The Barbed Wire - March 31, 2023

RCRC Barbed Wire on Hiatus April 7th

The RCRC Barbed Wire will be on hiatus next week, April 7th. The California State Legislature adjourned for Spring Recess on March 30th and will return on April 10th. The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate will also be on recess, as lawmakers work in their states and districts for the next two weeks, returning to the Capitol on April 17th.

Action Requested – AB 1168 (Bennett) OPPOSITION

RCRC, along with a coalition of county and medical service partners, strongly oppose Assembly Bill 1168, authored by Assembly Member Steve Bennett. As recently amended, AB 1168 seeks to overturn an extensive statutory and case law record that has repeatedly affirmed county responsibility for the administration of emergency medical services and with that, the flexibility to design systems to equitably serve residents throughout their jurisdiction. 

AB 1168 undoes years of litigation and agreements between cities and counties regarding the provision of emergency medical services and as drafted causes a great deal of uncertainty for counties who are the responsible local government entity for providing equitable emergency medical services for all of their residents. As drafted, cities and fire districts could opt to back out of longstanding agreements with counties; counties would then be forced to open up already complex ambulance contracting processes while scrambling to provide continued services to impacted residents. Unfortunately, this measure creates a system where there will be haves and have nots – well-resourced cities or districts will be able to provide robust services whereas disadvantaged communities, with a less robust tax base, will have a patchwork of providers – the very problem the EMS Act, passed over 40 years ago, intended to resolve. 

RCRC is deeply alarmed by AB 1168 and the effort by the bill’s sponsors to dismantle state statute, regulations, and an extensive body of case law regarding the local oversight and provision of emergency medical services in California.  

We urge all counties to oppose AB 1186 because it would create a fragmented, inequitable patchwork of EMS medical practices (download sample letter here). The coalition's opposition letter is available here. AB 1168 will be heard in Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday, April 11th. For questions, or to provide RCRC with a copy of your opposition letter, please contact Policy Advocate Sarah Dukett. 

Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 1448 (Wallis) - Cannabis: Enforcement by Local Jurisdictions

RCRC is sponsoring Assembly Bill 1448, authored by Assembly Member Greg Wallis, which enhances local enforcement mechanisms against unlicensed cannabis activities.

Specifically, AB 1448 would provide tools at the local level to act against persons that have aided and abetted unlicensed cannabis activity. This measure would establish a local administrative penalty process specific to cannabis violations that (1) allows local jurisdictions additional flexibility regarding penalty process and amounts; (2) streamlines appeals and judicial review; (3) facilitates collection of final penalty amounts through judgment and lien mechanisms similar to those used for pesticide violations. The bill would also revise the Business and Professions Code to authorize the recovery of penalties through local administrative processes, and would allow a 50/50 state-local split of the statutory penalties recovered in actions brought by local jurisdictions, as originally enacted by the Legislature in the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act. Revenues from these actions would provide a much-needed source of funds to reinvest in illicit cannabis enforcement.

Counties wishing to support this legislation may use the draft support letter available for download here.

AB 1448 has been set for hearing on April 11^th, in the Assembly Business and Professions Committee. RCRC’s letter is available here. For more information, please contact Sarah Dukett, RCRC Policy Advocate.

Assembly and Senate Environmental Committees Advance Helpful Legislation

In the last week of March, the Legislature’s environmental committees advanced a number of bills that are helpful for rural communities and local governments. 

The Natural Resources committee approved RCRC-sponsored AB 909 (Hoover, R-Folsom), which expands CalRecycle’s existing Solid Waste Disposal Cleanup Program to fund the cleanup and proper disposal of illegally dumped hazardous waste and household hazardous waste.    

The committee also passed AB 692 (Patterson, R-Fresno) that seeks to create a new CEQA exemption for the creation of secondary egress routes in high fire risk areas.  RCRC sponsored a similar measure last year (AB 1154 (Patterson)) that stalled in the Legislature.  It also passed AB 297 (Fong, R-Bakersfield) which extends the CAL FIRE’s ability to offer advance payments of up to 25 percent of the total grant reward from its Wildfire Prevention Grants program to January 1, 2034.  AB 998 (Connolly, D-San Rafael) passed the committee and now goes to the Utilities and Energy Committee for consideration.  This bill would require the Energy Commission to evaluate the potential to upgrade existing (and repower shuttered) biomass conversion facilities.  The committee passed, but narrowed applicability of AB 704 (Patterson), which exempts wildfire rebuilds from the new Energy Commission solar roof mandate.  A similar exemption for homes destroyed during pre-2020 wildfires expired on January 1 of this year.  Governor Newsom vetoed a similar measure last year. 

On the Senate side, the Environmental Quality Committee approved Senate Bill 642 (Cortese, D-San Jose) that RCRC is sponsoring in conjunction with Santa Clara County and the California State Association of Counties.  SB 642 allows county counsels to enforce against violations of the state’s underground storage tank, aboveground storage tank, medical waste, and hazardous materials business plan laws.   

The Environmental Quality Committee also approved SB 665 (Allen, D-Santa Monica) that avoids future local government solid waste management challenges by working to proactively to avoid regrettable substitutions as newer packaging materials and types are introduced into the marketplace.   

In addition, the committee approved a narrowed version of SB 861 (Dahle, R-Bieber), which shortens the litigation review period for CEQA actions brought challenging water conveyance or storage projects.  As approved, the bill only applies to five of the seven projects approved by the California Water Commission for Proposition 1 water bond funding, including:  Chino Basin Conjunctive Use Environmental Water Storage/Exchange Program in San Bernardino County, Harvest Water Program in Sacramento County, Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project in Kern County, Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project in Contra Costa County, and the Willow Spring Water Bank Conjunctive Use Project in Los Angeles County.  Despite the author’s objection, the committee excluded from the bill the Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project in Santa Clara County and the Sites Reservoir Project in Colusa County. 

Finally, the Environmental Quality Committee rejected SB 794 (Niello, R-Fair Oaks) that would expedited resolution of CEQA litigation for commercial, housing, and public works projects that address longstanding local needs and which would have shed more light on who contributes money to CEQA litigation.  Despite rejecting SB 794, the committee previously approved SB 393 (Glazer, D-Contra Costa) that requires disclosure of persons who contribute more than $5,000 towards the cost of CEQA litigation challenging housing projects. 

RCRC’s support letters can be found here.  For more information, please contact RCRC Policy Advocates, John Kennedy or Staci Heaton. 

Large Investor-Owned Utilities Release 2023-2025 Wildfire Mitigation Plans

On Monday, large investor-owned utilities (IOUs), including PG&E and Southern California Edison (SCE), filed comprehensive 2023-2025 Wildfire Mitigation Plans (WMPs) with regulators at the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety (Energy Safety). These Plans describe how the respective utility is constructing, maintaining, and operating its lines and equipment to minimize the risk of their assets igniting a catastrophic wildfire, as well as the respective costs to conduct such activities.   

Notably, PG&E intends to underground 2,100 miles of powerlines, mostly in high-risk areas, between 2023-2026. Additionally, PG&E favors its Enhanced Powerlines Safety Settings (EPSS) program to address vegetation risk over the Enhanced Vegetation Management program, which is now broken up into three separate vegetation management initiatives. SCE proposes to continue its key grid hardening strategies of installing covered conductor (or “tree wire”), prioritizing high fire threat areas or areas at risk of a Public Safety Power Shut-off (PSPS). By the end of 2025, SCE estimates covered conductor will have replaced 75% of its overhead powerlines in high-risk areas. To view these plans in full, please see the Energy Safety Docket here. 

Energy Safety will announce an upcoming technical workshop for stakeholders (including public agencies and members of the public) to ask questions directed at the large IOUs on their WMP initiatives. Energy Safety has primary responsibility to evaluate these Plans and determine compliance, while the California Public Utilities Commission “ratifies” Energy Safety’s final approval of these plans as well as reviews the reasonableness of the costs in each utility’s General Rate Case (GRC). Written public comments are due by May 26th. On May 8th, Small and Multi-Jurisdictional Utilities (SMJUs)—which include Liberty Utilities and PacifiCorp—will file their 2023-2025 comprehensive WMPs with a similar public vetting process to follow.  

For more information or to send feedback on these WMPs, please contact RCRC Policy Advocate Leigh Kammerich.  

Members of Congress Call on Army Corps of Engineers to Provide Emergency Assistance for Pajaro Amid Devastating Flooding

On March 28th, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein, and Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Monterey) sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) urging them to accelerate construction of the federally authorized project to repair the levee and to provide emergency repairs and response for the towns of Pajaro (Monterey County) and Watsonville (Santa Cruz County). The towns suffered significant flooding after the levee experienced a serious failure on March 11th. In their letter, the lawmakers request that the Corps provide emergency funds for rehabilitation to rebuild the levees to meet higher performance standards, expedite the administrative process to make the $149 million in construction funding more immediately available, and provide additional federal construction funds to fund this project to completion and to allow for a “design-build.”  

Bipartisan, Bicameral Wildfire Caucus Launched in the 118th Congress

On March 24th, U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Steve Daines (R-Montana) joined with Representatives Joe Neguse (D-Colorado) and John Curtis (R-Utah) to launch of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus in the 118th Congress. Created after record-breaking wildfires across the Western United States, the caucus membership includes Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), Jim Costa (D-Fresno), John Garamendi (D-Solano), Josh Harder (D-Stanislaus), Jared Huffman (D-Marin), Darrell Issa (R-Vista), Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego),  Doug LaMalfa (R-Butte), Jay Obernolte (R-San Bernardino), Jimmy Panetta (D-Monterey), Scott Peters (D-La Jolla), Katie Porter (D-Irvine), Neil Dunn (R-Florida), Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), Cliff Bentz (R-Oregon),  Blake Moore (R-Utah), Burgess Owens (R-Utah), Chris Stewart (R-Utah), Dan Newhouse (R-Washington),  and Kim Schrier (D-Washington); additional members are required to join in equal, bipartisan pairs.   

The Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus:  

• Advocates for wildfire-related programs, including funding for disaster relief, prevention and mitigation; 

• Shares federal relief programs and resources with communities before, during and after wildfire season; and 

• Highlights balanced and bipartisan science-based wildfire management and mitigation proposals in Congress. 

RCRC 2022 Rural Recap Available Online!

RCRC’s 2022 Rural Recap is now available online! The Rural Recap is prepared for the RCRC Board of Directors to highlight significant actions taken on issues impacting California’s rural counties, and to outline key advocacy efforts engaged in by RCRC staff on behalf of California's rural communities. It also serves as an informational piece during legislative visits and events with other organizations throughout the year. Read the 2022 Rural Recap here.

RCRC AFFILIATE ENTITIES

A monthly update regarding the important work of RCRC's affiliated entities, providing innovative services for the benefit of rural communities.

Golden State Natural Resources Update

As design and CEQA decisions shift into high gear Golden State Natural Resources (GSNR) staff has been on the road working with forest industry land managers, private forest owners and the full cross section in-forest workers and truckers. Team members participated in conferences in Reno, Anderson, and Ukiah specifically for those professionals who actually do the logging and thinning. The team continues to develop valuable relationships which will assist in growing the workforce needed to make GSNR successful in its mission to dramatically expand the acres of California forest treated for forest health and sustainability. 

Team members have also begun a concerted effort to engage tribal representatives in the GSNR planning and scoping process. Information and experience from the tribes, Resource Conservation Districts and Fire Safe Councils is invaluable as we grow partnerships which actually allow all parties to further their mission.

GSNR has become an active member in CA Forestry Association and American Forestry Resource Council (AFRC), two of the country’s premier voices for sustainable forest management.

BULLETIN BOARD

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

Broadband for All, Digital Equity, and BEAD Regional Planning Workshops in the San Joaquin Valley

The San Joaquin Valley Regional Broadband Consortium (SJVRBC) and Central Valley Higher Education Consortium are part of the State Digital Equity team led by the State of California, the Department of Technology, and the California Public Utilities Commission. Organizations and local communities are invited to take another step toward creating an equitable digital future by making their voices heard at the Broadband for All, Digital Equity, and BEAD Planning Workshops.

Upcoming Workshops
Date: Friday, April 14
Time: 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Location: Merced College Library -  3600 M Street Merced, CA 95348
Register Here!

Date: Saturday, April 15
Time: 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Location: Fresno City College (Old Administration Building – Cafeteria) 1101 E University Ave Fresno, CA 93741
Register Here!  

CPUC To Host Public Forums on Telecommunications Service Quality Standards

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is requesting public and customer feedback on telephone, mobile voice, and Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers. Specifically, the CPUC, through a proceeding RCRC is formally participating in, is considering expanding service quality rules currently in place for landline telephone service only to other telecommunications services, such as VoIP/internet phone, wireless phones, and internet/broadband services. The goal of the proceeding and these public comment forums are to assess whether existing rules meet the current needs of Californians and will consider expanding reliability standards for customers to access emergency services, public health, education, and other resources.

WHEN:                  Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 2pm and/or 6pm
                              Thursday, May 3, 2023 at 2pm and/or 6pm

WHERE:                1-800-857-1917, passcode 1767567#; (for Spanish, please use passcode 3799627#). To view a video broadcast only, visit www.adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc.

Written public comments are accepted on an ongoing basis through the proceeding’s docket, see here.

USDA Grants Available to Help Rural California Repair Their Homes Damaged By Floods and Fires in 2022

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announces the availability of grants to help people repair their homes that were damaged by severe weather or natural disasters in 2022, including the California Mosquito, Oak, Coastal, Fairview, and Mill fires as well as severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides.

People living in identified counties in California may be eligible for the funding. The homes must be located in presidentially declared disaster areas.

The grants will be available through supplemental disaster funding under the Rural Disaster Home Repair Grant Program. Through this program, people may apply to receive grants of up to $40,675 directly from USDA to repair their homes.

Funds will be available until expended. They may be used to:

• Pay for home repair expenses that were a result of a presidentially declared disaster in calendar year 2022.
• Prepare a site for a manufactured home.
• Relocate a manufactured home.

To be eligible:

• Applicants must have household incomes that do not exceed the low-limits based on their household size and county.
• Homes must be located in an eligible rural area.
• Homes must be located in a presidentially declared disaster areas 2022.

Residents in the following counties may be eligible for the funding: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, and Yolo

For more information on how to apply, visit the USDA website here.

Cannabis Grant Applications Now Open for Local Jurisdictions

The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) has announced a Retail Access Grant to provide resources for local governments to develop and implement cannabis retailer licensing programs. This funding can be used by counties that currently do not have a cannabis retail licensing program to comply with SB 1186, with funding (ranging from $100,000 to $325,000) awarded based on population and can be used for personnel costs (such as salary and benefits for local government staff), permitting expenses (e.g. software costs), environmental reviews and other uses. The grant guidelines may be found here, and Phase 1 applications ($10 million total) are due by 5pm on April 28, 2023.   DCC is providing “priority review points” to cities or counties in the following RCRC grant-eligible counties: Amador, Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Madera, Placer, San Benito, Sutter, Tehama, and Yuba.  

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced over $20 million is available in 2022-23 for Cannabis Restoration Grants, including to support the cleanup, remediation, and enhancement of watersheds and wildlife habitats impacted by illicit cannabis cultivation. CDFW is accepting grant proposals from eligible applicants, such as counties, on a rolling basis until funding is exhausted. Project types may include, for example, cleanup and remediation of impacts on (qualified) public land and private land, decommissioning roads, upgrading road crossings, upgrading culverts, and other projects that minimize erosion and sediment delivery, increase water conservation, and/or enhance biodiversity and wildlife habitat. Program guidelines can be viewed here; for more information, see here. 

Upcoming PG&E Wildfire Safety Webinars

PG&E hosts online webinars throughout each year for anyone who is interested in learning more about the Community Wildfire Safety Program. These virtual gatherings allow community members to learn more about wildfire safety and emergency preparedness, meet with PG&E representatives, ask questions and share feedback. For anyone who is not able to join a live webinar, presentations and video recordings of our past webinars are available on the PG&E website here. 

The next webinar is scheduled for April 13, 2023 (Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo Counties)

Join webinar 
Attendee Dial In:  1-888-790-1836
Conference ID: 7108900

Training: Land Use Planning for Wildfire (Free!) 

The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection announces the launch of the CAL FIRE / Office of the State Fire Marshal’s Introduction to Land Use Planning for Wildfires in California Trainings.  

These free, all-day, in person trainings are open to land use planners, fire marshals, fire chiefs, fire mitigation specialists, building officials, and other professionals from government agencies and the private sector engaged in planning, policy, development review and/or approval activities in California. 

The following is a list of upcoming trainings across the state. 

• April 18, 2023 – Del Rey 
• April 20, 2023 – Los Osos 

Space is limited. For more information and to register, see here. 

view flyer

Career Opportunities

Mendocino County (NEW!)

• Environmental Health Technician $46,072.00 - $56,035.20 Annually; apply by 4/3/23
• Environmental Health Specialist I/II – $55,993.60 - $75,067.20 Annually; apply by 4/6/23

For full job descriptions and application, please direct candidates to www.governmentjobs.com/careers/mendocinoca

Sierra County

• The County of Sierra is seeking a Director of Health and Social Services, responsible for the management and administration of Department of Health and Social Services.  A full description and qualifications are available here. For more information, visit the county website here or call (530) 289-2879.
• The Sierra County Department of Transportation is recruiting for a Transportation Planner II or III, depending on qualifications. This position is open until filled. For more information, see the county website here or call 530-289-2879

Tuolumne County

• Tuolumne County Public Works is seeking an experienced integrated waste professional with extensive knowledge of environmental regulations and compliance to oversee the collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste and hazardous materials, provide public outreach and training, promote recycling programs, maintain two closed landfills, and negotiate and monitor contracts for environmental and landfill services. The Director of Solid Waste, as a key member of the management team, will oversee a staff of four and provide expert advice and support to the Director, Board members, and the community.  Bachelor’s degree and three years’ experience in solid waste management with two years at a supervisory or higher level. Flexible schedule 90/8 or 20%-40% telework considered for right candidate. Position is open until filled. EOE For additional details, see here.

Yolo County

• The County of Yolo is recruiting to fill one (1) regular, full-time position in the class of Public Information Officer (PIO) at the County Administrator's Office. The role of the Public Information Officer is to manage the County’s communications with the public through press releases, social media, videos, live media and the County website. The PIO informs and engages the community and other stakeholders regarding County activities, services, and strategies.  The PIO also functions as the County Spokesperson which requires knowledge of County programs and policies. As a member of the County Emergency Operations Center personnel, the PIO also acts in a lead capacity in disseminating information during an emergency. The full job announcement can be found here. This position is open until filled.

CMSP Offering Healthcare Infrastructure Development Matching Grant

The CMSP Healthcare Infrastructure Development Matching Grant program (HID Matching Grant) will help CMSP counties and non-profits contracted with CMSP counties to expand their physical capacity to provide healthcare and behavioral health services by providing required local level match funds for state, federal or other infrastructure grants.  Up to $10 Million may be awarded!  Awards range up to $500,000 for projects serving a single CMSP county and up to $ 1,000,000 for projects serving multiple CMSP counties. HID Matching Grant applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, beginning February 1, 2023 through June 1, 2023.   Applications will be considered as they are received and will be submitted to the Governing Board for consideration at an upcoming regularly scheduled public meeting of the Board. Completed applications must be submitted to grants@cmspcounties.org by June 1, 2023. To learn full program details and requirements, or to download an application, visit the CMSP website here.

Institute for Local Government Launches New Digital Planning Commissioner Handbook & Regional Trainings

The Institute for Local Government (ILG) recently released an updated version of their Planning Commissioners Handbook. This handbook is designed to support planning commissioners, their staff, and other officials interested in land use and planning; to help local officials understand the planning process; and provide a glimpse of some potential planning challenges commissioners may experience during their terms. The handbook describes the major terms, plans, and policies that make up the framework of local planning, as well as typical stakeholders in the process and the basics of reviewing applications for development.

In conjunction with this release, ILG is hosting regional training sessions for planning commissioners. These interactive sessions will take place in person at various locations throughout the state and will cover topics such as the role of a planning commission, how to work effectively with staff and the governing board, effective community engagement, CEQA basics, required planning documents, and local and regional planning challenges and opportunities. Each session will give participants the opportunity to engage with experts in the field and fellow planning commissioners to hear best practices, emerging trends, and lessons learned. All sessions are FREE but space is limited and registration is required. Find a full schedule and register here.

Next Trainings: Tehama, Glenn, Butte, Colusa, Yuba and Sutter Counties, POSTPONED to April 14, 2023

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

KEEPING UP

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

Laurence J. Adams, of Sonoma, has been reappointed to the Board of Chiropractic Examiners, where he has served since 2020. Adams has been a self-employed Chiropractor since 1996 and has been Team Chiropractor and Head Trainer for the Sonoma Stompers Professional Baseball Team since 2015. Adams was a Missionary in Nashville, Tennessee from 1986 to 1988. He is a member of the California Chiropractic Association and serves as a Regional Director on the Board. Adams earned a postdoctoral degree in chiropractic neurology from the Carrick Institute and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life Chiropractic College West. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Adams is a Republican.

Steve Barzo, of Woodland, has been appointed to the 40th District Agricultural Association, Yolo County Fair Board. Barzo served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Woodland from 2001 to 2016. He was a Management Services Officer for ROTC at the University of California, Davis from 1984 to 2011. Barzo served in the U.S. Army from 1963 to 1984. He is President at Kiwanis International-Woodland. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Barzo is a Democrat.     

Jeffrey Billett, of Cambria, has been appointed Medical Director of Coalinga State Hospital at the Department of State Hospitals. Billett has been a Psychiatrist for the Clinical Operations Advisory Council at the Department of State Hospitals, Clinical Operations since 2019. He has been a Psychiatrist in private practice since 1992. Billett was a Staff Psychiatrist at Atascadero State Hospital from 2018 to 2019. He held several roles at Patton State Hospital between 2017 and 2018, including Staff Psychiatrist, Senior Psychiatrist and Acting Medical Director. Billett held several roles at the Department of State Hospitals, Stockton between 2013 and 2017, including Senior Psychiatrist, Chief Psychiatrist and Acting Medical Director. He is a member of the University of California, Riverside Clinical Faculty and the Northern California Clinical TMS Society. Billett earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Santa Clara University and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $360,804.  Billett is a Democrat.  

Macey Binning-Vonrader, of Alturas, has been appointed to the 34th District Agricultural Association, Modoc District Fair Board. Binning-Vonrader has served as City Clerk for the City of Alturas since 2018. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Binning-Vonrader is registered without party preference. 

Joyce E. Dudley, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board. Dudley was Chair of the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training from 2016 to 2022 and a member there from 2013 to 2022. Dudley served as District Attorney of Santa Barbara County from 2010 to 2022. She was a Deputy District Attorney in the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office from 1990 to 2010. She was Director of Child Development Programs at the Community Action Commission of the County of Santa Barbara from 1984 to 1988 and Child Development Director at the Children’s Home Society of California from 1979 to 1984. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from Antioch University, a Master of Arts degree in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Juris Doctor degree from the Santa Barbara College of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $350 per diem. Dudley is a Democrat.

Brian Enos, of Madera County,  has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Madera County Superior Court. Enos has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California since 2005. He was Senior Associate Attorney at Sagaser, Franson & Jones from 2000 to 2005 and an Associate at Kimble, MacMichael & Upton from 1998 to 2000. Enos earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. He fills the vacancy of a new position created on July 1, 2022. The compensation for this position is $231,174. Enos is a Democrat.

Mark Ghilarducci, of El Dorado Hills, has been appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees. Ghilarducci served as Director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services from 2013 to 2023, where he served as Deputy Director from 2000 to 2003. He was Secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency from 2012 to 2013. Ghilarducci was Partner and Managing Director at Diamante Partners LLC from 2011 to 2012. He was Vice President at Witt and Associates from 2003 to 2011. Ghilarducci was Federal Coordinating Officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 1997 to 2000. He was Deputy Fire Chief and Director of Special Operations Branch for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services – Fire Rescue from 1988 to 1977. Ghilarducci earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology from the University of California, Davis. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Ghilarducci is a Democrat.

Alexandra Hart, of Montague, has been appointed to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Board. Hart has been a Senior Appraiser with LandVest Real Estate since 2022. She was an Appraiser with Yosemite Farm Credit, ACA from 2015 to 2022. Hart has been a member of the Appraisal Institute since 2015 and a member of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers since 2022. Hart earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness Management and Food Marketing from the University of Kentucky. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Hart is registered without party preference.

Ellen E. Martin, of Woodland, has been appointed Director of Homeownership at the California Housing Finance Agency. Martin has been Director of Business Development and Stakeholder Relations at the California Housing Finance Agency since 2021. Martin was a Principal at Economic and Planning Systems Inc. from 2019 to 2021 and held various positions at EPS from 2005 to 2019, including Executive Vice President and Vice President. She was a Policy Analyst and Legislative Coordinator at United Domestic Workers of America from 2003 to 2005. Martin was an Administrative Assistant in the California State Assembly Fellowship Program in 2003. Martin is a member of the Urban Land Institute, where she serves on the Sacramento District Council's Executive Committee as well as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She earned a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $175,188. Martin is a Democrat.

Leanne Mayberry, of El Dorado County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the El Dorado County Superior Court. Mayberry has served as a Research Attorney at the El Dorado County Superior Court since 2012. She served as a Deputy County Counsel in the Nevada County Counsel’s Office from 2004 to 2011. Mayberry served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable James K. Singleton at the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska from 2002 to 2004 and as a Law Clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in 2002. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Northeastern University School of Law. Mayberry fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Suzanne N. Kingsbury. The compensation for this position is $231,174. Mayberry is registered without party preference. 

Darren Dow Ocasio, of Yreka, has been reappointed to the California Volunteers Commission, where he has served since 2020. Dow Ocasio served in several positions at CAL FIRE Local 2881 between 2006 and 2021, including State Rank and File Director, Battalion Chief, General Vice President, District Vice President, and Chapter Director. He held several positions at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) between 1991 and 2020, including Battalion Chief, Fire Captain, Fire Apparatus Engineer and Firefighter in the Siskiyou Unit. He is a member of the International Association of Firefighters and California Professional Firefighters. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Dow Ocasio is a Republican.

Karen A. O’Neil, of Santa Barbara County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Santa Barbara County Superior Court. O'Neil has been President and Managing Shareholder at Kirk & Simas PLC since 2017, where she held several positions from 2011 to 2017, including Shareholder and Associate. She was an Associate and then Partner at Twitchell and Rice LLP from 2003 to 2011. O’Neil was an Associate at Littler Mendelson PC from 2002 to 2003 and at O'Brien, Watters & Davis LLP from 2000 to 2002. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. O’Neil fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Timothy J. Staffel. The compensation for this position is $231,174. O'Neil is a Democrat. 

Mark Owens, of Placerville, has been reappointed Chief Counsel at the Office of Systems Integration, where he has served as Chief Counsel since 2016 and has held several roles since 2005, including Attorney V, Attorney IV and Attorney IV Senior Projects Council. Owens held several roles at the California Department of Social Services from 2001 to 2012, including Attorney III, Specialist and Staff Counsel. He was Staff Counsel at the California Department of Corporations in 2001. Owens was Business Development Counsel at 3Com Corporation from 2000 to 2001. He was Corporate and Securities Counsel at Gray, Cary, Ware and Freidenrich from 1999 to 2000. Owens was an Associate at Boutin, Denino, Gibson  DiGiusto and Hodell from 1996 to 1999. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $193,512. Owens is registered without party preference.

Jason Rafter, of Nicolaus, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where he has served since 2021. Rafter has been Ironworkers Apprenticeship Director for I.E.B.C. since 2021 and was Apprenticeship Coordinator there from 2008 to 2021. He is a member of the American Welding Society. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Rafter is a Democrat.

Ian Rivamonte, of Santa Clara County,  has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Monterey County Superior Court. Rivamonte has been an Associate at Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood APC since 2004. He was a Tutor for the University of San Francisco School of Law Academic Support Program from 2003 to 2004. Rivamonte earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Lydia M Villarreal.  The compensation for this position is $231,174. Rivamonte is a Democrat.

Alex Rodriguez, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Board. Rodriguez has been President of Diversity Consulting Group LLC since 1995. He is a member of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, La Cumbre Mutual Water Company and the U.S. EPA National Drinking Water Advisory Council. Rodriguez earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from Antioch University Santa Barbara. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Rodriguez is a Democrat.

Julie Weng-Gutierrez, of Yolo County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Sacramento County Superior Court. Weng-Gutierrez has served as Chief Counsel at the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control since 2019. She served in several roles at the California Attorney General’s Office from 2000 to 2019, including Senior Assistant Attorney General and Supervising Deputy Attorney General. She served as Staff Counsel at the California Department of Health Services from 1997 to 2000 and was a Sole Practitioner from 1996 to 1997. Weng-Gutierrez earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She fills the vacancy of a new position created on July 1, 2022. The compensation for this position is $231,174. Weng-Gutierrez is a Democrat.

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.

California farmers flood fields to boost groundwater basin – Associated Press

Government agencies, water district officials and nonprofits are eyeing the practice as a way to weather swings in climate, especially as California muddles through a winter that has experts forecasting the Sierra Nevada snowpack could last for months.

Newsom seeks federal disaster aid for ravaged California communities –San Francisco Chronicle

On Tuesday, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a major disaster for storm-affected counties of California, including the community of Pajaro in Monterey County where nearly 2,000 residents were evacuated after a levee broke nearly three weeks ago.
 

Fast chargers installed in Otay Mesa at busy truck stop – San Diego Union-Tribune

On Monday, a small step was made to encourage the adoption of electrically powered big rigs in the area. Truck Net, a busy truck stop just north of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, just installed four fast-charging stations that will allow trucks, delivery vans, buses and other large electric vehicles, or EVs, to juice up quickly and get back on the road. It’s the first truck stop in California to install public fast chargers for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

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

AB 3   (Zbur)   Offshore wind energy: reports.  States Legislative intent to accelerate the approval, implementation, and operation of offshore wind energy projects necessary to meet California’s climate action goals and the transition to a clean energy economy, clarify the authority of California governmental agencies related to the analysis and selection of feasible alternatives for seawater ports and transmission infrastructure improvements required to construct wind energy projects along the California coast, and specify criteria for the analysis and selection of port and transmission alternatives related to offshore wind energy projects to ensure the protection of the environment and sensitive habitats and robust community participation and comment, to keep the maximum number of jobs related to the construction of offshore wind energy projects in California, and to achieve environmental justice goals.   Location: Assembly U. & E.   Status: 3/27/2023-Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

AB 50   (Wood)   Public utilities: timely service: timely electrical interconnection.     Location: Assembly U. & E.   Status: 3/27/2023-Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

AB 54   (Aguiar-Curry)   Department of Food and Agriculture: research funding: winegrapes: smoke exposure.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 3/16/2023-Coauthors revised. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (March 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Support   Staff:  Mary-Ann (1), Staci (1)

AB 62   (Mathis)   Statewide water storage: expansion.     Location: Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife   Status: 2/28/2023-Re-referred to Com. on W., P., & W.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 68   (Ward)   Land use: streamlined housing approvals: density, subdivision, and utility approvals.     Location: Assembly Housing and Community Development   Status: 3/20/2023-Re-referred to Com. on H. & C.D.   Position:   Pending   Staff:  Tracy (1)

AB 78   (Ward)   Grand juries.   AB 78 makes changes in Section 890 of the Penal Code, which would increase the per diem rate paid to civil and criminal grand juries from the current statutorily required $15 per day to an amount “equal to seventy percent of the county median daily income.” SB 78 lacks a mechanism to cover the additional cost this bill imposes on counties.   Location: Assembly Appropriations Suspense File   Status: 3/22/2023-In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.   Position:   Oppose Unless Amended   Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 297   (Fong, Vince)   Wildfires: local assistance grant program: advance payments.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 3/28/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (March 27). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Support   Staff:  Staci (1)

AB 338   (Aguiar-Curry)   Public works: definition.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 3/22/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (March 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Oppose   Staff:  Staci (1)

AB 344   (Wood)   Electricity: load-serving entities: offshore wind facilities.   Authorizes electrical corporations, electric service providers, and community choice aggregators to jointly enter into agreements to procure electricity generated from offshore wind facilities.   Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 3/23/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (March 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

AB 356   (Mathis)   California Environmental Quality Act: aesthetic impacts.   Repeals the sunset date of a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) provision specifying that a lead agency is not required to evaluate the aesthetic effects of a project and aesthetic effects are not considered significant effects on the environment if the project involves the refurbishment, conversion, repurposing, or replacement of an existing building that meets certain requirements.   Location: Assembly Natural Resources   Status: 3/14/2023-In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

AB 422   (Alanis)   Natural Resources Agency: statewide water storage: tracking.     Location: Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife   Status: 2/9/2023-Referred to Com. on W., P., & W.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 429   (Bennett)   Groundwater wells: permits.   If 1% of domestic wells go dry in a critically overdrafted basin, this bill prohibit a county, city, or any other water well permitting agency from approving a permit for a new groundwater well or for an alteration to an existing well in a basin subject to the act and classified as a critically overdrafted basin unless the city county or well permitting agency obtains written verification from a groundwater sustainability agency that the proposed well would not be inconsistent with any sustainable groundwater management program AND the proposed well would not decrease the likelihood of achieving a sustainability goal for the basin covered by the plan.   Location: Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife   Status: 3/28/2023-In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.   Position:   Oppose   Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 460   (Bauer-Kahan)   State Water Resources Control Board: interim relief.     Location: Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife   Status: 2/17/2023-Referred to Coms. on W., P., & W. and JUD.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 592   (Wilson)   Vehicles: waste hauling.   Allows Contra Costa County, or any other county, to create a program to regulate nonfranchise waste hauling operations within the county.   Location: Assembly Local Government   Status: 3/16/2023-Referred to Com. on L. GOV.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

AB 625   (Aguiar-Curry)   Forest biomass: management: emissions: energy.   Establishes the Forest Waste Biomass Utilization Program to be administered by the state board’s Joint Institute for Wood Products Innovation to develop an implementation plan to meet the goals and recommendations of the state’s wood utilization policies and priorities, and to develop a workforce training program to complement the workforce needs associated with the implementation plan. Requires annual reports on implementing the plan. Requires the Energy Commission to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature evaluating innovative bioenergy technologies that use forest biomass waste. Requires the Energy Commission to include in its integrated policy report an assessment of the potential for forest biomass waste energy to provide firm renewable power. Requires ARB to develop a methodology to quantify the greenhouse gas and short-lived climate pollutant emissions from wildfire, pile burning, and forest management activities. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to extend the BioMAT program until all 250 MW of capacity are procured.   Location: Assembly Natural Resources   Status: 3/28/2023-Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

AB 643   (Berman)   Electricity: interconnection timelines: report.   Requires the Public Utilities Commission to submit a report to the Legislature on timelines for the interconnection of customer-sited energy generation and storage resources. Require the commission to consider the negligent exceedance of an interconnection timeline by an electrical corporation to be a failure to comply with a rule of the commission and subject to a penalty. Requires an electrical corporation to provide a substantial response to any queries from an interconnection applicant related to the completeness of the application and the submission of supporting information to pending applications within 3 business days.   Location: Assembly U. & E.   Status: 3/27/2023-In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

AB 692   (Patterson, Jim)   California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: egress route projects: fire safety.   Exempts from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) egress route projects undertaken by a public agency to improve emergency access to and evacuation from a subdivision without a secondary egress route if the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has recommended the creation of a secondary access to the subdivision.   Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 3/28/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (March 27). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

AB 704   (Patterson, Jim)   Energy: building standards: photovoltaic requirements.   Exempts homes rebuilt after being destroyed by a wildfire from state laws requiring installation of solar panels, until January 1, 2027.   Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 3/27/2023-VOTE: Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] (PASS)   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

AB 772   (Jackson)   Electric vehicle chargers.   Require the Energy Commission to require that each single-family residence constructed on and after January 1, 2025 include a rapid compact electric vehicle charger and that each multifamily residence constructed on and after January 1, 2025 include sufficient rapid compact electric vehicle chargers to serve at least 10% of its residential capacity at any given time.   Location: Assembly U. & E.   Status: 3/27/2023-In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.   Position:   Oppose   Staff:  John (1)

AB 817   (Pacheco)   Open meetings: teleconferencing: subsidiary body.   AB 817 would provide a narrow exemption under the Ralph M.Brown Act for non-decision-making legislative bodies currently governed by Act, such as advisory bodies and commissions, to participate in two-way virtual teleconferencing without posting physical location of members. In addition, AB 817 would remove barriers to entry for appointed and elected office by allowing non-decision-making legislative bodies to participate virtually as long as they do not have the ability to take final action on legislation, regulations, contracts, licenses, permits, or other entitlements.   Location: Assembly Local Government   Status: 3/20/2023-Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.   Position:   Sponsor   Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 909   (Hoover)   Solid Waste Disposal and Codisposal Site Cleanup Program.   Makes illegally disposed hazardous wastes eligible for funding under the CalRecycle’s illegal dumping grant program.   Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 3/29/2023-From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (March 27).   Position:   Sponsor   Staff:  John (1)

AB 944   (Irwin)   Fire stations: alternative power generation.   Declares Legislative intent to require fire stations to have an alternative method of power generation during power outages.   Location: Assembly Emergency Management   Status: 3/21/2023-Re-referred to Com. on E.M.   Position:   Watch   Staff: 

AB 978   (Patterson, Joe)   California Environmental Quality Act: housing projects: judicial review: bonds.   Require a person seeking judicial review of the decision of a lead agency made pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to carry out or approve a housing project to post a bond of $500,000 to cover the costs and damages to the housing project incurred by the respondent or real party in interest.   Location: Assembly Natural Resources   Status: 2/23/2023-Referred to Coms. on NAT. RES. and JUD.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

AB 982   (Villapudua)   Public Utilities Public Purpose Programs Fund.   Establishes the Public Utilities Public Purpose Programs Fund and requires the Public Utilities Commission to allocate the moneys in the fund for purposes of funding the Family Electric Rate Assistance program, programs funded through an electrical corporation’s public purpose program rate component as of December 31, 2023, including the CARE program, and other programs determined by the commission to provide public benefits.   Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 3/28/2023-Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

AB 998   (Connolly)   Biomass energy facilities: State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission: report.   Requires the Energy Commission to issue a report on the utility-scale biomass combustion facilities still in operation as of January 1, 2024. The report must include an assessment of operational factors of each facility, a comparison of direct combustion compared to other biomass energy technologies, and a recommended strategy, if appropriate, to repower biomass combustion facilities to noncombustion conversion technologies. The report must include recommendations and strategies related to areas where combustion biomass facilities may be shut down or repowered, including strategies related to baseload power generation, processing waste, and job training.   Location: Assembly U. & E.   Status: 3/28/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on U. & E. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (March 27). Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1152   (Patterson, Joe)   California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: recycled water.   Exempts from CEQA a project to construct or expand a recycled water pipeline for the purpose of mitigating drought conditions for which a state of emergency was proclaimed by the Governor. Exempts from CEQA the development and approval of building standards by state agencies for recycled water systems.   Location: Assembly Natural Resources   Status: 3/2/2023-Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1155   (Flora)   Wildfire mitigation plans: vegetation management: vegetation inspection standards.     Location: Assembly U. & E.   Status: 3/20/2023-Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.   Position:   Oppose   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1238   (Ward)   Hazardous waste: solar panels.   Requires DTSC to develop alternative management standards for recycling solar panels to reduce the regulatory burden on management and recycling.   Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 3/29/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (March 28). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1272   (Wood)   State Water Resources Control Board: drought planning.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 3/28/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 2.) (March 28). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 1337   (Wicks)   State Water Resources Control Board: water shortage enforcement.     Location: Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife   Status: 3/2/2023-Referred to Coms. on W., P., & W. and JUD.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 1448   (Wallis)   Cannabis: enforcement by local jurisdictions.   AB 1448 would enhance local enforcement mechanisms for unlicensed cannabis activities by creating a streamlined local administrative penalty process, allow local jurisdictions to utilize statutory penalties and create more collection options.   Location: Assembly B.&p.   Status: 3/22/2023-Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.   Position:   Sponsor   Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 1488   (Wallis)   California Environmental Quality Act: environmental leadership development projects: water storage, water conveyance, and groundwater recharge projects: streamlined review.   Requires the Judicial Council to adopt rules of court applicable to actions or proceedings brought to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the certification or adoption of an environmental impact report for water conveyance or storage projects, as defined, or the granting of project approvals, including any appeals to the court of appeal or the Supreme Court, to be resolved, to the extent feasible, within 270 days of the filing of the certified record of proceedings. Requires the lead agency to concurrently prepare the record of proceedings for a water conveyance or storage project.   Location: Assembly Natural Resources   Status: 3/27/2023-Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.   Position:   Pending   Staff: 

AB 1534   (Irwin)   Methane emissions: municipal solid waste landfills: remote sensing data.   Requires ARB to incorporate the use of remote sensing data into its landfill methane emissions regulations.   Location: Assembly Natural Resources   Status: 3/9/2023-Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  Staci (1)

AB 1548   (Hart)   Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: grant program: recycling infrastructure projects.     Location: Assembly Natural Resources   Status: 3/20/2023-Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.   Position:   Sponsor   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1554   (Patterson, Joe)   California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: wildfire fuels reduction projects.   Exempts from CEQA fuels reduction projects in areas within moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones.   Location: Assembly Natural Resources   Status: 3/9/2023-Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.   Position:   Pending   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1563   (Bennett)   Groundwater sustainability agency: groundwater extraction permit: verification.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 3/28/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 4.) (March 28). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 1597   (Alvarez)   Water quality: California-Mexico cross-border rivers.   Makes $50 million available, upon appropriation from the General Fund, to the North American Development Bank for loans, grants, and direct expenditures to address water quality problems arising in the California-Mexico cross-border rivers. Requires funding to be available for water quality projects for the Tijuana River and for projects consistent with the New River Water Quality, Public Health, and River Parkway Development Plan. T   Location: Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials   Status: 3/9/2023-Referred to Coms. on E.S. & T.M. and JUD.    Staff: 

AB 1616   (Lackey)   California Cannabis Tax Fund: Board of State and Community Corrections grants.   AB 1616 would require the Board of State and Community Corrections to prioritize local governments whose programs seek to address the unlawful cultivation and sale of cannabis when disbursing grants from California Cannabis Tax Fund. The bill would also authorize the board to make grants to local governments that ban both indoor and outdoor commercial cannabis cultivation or ban retail sale of cannabis or cannabis products.   Location: Assembly B.&p.   Status: 3/9/2023-Referred to Com. on B. & P.   Position:   Support   Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 1700   (Hoover)   California Environmental Quality Act: population growth and noise impacts: housing projects.   Provides that population growth, in and of itself, resulting from a housing project and noise impacts of a housing project are not an effect on the environment for purposes of CEQA.   Location: Assembly Natural Resources   Status: 3/9/2023-Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.   Position:   Pending   Staff:  John (1)

SB 23   (Caballero)   Water supply and flood risk reduction projects: expedited permitting.     Location: Senate Natural Resources and Water   Status: 3/23/2023-Set for hearing April 11.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

SB 35   (Umberg)   Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program.     Location: Senate Health   Status: 3/29/2023-Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.   Position:   Pending   Staff:  Sarah (1)

SB 38   (Laird)   Battery energy storage facilities: emergency response and evacuation plans.   States Legislature intent to enact future legislation to address the need for better safety systems at battery storage facilities.   Location: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications   Status: 3/29/2023-Re-referred to Com. on E., U. & C.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

SB 69   (Cortese)   California Environmental Quality Act: judicial and administrative proceedings: limitations.     Location: Senate Judiciary   Status: 3/21/2023-Set for hearing April 11.   Position:   Pending   Staff:  John (1)

SB 75   (Roth)   Courts: judgeships.   SB 75 would authorize 26 new superior court judgeships, subject to appropriation. If funded in the budget, any new judgeships would be allocated to counties in the state in accordance with the Judicial Council's Judicial Needs Assessment.   Location: Senate Appropriations   Status: 3/29/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (March 28). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Support   Staff:  Sarah (1)

SB 91   (Umberg)   California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: supportive and transitional housing: motel conversion.   Repeals the sunset date of a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption for conversion a motel, hotel, residential hotel, or hostel to supportive or transitional housing.   Location: Senate Housing   Status: 3/15/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HOUSING with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 15). Re-referred to Com. on HOUSING.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

SB 367   (Seyarto)   Farm, ranch, and public lands cleanup and abatement: grant program.   Seeks to create a grant program to facilitate the proper disposal of illegally dumped waste on state and federal lands.   Location: Senate Appropriations   Status: 3/28/2023-Set for hearing April 10.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

SB 378   (Gonzalez)   State parks: state beaches: expanded polystyrene food container and cooler ban.   Bans people from bringing an expanded polystyrene food container or cooler onto a state beach or in a unit of the state park system and for improper disposal of those products.   Location: Senate Natural Resources and Water   Status: 3/29/2023-Set for hearing April 11.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

SB 393   (Glazer)   California Environmental Quality Act: judicial challenge: identification of contributors: housing projects.   Requires a CEQA plaintiff or petitioner to disclose the identity of persons and entities that contribute more than $1,000 towards litigation costs. Requires a plaintiff or petitioner to identify any pecuniary or economic interest related to any person who contributes more than $1,000 to the costs of the action.   Location: Senate Judiciary   Status: 3/29/2023-Set for hearing April 18.   Position:   Pending   Staff:  John (1)

SB 406   (Cortese)   California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: financial assistance: housing.   Exempts from the California Environmental Quality Act actions of a local agency to provide financial assistance or insurance for the development and construction of low- or moderate-income residential housing.   Location: Senate Housing   Status: 3/15/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HOUSING with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 15). Re-referred to Com. on HOUSING.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

SB 410   (Becker)   Powering Up Californians Act.   Requires electrical corporations to provide data to the Public Utilities Commission on the response time to provide upgraded electrical service to customers for electrification upgrades in buildings, panel upgrades, solar installations, or electric vehicle chargers.   Location: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications   Status: 3/14/2023-From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E., U. & C.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

SB 420   (Becker)   Electricity: electrical transmission facility projects.   Requires the Governor to identify a lead agency to monitor clean energy and electrical transmission facility planning and deployment, and requires that agency to identify those electrical transmission facility projects necessary to maintain system reliability. Make that agency the lead agency for those projects for purposes of CEQA and deems those projects to be environmental leadership development projects for purposes of the Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2021.   Location: Senate Consent Calendar   Status: 3/29/2023-From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on E., U. & C. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 29).   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

SB 507   (Gonzalez)   Electric vehicle charging station infrastructure: assessments.   Requires the Energy Commission to assess the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure needed to meet zero-emission vehicle goals and ensure equitable deployment of EV charging infrastructure, including whether EV charging stations are disproportionately distributed, and whether homes have equal access to electrical panel upgrades to support at-home charging in single-family and multi-family housing. SB 507 requires the Energy Commission to quantify EV charging needs of rural, low-income, as well as disadvantaged communities and provide recommendations to remove barriers to achieve equity of EV charging infrastructure.   Location: Senate Transportation   Status: 3/21/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (March 21). Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.   Position:   Support   Staff:  Leigh (1)

SB 560   (Laird)   Solid waste: gas cylinders: stewardship program.   States legislative intent to establish a framework for expended producer responsibility for the end-of-life management of covered gas cylinders.   Location: Senate Environmental Quality   Status: 3/29/2023-Re-referred to Coms. on E.Q. and JUD.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

SB 568   (Newman)   Electronic waste: export.   Conditions the export of electronic waste and covered electronic devices upon a demonstration that capacity does not exist in California to safely and responsibly recycle that waste or device.   Location: Senate Environmental Quality   Status: 3/27/2023-Set for hearing April 19.   Position:   Oppose   Staff:  John (1)

SB 613   (Seyarto)   Organic waste: reduction goals: local jurisdictions: low-population exemption.   Exempts from SB 1383 regulations local jurisdictions that dispose less than 5,000 tons of solid waste per year and that have fewer than 7,500 people.   Location: Senate Appropriations   Status: 3/29/2023-VOTE: Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar (PASS)   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

SB 615   (Allen)   Electric vehicle traction batteries.   Requires all electric vehicle traction batteries to be recovered, reused, repurposed, remanufactured, or recycled at the end of their useful life in a motor vehicle or other application. Requires vehicle manufacturers, dismantlers, and secondary users to be responsible for end-of-life management of the battery.   Location: Senate Transportation   Status: 3/29/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 29). Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

SB 642   (Cortese)   Hazardous materials: enforcement: county counsel.   Allows county counsels to enforce provisions of state law related to aboveground storage tanks, underground storage tanks, medical waste, and hazardous materials business plans.   Location: Senate Judiciary   Status: 3/29/2023-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (March 29). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.   Position:   Sponsor   Staff:  John (1)

SB 651   (Grove)   Water storage and recharge: California Environmental Quality Act: Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009: exemptions.   Makes it the policy of the state that, to help advance groundwater recharge projects, and to demonstrate the feasibility of projects that can use available high water flows to recharge local groundwater while minimizing flood risks, the state board and the regional water quality control boards must prioritize water right permits, water quality certifications, waste discharge requirements, and conditional waivers of waste discharge requirements to accelerate approvals for projects that enhance the ability of a local or state agency to capture high precipitation events for local storage or recharge, consistent with water right priorities and protections for fish and wildlife. Exempts from CEQA actions taken by a state or local agency if the state agency with primary responsibility for the implementation of directives addressing impacts of drought concurs that local action is required, and permits that are necessary to carry out those actions, to accelerate approvals for projects that enhance the ability of a local or state agency to capture high precipitation events for local storage or recharge, consistent with water right priorities and protections for fish and wildlife. Exempts from CEQA a recharge project under the Department of Water Resources’ Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program and flood-managed aquifer recharge projects, occurring on open and working lands to replenish and store water in groundwater basins that will help mitigate groundwater conditions impacted by drought   Location: Senate Natural Resources and Water   Status: 3/29/2023-From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.    Staff: 

SB 675   (Limón)   Prescribed grazing: local assistance grant program: Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program: Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force.     Location: Senate Natural Resources and Water   Status: 3/29/2023-Set for hearing April 11.   Position:   Support   Staff:  Staci (1)

SB 707   (Newman)   Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2023.   Creates a Responsible Textile Recovery Act to require producers to establish a stewardship program for collection and recycling of apparel and textiles that are unsuitable for reuse by a consumer.   Location: Senate Judiciary   Status: 3/29/2023-VOTE: Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Judiciary] (PASS)   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

SB 751   (Padilla)   Franchise agreements: labor impasse.   Prohibits a local government from entering into an exclusive franchise agreement for waste services, or an amended agreement, that contains a force majeure provision that can be triggered by a labor impasse.   Location: Senate Gov. & F.   Status: 3/21/2023-Set for hearing April 12.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

SB 753   (Caballero)   Cannabis: water resources.   SB 753 amends Section 11358 of the Health and Safety Code to include groundwater as a public resource, and establishes that the theft of groundwater, unauthorized tapping into a water conveyance or storage infrastructure, or digging an unpermitted, illegal well may also be punished by imprisonment. This is an RCRC Sponsored Bill.   Location: Senate Public Safety   Status: 3/20/2023-From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB S.   Position:   Sponsor   Staff:  Sarah (1)

SB 768   (Caballero)   California Environmental Quality Act: vehicle miles traveled: statement of overriding consideration.   States legislative intent to create a new transportation impact analysis for rural areas for purposes of the California Enivronmental Quality Act.   Location: Senate Environmental Quality   Status: 3/29/2023-Re-referred to Coms. on E.Q. and HOUSING.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

SB 794   (Niello)   California Environmental Quality Act: judicial challenge: identification of contributors: housing projects.   Requires a CEQA action brought to attack a commercial, housing, or public works projects that addresses longstanding critical needs and that results in an investment of at least $25 million to be resolved within 365 days of filing of the record of proceedings. Requires a CEQA plaintiff or petitioner to disclose the identity of persons and entities that contribute more than $100 towards litigation costs. Requires a plaintiff or petitioner to identify any pecuniary or economic interest related to any person who contributes more than $100 to the costs of the action.   Location: Senate Environmental Quality   Status: 3/29/2023-March 29 set for first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) Reconsideration granted.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

SB 861   (Dahle)   California Environmental Quality Act: water conveyance or storage projects: judicial review.   Requires the Judicial Council to adopt rules of court applicable to actions or proceedings brought to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the certification or adoption of an environmental impact report for water conveyance or storage projects, or the granting of project approvals, including any appeals to the court of appeal or the Supreme Court, to be resolved within 270 days of the filing of the certified record of proceedings. Requires the lead agency to concurrently prepare the record of proceedings for a water conveyance or storage project.   Location: Senate Judiciary   Status: 3/29/2023-VOTE: Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Judiciary] (PASS)   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

SBX1 2   (Skinner)   Energy: transportation fuels: supply and pricing: maximum gross gasoline refining margin.   Establishes a maximum gross gasoline refining margin at an unspecified amount per gallon and would authorize the Energy Commission to annually adjust the maximum gross gasoline refining margin. Authorizes the commission to petition the court to enjoin a refiner from exceeding the maximum gross gasoline refining margin. Authorizes the commission to assess an administrative civil penalty on a refiner for exceeding the maximum gross gasoline refining margin.   Location: Senate Chaptered   Status: 3/28/2023-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 1, Statutes of 2023-24 First Extraordinary Session.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)