The Barbed Wire - March 2, 2018

NHF-Funded Veterans Apartment Complex Construction Completed

Last week, Volunteers of America Northern California and Northern Nevada provided RCRC affiliate National Homebuyers Fund, Inc. (NHF) a tour of the Bell Street Veterans Housing Project in Sacramento.  NHF contributed $320K to complete this project, providing 12 apartments for #homeless and low-income veterans.  Read More…

RCRC Sponsors Two Legislative Measures in 2018

RCRC is sponsoring two measures for the 2018 Legislative Session.  One of the measures is aimed at municipal responsibilities for local enforcement of cannabis regulatory functions, and the other would provide a personal income tax credit to firefighters who incur personal costs.  

Assembly Bill 2717, by Assembly Member Tom Lackey (R – Palmdale), would explicitly state that cities may contract with counties to arrange for fulfillment of regulatory functions within the incorporated area.  Current law gives cities and counties the authority to allow for licensed commercial cannabis activities.  In jurisdictions that allow for commercial cannabis activities, there are certain local regulatory functions that are devolved from the State and to be performed locally (inspection of weights and measures, various local environmental health duties, etc.).  Senate Bill 94, which was enacted last June, consolidated licensure and regulation for both medicinal and adult-use cannabis activities.  However, SB 94 left some ambiguity regarding which local government entity is responsible for certain regulatory functions for cannabis licensees within city limits.  AB 2717 is a compromise between cities and counties in clarifying the responsibility for regulatory functions. 

Assembly Bill 2727, by Assembly Member Heath Flora (R – Stanislaus), provides a tax credit to qualified firefighters for 80 percent of qualified expenses incurred during the taxable year, up to $1,500.  Often times, volunteer firefighters spend monies out of their own pocket for their safety equipment and training they are required to have.  Due to the costs associated with required firefighter training, fire equipment needs, it is becoming more difficult for these volunteers to continue their service and to recruit new volunteer firefighters to provide an adequate level-of-service in rural fire departments. 

The full text of AB 2717 can be accessed here. The full text of AB 2727 can be accessed here.

RCRC Vice Chair Testifies on Impacts of Wildfires on Local Communities

RCRC First Vice Chair Randy Hanvelt (Tuolumne) testified yesterday before the Senate Budget Fiscal Review Committee on the impacts of wildfires on local communities.  Supervisor Hanvelt’s testimony was part of an informational hearing on the devastating 2017 wildfires and how the state should handle fire prevention and forest management going forward. 

Supervisor Hanvelt specifically addressed the impacts of the 2013 Rim Fire on Tuolumne County, including the devastation of the ecosystem and what little has been done to aid in reforestation of the impacted forest since the fire took place.  He also addressed issues with coordination between state and federal responders, emergency notification problems, and the need for a more concerted effort to manage federal lands for greater fire resilience to prevent catastrophic events like the Rim Fire.

The hearing is just one piece of the Legislature’s efforts to address fire prevention and emergency response prevent the type of profound losses that occurred in the 2017 fires.  Several bills have been proposed to address various issues surrounding fire prevention, homeowners insurance cancelations in fire risk areas, emergency response, prescribed burning, and other components to help better manage wildfire risk and prevention in the future.

Senate Confirms Sierra County Supervisor Lee Adams to Commission on State Mandates

This week, the Senate Rules Committee confirmed the appointment of Sierra County Supervisor Lee Adams to the Commission on State Mandates (Commission).  The Commission’s primary responsibility is to hear and adjudicate local entities’ claims that allege the State has imposed a reimbursable state-mandated program on a county, city, school district, or community college district.  

“I appreciate the faith and trust of the Governor in my appointment to the Commission, and have found the work of the Commission fascinating over the past 8 months,” said Supervisor Adams.  “I equally appreciate this confirmation by the Senate and look forward to serving the public in  this role during the term of this appointment.”

Established in 1985, the Commission is a quasi-judicial body comprised of seven members – the State Controller, State Treasurer, Director of the Department of Finance, Director of the Office of Planning and Research, a public member with public finance experience, and two local elected official positions which are appointed by the Governor.  The public member and the two local elected officials are subject to confirmation by the State Senate and serve for a term of four-years.

In addition to the Commission’s primary responsibility, additional duties include the review of county applications for findings of significant financial distress.

Federal Infrastructure Update

This week, President Trump’s infrastructure package met resistance from the Republican chairmen of two committees with jurisdiction over infrastructure legislation. Representative Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota), Chairman of Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation, have concerns about the package’s current structure.  

The White House’s infrastructure proposal has not been written into legislation yet but Chairman Thune criticized the President’s “Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America,” a legislative blueprint released earlier this month, for creating new programs to steer federal funds rather than taking advantage of existing federal programs. Thune argues creating new programs, including a Rural Infrastructure Program, will lead to unnecessary bureaucracy, red tape, and confusion. Senator Thune’s preference is for an infrastructure bill that will utilize existing bureaucracy for infrastructure funding and steer federal funds through programs such as TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act), RRIF (Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing), INFRA (Infrastructure For Rebuilding America Grants), and PABs (Private Activity Bonds).

Chairman Shuster is skeptical of the effectiveness of the Administration’s proposed state incentives program which the President argues will deliver $1.5 trillion in total infrastructure spending over 10 years. The White House says that in order to receive federal funding under the new infrastructure package, state and local governments and investors will be required to provide more of their own funding.  Representative Shuster argues this plan leans too heavily on state and local governments for funding and says proposal will not work in states like his (Pennsylvania) where the government has already exhausted state infrastructure funds.

2018 Farm Bill Update

At a time in Washington where agriculture has seen its interests cast aside by President Trump’s trade agenda, lawmakers and lobbyists are preparing to authorize the 2018 Farm Bill ,which is set to expire by September 30, 2018.  

The politics of the midterm elections are expected to apply added pressure to lawmakers with rural and agricultural districts who will not want to upset voters with an underfunded Farm Bill. The House Agriculture Committee wrote a letter to the House Budget Committee this week requesting no more cuts to Farm Bill programs.

Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-Texas) released a statement accompanying the letter and he points out “Net farm income is down to the lowest level in 12 years… in the midst of a very tenuous agriculture economy, we need the flexibility to craft a budget-neutral Farm Bill that benefits producers and consumers alike.”

Agriculture Chairmen and Ranking Members in both houses of Congress are promising a Farm Bill that will closely resemble the final product of the 2014 Farm Bill but critics argue these programs will not be enough to address rural and agricultural America’s economic woes.

KEEPING UP

Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California's rural counties.

Deborah Bedwell, 65, of Granite Bay, has been reappointed to the 20th District Agricultural Association, Gold Country Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 2014. Bedwell was senior vice president and market manager at JP Morgan of Northern California from 2008 to 2011. She was senior vice president and division executive for Utah, Colorado and California at Washington Mutual from 1998 to 2008. Bedwell is president of the Friends of the Granite Bay Library Board and a past president of Soroptimist International of South Placer. She is a member of the Children’s Tumor Foundation Endurance Team. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bedwell is registered without party preference.

BeMichael Carson, 57, of Newcastle, has been reappointed to the 20^th District Agricultural Association, Gold Country Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2017. Carson has been an owner and operator at Gold Hill Gardens, B&B Inn and Event Center since 2013 and owner and consulting engineer at Michael Carson Development Incorporated since 2007. He was a project manager at JTS Communities Incorporated from 2000 to 2007. Carson is a member of the Gold Country Fair Heritage Foundation, Leadership Auburn Board of Regents, Auburn Chamber of Commerce and the Newcastle Community Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Carson is a Republican.

David Ebbert, 48, of Auburn, has been appointed to the 20th District Agricultural Association, Gold Country Fair Board of Directors. Ebbert has been an electric distribution supervisor at the Pacific Gas and Electric Company since 2010. He is a member of the Gold Country Fair Junior Livestock Auction Committee and the Gold Country Fair Heritage Foundation. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Ebbert is a Republican.

Samia Macon, 50, of Auburn, has been appointed to the 20^th District Agricultural Association, Gold Country Fair Board of Directors. Macon has been a self-employed large animal veterinarian since 2004. She earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Macon is a Democrat.

Anthony “Ray” Smith, 30, of Auburn, has been reappointed to the 20th District Agricultural Association, Gold Country Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2016. Smith has been a groundskeeper at Mike Carson Development since 2014. He was a pastry chef at the Winchester Country Club in 2014 and a shop manager at Royce Air from 2011 to 2013. He is a member of Leadership Auburn. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Smith is a Republican.

Bertheria Grady, 55, of El Dorado Hills, has been appointed chief deputy director of the California Office of Tax Appeals. Grady has served as director of the filing compliance bureau at the California Franchise Tax Board since 2011, where she has served in several positions since 2001, including director of the enterprise data management bureau, director of the audit administration and technology support bureau, director of the internal web and administrative systems bureau and director of the audit and filing compliance systems bureau. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $179,076. Grady is a Democrat. 

Mark A. Ralphs, 57, of Diamond Springs, has been appointed to a judgeship in the El Dorado County Superior Court. Ralphs has been an assistant public defender at the El Dorado County Public Defender’s Office since 2007, where he has served as a deputy public defender since 1997. He was a sole practitioner from 1990 to 1997. Ralphs earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Northern California School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Nelson K. Brooks. Ralphs is a Republican.

Kaleb V. Cockrum, 43, of Eureka, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Humboldt County Superior Court. Cockrum has served as interim public defender at the Humboldt County Public Defender’s Office since 2018. He served as supervising attorney in the Humboldt County Conflict Counsel’s Office in 2017, where he was a deputy public defender from 2004 to 2017. Cockrum earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from Andrews University. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Marilyn B. Miles. Cockrum is registered without party preference.

Douglas M. Prouty, 64, of Portola, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Plumas County Superior Court. Prouty has been a sole practitioner since 1990, primarily working as a contract public defender since 2001. He was owner and mediator at Timberline Mediation Services from 1994 to 2001. Prouty was an associate at the Law Offices of Robert F. French from 1987 to 1990 and at the Law Offices of James Paul Green from 1982 to 1987. He was a part-time attorney at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office from 1982 to 1983. Prouty is a member of the Plumas County Community Corrections Partnership Executive Committee. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the San Francisco Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dickinson College. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Ira R. Kaufman. Prouty is a Democrat. 

Jody M. Burgess, 44, of Redding, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Shasta County Superior Court. Burgess has been a partner at Burgess and Bogener since 2015. He was a partner at Maire and Burgess from 2007 to 2015, where he was an associate from 2002 to 2007. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Sacramento. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gregory S. Gaul. Burgess is a Republican.

Deborah Bedwell, 65, of Granite Bay, has been reappointed to the 20th District Agricultural Association, Gold Country Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 2014. Bedwell was senior vice president and market manager at JP Morgan of Northern California from 2008 to 2011. She was senior vice president and division executive for Utah, Colorado and California at Washington Mutual from 1998 to 2008. Bedwell is president of the Friends of the Granite Bay Library Board and a past president of Soroptimist International of South Placer. She is a member of the Children’s Tumor Foundation Endurance Team. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bedwell is registered without party preference.

Michael Carson, 57, of Newcastle, has been reappointed to the 20^th District Agricultural Association, Gold Country Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2017. Carson has been an owner and operator at Gold Hill Gardens, B&B Inn and Event Center since 2013 and owner and consulting engineer at Michael Carson Development Incorporated since 2007. He was a project manager at JTS Communities Incorporated from 2000 to 2007. Carson is a member of the Gold Country Fair Heritage Foundation, Leadership Auburn Board of Regents, Auburn Chamber of Commerce and the Newcastle Community Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Carson is a Republican.

David Ebbert, 48, of Auburn, has been appointed to the 20th District Agricultural Association, Gold Country Fair Board of Directors. Ebbert has been an electric distribution supervisor at the Pacific Gas and Electric Company since 2010. He is a member of the Gold Country Fair Junior Livestock Auction Committee and the Gold Country Fair Heritage Foundation. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Ebbert is a Republican.

Samia Macon, 50, of Auburn, has been appointed to the 20^th District Agricultural Association, Gold Country Fair Board of Directors. Macon has been a self-employed large animal veterinarian since 2004. She earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Macon is a Democrat.

Anthony “Ray” Smith, 30, of Auburn, has been reappointed to the 20th District Agricultural Association, Gold Country Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2016. Smith has been a groundskeeper at Mike Carson Development since 2014. He was a pastry chef at the Winchester Country Club in 2014 and a shop manager at Royce Air from 2011 to 2013. He is a member of Leadership Auburn. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Smith is a Republican.

Greg Herman, 52, of Tulelake, has been reappointed to the 10a District Agricultural Association, Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2012. Herman has been a member of the Lassen Canyon Nursery’s Macdoel management team since 2013. He served as agricultural commissioner and sealer for Siskiyou County from 2007 to 2013 and held several positions at the Siskiyou County Agriculture Department from 1992 to 1998, including assistant agricultural commissioner, deputy agricultural commissioner and agricultural biologist. He was feedlot operations manager at Swan Lake Feeders Inc. from 1992 to 1998. Herman is a member of Tulelake 4-H. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Herman is a Republican.

Rachel Misso, 67, of Tulelake, has been reappointed to the 10a District Agricultural Association, Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 2015. Misso served as a teacher at the Tulelake Basin Joint Unified School District from 1989 to 2012. She is a member of the Tulelake Area Service Club, Friends of the Modoc County Library, Tulelake Chamber of Commerce, Delta Kappa Gamma, Order of the Eastern Star and the Klamath Hospice, Inc. Board of Directors. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Misso is a Republican.

Laura Schaad, 26, of Tulelake, has been reappointed to the 10a District Agricultural Association, Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 2017. Schaad has been a fair entry manager at Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds since 2017 and business development marketing specialist at County Cork Collectibles since 2017, where she has held several positions since 2013, including media specialist, operations manager and store associate. She was a farm loan officer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 2015 to 2017, a universal banker at U.S. Bank from 2014 to 2015 and office assistant for the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair in 2011. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Schaad is a Republican.

Angela Sutton, 33, of Tulelake, has been appointed to the 10a District Agricultural Association, Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Board of Directors. Sutton has been an interpretive park ranger at Lava Beds National Monument since 2001. She is a member of the Tulelake Area Service Club and the Tulelake Revitalization Committee. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Sutton is a Republican.

BULLETIN BOARD

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

USDA Rural Business Development Grant Program Application

Click here

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

RCRC members are encouraged to share letters addressed to state and federal representatives and regulatory bodies with RCRC’s Government Affairs staff.  

Assembly Bill 924 (Bonta): Indian Tribes: Commercial Cannabis Activity.  Assembly Bill 924 would authorize the Governor to enter into agreements concerning cannabis activities on lands of federally-recognized sovereign Indian tribes. Status: AB 924 awaits consideration in the Senate Business, Professions & Economic Development Committee.  RCRC Position: Oppose

Assembly Bill 986 (Gallagher): Hunting and Sport Fishing Licenses.  Assembly Bill 986 would revise the duration of sport fishing licenses, and provide Veterans with a reduced-fee sport fishing license.  Status: AB 986 awaits action in the Senate.  RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 1250 (Jones-Sawyer): Counties and Cities: Personal Contract Services.  Assembly Bill 1250 would establish specific standards for the use of personal services contracts by counties.  Status: AB 1250 awaits consideration in the Senate Rules Committee. RCRC Position: Oppose

Assembly Bill 1772 (Aguiar-Curry): Fire Insurance Indemnity. Assembly Bill 1772 would extend the minimum limit during which an insured may collect the full replacement cost of a loss relating to a state of emergency to 36 months. Status:  AB 1722 awaits consideration in the Assembly Insurance Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 1875 (Wood): Residential Property Insurance.  Assembly Bill 1875 would require an insurer to offer extended replacement cost coverage when issuing or renewing a policy of residential property insurance, and requires the insurer to disclose the premium costs for extended replacement cost coverage. Status: AB 1875 awaits consideration in the Assembly Insurance Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 1886 (Carrillo): Payment of Expenses.  Assembly Bill 1886 would require the State to pay for the cost of special elections - proclaimed by the Governor - to fill a vacancy in the office of a member of the State Assembly, State Senate, or the U.S. Congress that has occurred after January 1, 2017. Status: AB 1886 awaits consideration in the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 1919 (Wood): Price Gouging: State of Emergency. Assembly Bill 1919 would make it a misdemeanor, upon proclamation or declaration of an emergency, for a person, business, or other entity to increase the monthly rental price advertised, offered or charged for residential housing to an existing or prospective tenant by more than a specified percentage or greater than the rental price advertised, offered, or charged by that person, business, or entity within 30 days immediately prior to the date of the proclamation or disaster. Status: AB 1919 awaits consideration in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2038 (Gallagher): Countywide drought and water shortage contingency plans. Assembly Bill 2038 would require the Department of Water Resources, in consultation with the State Water Resources Control Board and other relevant state and local agencies and stakeholders, to use available data to identify small water suppliers and rural communities that may be at risk of drought and water shortage vulnerability and requires the department to notify counties and groundwater sustainability agencies of those suppliers or communities. Status: AB 2038 awaits consideration in the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. RCRC Position: Watch

Assembly Bill 2050 (Caballero): Small System Water Authority Act of 2018.  Assembly Bill 2050 would create the Small System Water Authority Act of 2018 and state legislative findings and declarations relating to authorizing the creation of small system water authorities that will have powers to absorb, improve, and competently operate noncompliant public water systems. Defines various terms and requires a change in organization to be carried out as set forth in the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000. Status: AB 2050 awaits action in the Assembly.  RCRC Position: Watch

Assembly Bill 2166 (Caballero): California Farm Bill: agricultural technology. Assembly Bill 2166 would require the Department of Food and Agriculture to create a user-friendly navigational link on its Internet Web site that provides farmers and other members of the agricultural industry comprehensive information about regulatory requirements of, and guidance to, operating and managing a farm. Status:  AB 2166 awaits action in the Assembly. RCRC Status:  Watch

Assembly Bill 2727 (Flora): Personal Income Taxes: Volunteer Firefighters. Assembly Bill 2727 would authorize a tax credit for costs incurred by a qualified firefighter during the taxable year for firefighter expenses. Status: AB 2727 awaits action in the Assembly. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2966 (Aguiar-Curry): Disaster Relief. Assembly Bill 2966 would provide that the state share for the removal of dead and dying trees in connection with the Governor’s proclamation of a state emergency issued on a specific date is no more than 90 percent of total state eligible costs. Status: AB 2966 awaits action in the Assembly. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2975 (Friedman): Wild Scenic Rivers. Assembly Bill 2975 would take action to remove or delist any river or segment of a river in California that is included in the national wild and scenic rivers system and not in the state wild and scenic rivers system, requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, after holding a public hearing on the issue, to take any necessary action to add the river or segment of a river to the state wild and scenic rivers system and to classify that river or segment of a river. Status: AB 2975 awaits action in the Assembly. RCRC Position: Pending

Senate Bill 623 (Monning): Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund.  Senate Bill 623 would establish the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund.  SB 623 would provide grants, loans, or services to assist those without access to safe and affordable drinking water. Status: SB 623 awaits consideration in the Assembly Rules Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 919 (Dodd): Water Resources: Stream Gages. Senate Bill 919 would require the Department of Water Resources to develop a plan to deploy a network of stream gages that includes a determination of funding needs and opportunities for reactivating existing gages. Requires the Department to prioritize the deployment of stream gages based upon gaps in the existing system of gages and specified considerations. Status: SB 919 awaits consideration in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee.  RCRC Position: Watch

Senate Bill 930 (Hertzberg): Financial Institutions: Cannabis Senate Bill 930 would state the intent of the Legislature to establish a state-chartered bank that would allow a person licensed to engage in commercial cannabis activity to engage in licensed banking activities in California. Status: SB 930 awaits consideration in the Senate Rules Committee. RCRC Position: Support In Concept

Senate Bill 998 (Dodd): Water Shutoffs: Urban and Community Water Systems. Senate Bill 998 would require an urban and community water system as a public water system that supplies water to more than 200 service connections, to have a written policy on residential service shutoff available in specified languages of the people residing in its service area. Requires certain aspect to be available on its system web site and be provided annually to customers in writing. Status: Senate Bill 998 awaits consideration in the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee. RCRC Position: Pending

REGULATORY UPDATE

RCRC members are encouraged to submit comments on regulatory matters to state and federal regulatory bodies, and to provide a copy to RCRC’s Government Affairs staff.  

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Pertaining to Financial Assurance Mechanisms (FAMs).  The proposed amended regulatory language is intended to implement the updates to Public Resources Code Section 2774 based upon the statutory changes made by Assembly Bill 1142 (Grey, 2016) pertaining to Financial Assurance Mechanisms (FAMs).  AB 1142 requires the SMGB to formally adopt FAM forms by July 1, 2018.  Assurance mechanisms include, but are not limited to, surety bond forms, irrevocable letters of credit, and certificate of deposit establishment and encashment instructions.  Agency: Department of Conservation State Mining and Geology Board.  Status: The notice was released January 26, 2018, with comments due March 13, 2018.  The notice and draft forms can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments:  Staff is seeking input from member counties.  RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Pertaining to Amendments and Additions to the State CEQA Guidelines.  The proposed Guidelines for implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA Guidelines) reflect past legislative changes to CEQA, clarify certain portions of the existing CEQA Guidelines, and update the CEQA Guidelines consistent with past court decisions.  Agency: California Natural Resources Agency.  Status: The notice was released January 26, 2017 for a 45-day public comment period, which ends March 15, 2018.  Public hearings have been scheduled for March 14, 2018 in Los Angeles and March 15, 2018 in Sacramento.  Additional information and the proposed CEQA Guidelines can be accessed here.   RCRC Comments:  Staff is seeking input from member counties.  RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org

Assembly Bill 901 Proposed Reporting Regulations for Recycling, Disposal, and Enforcement:  Assembly Bill 901 (Gordon, 2015) established new requirements to address the lack of a formal reporting system on recycling, complete and timely data on disposal, and enforcement in order to measure statewide compliance with new statewide recycling goals and programs.  Agency: Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery Status:  Draft regulations were released January 26, 2017 for a 45-day public comment period, which ends March 14, 2018.  A public hearing has been scheduled for March 14, 2018 in Sacramento.  Additional information and draft regulations can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments:  Staff is seeking input from member counties.   RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org

Senate Bill 1383 Organics Diversion from Landfills Informal Draft Regulations.  Senate Bill 1383 (Lara, 2016) established methane emissions reduction targets in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) from various California sectors.  SB 1383 included goals of reducing organics from landfills by 50 percent in 2020 and 75 percent by 2025 from 2014 levels.  CalRecycle is in the process of developing regulations to implement SB 1383.   Agency: Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery Status: Four series of informal stakeholder workshops on concepts were held in 2017.  The first draft regulatory language was released October 25, 2017, with a fifth workshop.  The second informal draft is now expected by April 3^rd with the workshops re-scheduled for April 4^th in Sacramento and April 6^th in Carlsbad.  Additional information and draft regulations can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments:  Staff comments can be accessed here.  In addition, RCRC participated in two coalition letters that can be accessed here and here.  RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org