Exemptions & Extensions
  • How to Report for Regulation Flexibilities
  • Broker and Dispatcher Requirements
  • DMV Registration

Periodic Smoke Inspection Program (PSIP):

  • Regulation Applicability
  • Program Updates

Advanced Clean Truck (ACT)

  • Manufacturers ZEV Sales Requirements
  • One-Time Reporting
  • Future ZEV Rules

In-Use Off-Road Diesel Vehicle Regulation:

  • Regulation Applicability
  • Requirements Currently in Effect
  • Future Compliance Deadlines

Portable Equipment Registration Program (PERP) & Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM):

  • PERP Eligibility
  • Program Requirements
  • ATCM Program & Updates
  • Enforcement & Inspections

Date:        March 17, 2022
Time:        1:00 p.m.
Webinar:   Register

 

PG&E Safety Net Program – How to File a Claim 

If you are a residential customer who has gone without power for at least 48 hours because of severe storm conditions, you may qualify for an automatic payment under our Safety Net program. This program provides a payment of $25 - $100, which we pay automatically about 60 days following the storm outage.  However, you may submit a claim if you believe that PG&E caused a loss for which you should be compensated. You can make this type of claim using various methods, but online is the fastest way for it to be processed.  

View this message from PG&E for details

 

Access the State Grants Portal for a Multitude of Funding Opportunities

Billions of dollars are up for grabs to public agencies and other entities, including tribes and businesses. Grant seekers can access a centralized portal of grant and loan opportunities here, or sign up to receive new grant opportunities delivered straight to your inbox. 

IN THE NEWS

RCRC press releases and related news clips about RCRC and our member counties. Please note that a subscription may be required to read some external publications.

 

‘Housing crisis in rural CA counties gets little attention' -Sacramento Bee

Sierra County Supervisor Lee Adams in a commentary to The Sacramento Bee discussing the housing crisis in rural counties.

 

California drought on course to break another record' -CalMatters

After record-setting storms in October and then December, the past six weeks — usually among the wettest months in California — have seen precipitation totals plateau at roughly half the yearly average in the state’s major watersheds.

 

'This is good fire: Controlled burn illuminates sky above Tulare County, preserves sequoia groves’ -Visalia Times Delta

Sequoia forest officials are intentionally burning hundreds of acres of land above Badger to protect giant sequoia groves and help remove thousands of dead and fallen trees from the landscape.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Information related to the current status of legislation impacting California’s rural counties.

AB 14   (Aguiar-Curry)   Communications: California Advanced Services Fund: deaf and disabled telecommunications program: surcharges.   Assembly Bill 14 establishes the State Department of Education in state government and vests the department with specified powers and duties relating to the state’s public-school system. This bill would authorize local educational agencies to report to the department their pupils’ estimated needs for computing devices and internet connectivity adequate for at-home learning.   Location: Assembly Chaptered   Status: 10/8/2021-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 658, Statutes of 2021.   Position:  Pending  Staff:  Tracy (1)

AB 32   (Aguiar-Curry)   Telehealth.   Assembly Bill 32 requires a health care service plan contract or health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2021, to specify that coverage is provided for health care services appropriately delivered through telehealth on the same basis and to the same extent as in-person diagnosis, consultation, or treatment.   Location: Senate 2 year   Status: 7/14/2021-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(11). (Last location was HEALTH on 6/9/2021)(May be acted upon Jan 2022)   Position:  Support  Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 215   (Chiu)   Planning and Zoning Law: housing element: violations.     Location: Assembly Chaptered   Status: 9/28/2021-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 342, Statutes of 2021.   Position:  Oppose  Staff:  Tracy (1)

AB 240   (Rodriguez)   Local health department workforce assessment.   This bill would require the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to contract with an appropriate and qualified entity to conduct an evaluation of the adequacy of local health department infrastructure, including an assessment of future staffing, workforce, and resource needs.   Location: Senate 2 year   Status: 8/27/2021-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(12). (Last location was APPR. SUSPENSE FILE on 7/5/2021)(May be acted upon Jan 2022)   Position:  Support  Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 522   (Fong)   Forestry: Forest Fire Prevention Exemption.   The Z’berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 authorizes the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to exempt specific forest management activities, including the harvesting of trees for the purpose of reducing the rate of fire spread, and duration, intensity, fuel ignitability, or ignition of tree crowns, known as the Forest Fire Prevention Exemption. Assembly Bill 522 extends the sunset of the Forest Fire Prevention Exemption to January 1, 2026 to aid forest landowners with wildfire prevention activities.   Location: Senate Rules   Status: 1/27/2022-Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.   Position:  Support  Staff:  Staci (1)

AB 537   (Quirk)   Communications: wireless telecommunications and broadband facilities.     Location: Assembly Chaptered   Status: 10/4/2021-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 467, Statutes of 2021.   Position:  Removal of Opposition  Staff:  Tracy (1)

AB 602   (Grayson)   Development fees: impact fee nexus study.     Location: Assembly Chaptered   Status: 9/28/2021-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 347, Statutes of 2021.   Position:  Oppose Unless Amended  Staff:  Tracy (1)

AB 759   (McCarty)   Elections: county officers.   Assembly Bill 759 would require an election for all county-wide offices (sheriff, assessor, district attorney, etc.) be held at the presidential general election. Initially, this bill only applied to the county sheriff but recent amendments expand it to all county-wide offices. In addition, this bill would require that these officeholder elections occur at the 2024 General Election thereby requiring affected officeholders to hold a two-year term (assuming election in 2022).   Location: Senate 2 year   Status: 9/10/2021-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(15). (Last location was INACTIVE FILE on 9/8/2021)(May be acted upon Jan 2022)   Position:  Watch  Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 870   (Santiago)   Hazardous materials: liens.   Provides that when the Department of Toxic Substances Control determines that a contaminated site must be remediated, and issues a cost estimate to the property owner for the estimated cost of remediation, the amount in the cost estimate shall constitute a lien on the property that takes priority over all other liens, including liens for local property taxes and special assessments.   Location: Assembly Dead   Status: 2/1/2022-From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.   Position:  Concerns  Staff:  John (1)

AB 925   (Dahle, Megan)   Sexual assault forensic examinations: reimbursement.   Would authorize the appropriate local law enforcement agency to seek reimbursement from the Office of Emergency Services, using the specified federal funds, for the cost of conducting the medical evidentiary examination of a sexual assault victim.   Location: Senate 2 year   Status: 8/27/2021-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(12). (Last location was APPR. on 6/29/2021)(May be acted upon Jan 2022)   Position:  Support  Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 989   (Gabriel)   Housing Accountability Act: appeals: Office of Housing Appeals.     Location: Senate 2 year   Status: 9/10/2021-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(15). (Last location was INACTIVE FILE on 9/10/2021)(May be acted upon Jan 2022)   Position:  Oppose Unless Amended  Staff:  Tracy (1)

AB 1001   (Garcia, Cristina)   Environment: mitigation measures for air and water quality impacts: environmental justice.   Modifies the California Environmental Quality Act by: 1) Requiring air and water quality impacts to a disadvantaged community to be mitigated in that community; 2) Requiring local agencies to give consideration to the principles of environmental justice by ensuring the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races, cultures, incomes, and national origins.   Location: Senate Rules   Status: 2/1/2022-In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.   Position:  Oppose  Staff:  John (1)

AB 1078   (Patterson)   Energy: building standards: photovoltaic requirements.   Exempts residential buildings damaged or destroyed in a disaster during the 2020 calendar year from having to install solar energy systems under the California Energy Commission’s recently adopted building requirements.   Location: Senate Desk   Status: 1/27/2022-Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 61. Noes 0.)   Position:  Support  Staff:  John (1)

AB 1124   (Friedman)   Solar energy systems.     Location: Assembly Chaptered   Status: 9/23/2021-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 235, Statutes of 2021.   Position:  Oppose  Staff:  Tracy (1)

AB 1154   (Patterson)   California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: egress route projects: fire safety.   Exempts from the California Environmental Quality Act secondary egress route projects undertaken by a public agency for a subdivision in a high fire threat area that was evaluated by the Board of Forestry.   Location: Senate Rules   Status: 1/27/2022-Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.   Position:  Support  Staff:  John (1)

AB 1218   (McCarty)   Zero-emission new passenger vehicle and light-duty truck goals.   AB 1218 would codify Governor Gavin Newsom's Executive Order N-79-20, which requires the California Air Resources Board to adopt measures to increase the number of zero emission vehicles sold in the state to reach a goal of 100% by the year 2035.   Location: Assembly Dead   Status: 2/1/2022-Died on third reading file.   Position:  Concerns  Staff:  Staci (1)

AB 1434   (Friedman)   Urban water use objectives: indoor residential water use.     Location: Assembly Dead   Status: 2/1/2022-From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.   Position:  Concerns  Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 1454   (Bloom)   The California Beverage Container and Litter Reduction Act.   Assembly Bill 1454 makes several changes to the Beverage Container Recycling Program, including creation of a new $25,000 startup loan for the creation of new recycling centers in unserved or underserved areas and increased payments to redemption centers with an even greater increase in rural areas.   Location: Senate 2 year   Status: 9/10/2021-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(15). (Last location was E.Q. on 6/16/2021)(May be acted upon Jan 2022)   Position:  Support  Staff:  John (1)

AB 1547   (Reyes)   Air pollution: warehouse facilities.   AB 1547 allows the Air Resources Board to regulate indirect sources of air pollution and requires local governments to undertake many other actions to identify and address the potential environmental impacts of warehouse development projects.   Location: Assembly Dead   Status: 2/1/2022-From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.   Position:  Oppose  Staff:  John (1)

AB 1608   (Gipson)   County officers: consolidation of offices.     Location: Assembly Local Government   Status: 1/14/2022-Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and PUB. S.   Position:  Pending  Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 1642   (Salas)   California Environmental Quality Act: water system well and domestic well projects: exemption.   Exempts from CEQA, vital projects to prevent or mitigate failure of a well that would leave residents without an adequate supply of drinking water. This exemption only applies to those wells in areas designated by the State Water Resources Control Board as being at high risk or medium risk in the state’s annual Drinking Water Needs Assessment.   Location: Assembly Natural Resources   Status: 1/20/2022-Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.   Position:  Support  Staff:  John (1)

AB 1644   (Burke)   Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: California Jobs Plan Act of 2021   The California Jobs Plan Act of 2021 requires the state board to work with the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to update, by July 1, 2025, Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund funding guidelines for administering agencies to ensure that all applicants to grant programs funded by the fund meet specified standards, including fair and responsible employer standards and inclusive procurement policies, as provided. Existing law exempts from these standards applicants for certain types of projects. This bill would exempt applicants for projects for healthy forest and fire prevention programs and projects, and the completion of prescribed fire and other fuel reduction projects from these standards.   Location: Assembly Labor and Employment   Status: 1/20/2022-Referred to Coms. on L. & E. and NAT. RES.   Position:  Support  Staff:  Staci (1)

AB 1717   (Aguiar-Curry)   Public works: definition.   Assembly Bill 1717 requires prevailing wage to be paid for public works projects funded by public dollars related to community wildfire prevention, vegetation management and fuels treatment.   Location: Assembly Labor and Employment   Status: 2/3/2022-Referred to Com. on L. & E.   Position:  Oppose  Staff:  Staci (1)

AB 1749   (Garcia, Cristina)   Community Air Protection Blueprint: community emissions reduction programs: toxic air contaminants and criteria air pollutants.   Prohibits approval or issuance of permits for projects that contribute to an increase in air pollutants or toxic air contaminants in a CalEnviroScreen disadvantaged community unless the agency finds that increased emissions caused by the project (combined with cumulative emissions from other sources) will not cause or contribute to additional negative public health impacts on individuals living and working in that community. Requires the state to identify measures to reduce criteria air pollutant and toxic air contaminant emissions in CalEnviroScreen disadvantaged communities.   Location: Assembly Natural Resources   Status: 2/10/2022-Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.   Position:  Oppose  Staff:  John (1)

AB 1814   (Grayson)   Transportation electrification: community choice aggregators.   Allows community choice aggregators to file applications with the state for approval of programs and investments to accelerate widespread transportation electrification.   Location: Assembly Print   Status: 2/8/2022-From printer. May be heard in committee March 10.   Position:  Watch  Staff:  John (1)

AB 1832   (Rivas, Luz)   Tidelands and submerged lands: hard mineral extraction.   Prohibits the State Lands Commission and local trustees of granted public trust lands from granting leases or issuing permits for extraction or removal of hard minerals (not including rock, gravel, sand, silt, and coal) from tidelands and submerged lands.   Location: Assembly Print   Status: 2/8/2022-From printer. May be heard in committee March 10.   Position:  Pending  Staff:  John (1)

AB 1952   (Gallagher)   Infill Infrastructure Grant Program of 2019.   Exempts from the California Environmental Quality Act projects funded by the $500 million set aside for the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program of 2019.   Location: Assembly Print   Status: 2/11/2022-From printer. May be heard in committee March 13.   Position:  Pending  Staff:  John (1)

AB 1956   (Mathis)   Solid waste: woody biomass: collection and conversion.   Creates a new grant program administered by CalRecycle to fund woody biomass collection and disposal by rural counties with a population of 250,000 or less.   Location: Assembly Print   Status: 2/11/2022-From printer. May be heard in committee March 13.   Position:  Pending  Staff:  John (1)

AB 2208   (Kalra)   Fluorescent lamps: sale and distribution: prohibition.     Location: Assembly Print   Status: 2/15/2022-From printer. May be heard in committee March 18.   Position:  Watch  Staff:  John (1)

AB 2258   (Wood)   Property Assessed Clean Energy program: wildfire safety improvements.     Location: Assembly Print   Status: 2/17/2022-From printer. May be heard in committee March 19.   Position:  Pending  Staff:  John (1)

AB 2374   (Bauer-Kahan)   Crimes against public health and safety: illegal dumping.     Location: Assembly Print   Status: 2/17/2022-From printer. May be heard in committee March 19.   Position:  Pending  Staff:  John (1)

ACA 1   (Aguiar-Curry)   Local government financing: affordable housing and public infrastructure: voter approval.   ACA 1 would lower the vote threshold to 55 percent for approval of local bonded-indebtedness and specially dedicated taxes imposed for specified uses.   Location: Assembly Local Government   Status: 4/22/2021-Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and APPR.   Position:  Support  Staff:  Tracy (1)

AJR 5   (Rivas, Luz)   Wild free-roaming horses and burros: protection: roundup moratorium.   AJR 5 would urge the federal government to declare a moratorium on all further wild horse and burro round-ups and would urge the United States Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service to introduce and support populations in areas of California where wild horses and burros were historically present.   Location: Senate Natural Resources and Water   Status: 8/25/2021-Referred to Com. on N.R. & W.   Position:  Oppose  Staff:  Sidd (1)

SB 4   (Gonzalez)   Communications: California Advanced Services Fund.   Senate Bill 4 would modernize and increase the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) by exploring ways to facilitate streamlining of local land use approvals and construction permit processes for projects related to broadband infrastructure deployment and connectivity.   Location: Senate Chaptered   Status: 10/8/2021-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 671, Statutes of 2021.   Position:  Support  Staff:  Tracy (1)

SB 11   (Rubio)   The California FAIR Plan Association: basic property insurance: exclusions.   Senate Bill 11, which would remove certain barriers to enable homes and structures used to conduct business on farmland to be covered through the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan.   Location: Senate Chaptered   Status: 7/23/2021-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 128, Statutes of 2021.   Position:  Support  Staff:  Staci (1)

SB 12   (McGuire)   Local government: planning and zoning: wildfires.   Senate Bill 12 requires that the Office of Planning and Research, among other things, 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, as provided. This bill would require the safety element, upon the next revision of the housing element or the hazard mitigation plan, on or after July 1, 2024, whichever occurs first.   Location: Assembly 2 year   Status: 7/14/2021-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(11). (Last location was H. & C.D. on 6/24/2021)(May be acted upon Jan 2022)   Position:  Pending  Staff:  Tracy (1)

SB 28   (Caballero)   Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006: deployment data.     Location: Senate Chaptered   Status: 10/8/2021-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 673, Statutes of 2021.   Position:  Support  Staff:  Tracy (1)

SB 37   (Cortese)   Contaminated Site Cleanup and Safety Act.   Senate Bill 37 eliminates the ability to use a “common sense exemption” under the California Environmental Quality Act for any projects undertaken at over 40,000 sites throughout the state that appear on the Cortese List of currently or formerly contaminated properties. Instead allows specified types of projects to use either a statutory or categorical CEQA exemption is certain circumstances are met   Location: Assembly 2 year   Status: 9/10/2021-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(15). (Last location was INACTIVE FILE on 9/8/2021)(May be acted upon Jan 2022)   Position:  Neutral  Staff:  John (1)

SB 38   (Wieckowski)   Beverage containers.   Replaces the existing Beverage Container Recycling Program (Bottle Bill) with a new recycling program administered by beverage container manufacturers and increases the CRV from $0.05 to $0.10 per container if the state fails to achieve specified recycling rates. Repeals the $10.5 million annually set aside for payments to cities and counties to address recycling and litter.   Location: Assembly Natural Resources   Status: 2/14/2022-From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. (Amended 2/14/2022)   Position:  Oppose Unless Amended  Staff:  John (1)

SB 54   (Allen)   Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act.   SB 54 requires manufactures of single-use, disposable packaging and food service ware to ensure that those products sold, distributed, or imported into the state are either recyclable or compostable.   Location: Assembly Desk   Status: 1/24/2022-Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 7.) Ordered to the Assembly. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.   Position:  Support In Concept  Staff:  John (1)

SB 213   (Cortese)   Workers’ compensation: hospital employees.     Location: Assembly Desk   Status: 2/1/2022-In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.   Position:  Oppose  Staff:  Sarah (1)

SB 284   (Stern)   Workers’ compensation: firefighters and peace officers: post-traumatic stress.   Establishes a workers’ compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers’ Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of employment.   Location: Assembly 2 year   Status: 9/10/2021-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(15). (Last location was INACTIVE FILE on 8/30/2021)(May be acted upon Jan 2022)   Position:  Oppose  Staff:  Sarah (1)

SB 286   (Min)   Elections: Orange County Board of Education.   Senate Bill 286 would require the top-two vote-getters seeking election to a county office to face-off in a General Election.   Location: Assembly Desk   Status: 1/26/2022-Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 30. Noes 7.) Ordered to the Assembly. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.  

SB 316   (Eggman)   Medi-Cal: federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics.     Location: Assembly 2 year   Status: 9/10/2021-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(15). (Last location was INACTIVE FILE on 9/9/2021)(May be acted upon Jan 2022)   Position:  Support  Staff:  Sarah (1)

SB 335   (Cortese)   Workers’ compensation: liability.   Senate Bill 335 prohibits a claim for workers’ compensation from being maintained unless within 30 days after the occurrence of the injury, the injured person, or in case of the death, a dependent, or someone on the injured person’s or dependent’s behalf, serves notice of the injury upon the employer.   Location: Assembly 2 year   Status: 7/14/2021-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(11). (Last location was INS. on 6/10/2021)(May be acted upon Jan 2022)   Position:  Oppose  Staff:  Sarah (1)

SB 359   (Caballero)   Climate change: Resilient Merced County Incentive Pilot Program.   Senate Bill 359 requires the Department of Conservation to develop and implement the Resilient Merced County Incentive Pilot Program to assist the County of Merced to develop and adopt a climate action plan through the use of a scenario-planning tool developed by the department and provide financial assistance to private landowners in implementing activities resulting from the use of the scenario-planning tool set forth in the adopted climate action plan.   Location: Senate Dead   Status: 2/1/2022-Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.   Position:  Pending  Staff:  Sidd (1)

SB 378   (Gonzalez)   Local government: broadband infrastructure development project permit processing: microtrenching permit processing ordinance.     Location: Senate Chaptered   Status: 10/8/2021-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 677, Statutes of 2021.   Position:  Pending  Staff:  Tracy (1)

SB 477   (Wiener)   General plan: annual report.     Location: Senate Vetoed   Status: 1/27/2022-Stricken from file. Veto sustained.   Position:  Oppose Unless Amended  Staff:  Tracy (1)

SB 832   (Dodd)   Water rights: measurement of diversion.     Location: Senate Natural Resources and Water   Status: 1/19/2022-Referred to Com. on N.R. & W.   Position:  Watch  Staff:  Sidd (1)

SB 833   (Dodd)   Community Energy Resilience Act of 2022.   Requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop and implement a grant program for local governments to develop community energy resilience plans.   Location: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications   Status: 1/19/2022-Referred to Com. on E., U. & C.   Position:  Pending  Staff:  John (1)

SB 953   (Min)   Oil and gas leases: state waters: State Lands Commission.   Requires the State Lands Commission to terminate all remaining oil and gas leases under its jurisdiction in tidelands and submerged lands within state waters.   Location: Senate Natural Resources and Water   Status: 2/16/2022-Referred to Com. on N.R. & W.   Position:  Watch  Staff:  John (1)

SB 1215   (Newman)   Battery and Battery-Embedded Product Recycling and Fire Risk Reduction Act of 2022.     Location: Senate Rules   Status: 2/17/2022-Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. Article IV Section 8(a) of the Constitution and Joint Rule 55 dispensed with February 7, 2022, suspending the 30 calendar day requirement.   Position:  Pending  Staff:  John (1)

SB 1235   (Borgeas)   Air pollution: portable equipment: emergency events.     Location: Senate Rules   Status: 2/17/2022-Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. Article IV Section 8(a) of the Constitution and Joint Rule 55 dispensed with February 7, 2022, suspending the 30 calendar day requirement.   Position:  Pending  Staff:  John (1)

SB 1256   (Wieckowski)   Waste management: disposable propane cylinders.     Location: Senate Rules   Status: 2/17/2022-Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. Article IV Section 8(a) of the Constitution and Joint Rule 55 dispensed with February 7, 2022, suspending the 30 calendar day requirement.   Position:  Watch  Staff:  John (1)