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

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

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

AB 1001   (Garcia, Cristina)   Environment: mitigation measures for air quality impacts: environmental justice.   Modifies the California Environmental Quality Act by: 1) Requiring air and water quality impacts to a disadvantaged community to be mitigated in that community; 2) Requiring local agencies to give consideration to the principles of environmental justice by ensuring the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races, cultures, incomes, and national origins.   Location: Senate Rules   Status: 3/22/2022-From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on RLS.   Position:   Oppose   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1078   (Patterson)   Energy: building standards: photovoltaic requirements.   Exempts residential buildings damaged or destroyed in a disaster during the 2020 calendar year from having to install solar energy systems under the California Energy Commission’s recently adopted building requirements.   Location: Senate Rules   Status: 1/27/2022-Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 61. Noes 0. Page 3410.) In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

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

AB 1249   (Gallagher)   Income taxes: gross income exclusions: wildfires.     Location: Senate Gov. & F.   Status: 3/30/2022-Referred to Com. on GOV. & F.   Position:   Support   Staff:  Staci (1)

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

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

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

AB 1608   (Gipson)   County officers: consolidation of offices.   AB 1608 would remove county authority to combine the duties of the Sheriff with the duties of the Coroner. The bill appears to require counties with a combined Sheriff-Coroner function to either combine the Coroner with another authorized elected office, transition to a standalone elected Coroner, or replace the Coroner model with a Medical Examiner office.   Location: Assembly Third Reading   Status: 4/21/2022-Read second time. Ordered to third reading.   Position:   Oppose Unless Amended   Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 1642   (Salas)   California Environmental Quality Act: water system well and domestic well projects: exemption.   Exempts from CEQA, vital projects to prevent or mitigate failure of a well that would leave residents without an adequate supply of drinking water. This exemption only applies to those wells in areas designated by the State Water Resources Control Board as being at high risk or medium risk in the state’s annual Drinking Water Needs Assessment.   Location: Assembly Third Reading   Status: 4/28/2022-Read second time. Ordered to third reading.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1644   (Flora)   Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: California Jobs Plan Act of 2021.   The California Jobs Plan Act of 2021 requires the state board to work with the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to update, by July 1, 2025, Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund funding guidelines for administering agencies to ensure that all applicants to grant programs funded by the fund meet specified standards, including fair and responsible employer standards and inclusive procurement policies, as provided. Existing law exempts from these standards applicants for certain types of projects. This bill would exempt applicants for projects for healthy forest and fire prevention programs and projects, and the completion of prescribed fire and other fuel reduction projects from these standards.   Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 4/21/2022-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 20). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Support   Staff:  Staci (1)

AB 1696   (Lee)   Elections: nonpartisan candidates’ party preference.   Current constitutional and statutory law prohibits including the party preference of a candidate for nonpartisan office, defined as any judicial, school, county, or municipal office, including the Superintendent of Public Instruction, on the ballot for that office. This bill would require the ballot for the above offices, except for judicial offices, to contain the candidate’s party preference or, if applicable, lack of party preference.   Location: Assembly Elections   Status: 4/25/2022-In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.   Position:   Oppose   Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 1717   (Aguiar-Curry)   Public works: definition.   Assembly Bill 1717 requires prevailing wage to be paid for public works projects funded by public dollars related to community wildfire prevention, vegetation management and fuels treatment.   Location: Assembly Appropriations Suspense File   Status: 4/27/2022-In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.   Position:   Oppose   Staff:  Staci (1)

AB 1749   (Garcia, Cristina)   Community Air Protection Blueprint: community emissions reduction programs: toxic air contaminants and criteria air pollutants.   Prohibits approval or issuance of permits for projects that contribute to an increase in air pollutants or toxic air contaminants in a CalEnviroScreen disadvantaged community unless the agency finds that increased emissions caused by the project (combined with cumulative emissions from other sources) will not cause or contribute to additional negative public health impacts on individuals living and working in that community. Requires the state to identify measures to reduce criteria air pollutant and toxic air contaminant emissions in CalEnviroScreen disadvantaged communities.   Location: Assembly Appropriations Suspense File   Status: 4/27/2022-In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.   Position:   Oppose   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1757   (Ward)   Groundwater sustainability agency.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 4/28/2022-Re-referred to Com. on APPR.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 1784   (Smith)   Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014: groundwater sustainability projects: grants and loans.      Location: Assembly Print   Status: 2/4/2022-From printer. May be heard in committee March 6.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 1814   (Grayson)   Transportation electrification: community choice aggregators.   Allows community choice aggregators to file applications with the state for approval of programs and investments to accelerate widespread transportation electrification.   Location: Assembly U. & E.   Status: 3/31/2022-In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1832   (Rivas, Luz)   Waters subject to tidal influence: hard mineral extraction.   Prohibits the State Lands Commission and local trustees of granted public trust lands from granting leases or issuing permits for extraction or removal of hard minerals (not including rock, gravel, sand, silt, and coal) from tidelands and submerged lands.   Location: Assembly Second Reading   Status: 4/28/2022-Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.   Position:   Pending   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1851   (Rivas, Robert )   Public works: prevailing wage: hauling.     Location: Assembly Appropriations Suspense File   Status: 4/27/2022-In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1879   (Mathis)   California regional water quality control boards: unfounded or frivolous complaints.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 4/27/2022-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 26). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 1906   (Stone)   Voluntary stream restoration: property owner liability: indemnification: claims.     Location: Assembly Consent Calendar   Status: 4/28/2022-Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 1931   (Rivas, Luz)   Community water systems: lead pipes.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 4/27/2022-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 3.) (April 26). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 1944   (Lee)   Local government: open and public meetings.   AB 1944 would authorize members of local legislative bodies to teleconference from a remote location without making the address of that location public. Additionally, the bill requires that – for those local agencies that elect to use teleconferencing for its legislative body meetings – a video stream is made available to members of the public, including an opportunity to provide public comment via telephone or videoconference option.   Location: Assembly Local Government   Status: 4/26/2022-In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.   Position:   Support   Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 1952   (Gallagher)   Infill Infrastructure Grant Program of 2019.    Exempts from the California Environmental Quality Act projects funded by the $500 million set aside for the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program of 2019.   Location: Assembly Housing and Community Development   Status: 2/18/2022-Referred to Coms. on H. & C.D. and NAT. RES.   Position:   Pending   Staff:  John (1)

AB 1953   (Maienschein)   Drinking water: accessible water bottle refill stations.     Location: Assembly Appropriations Suspense File   Status: 4/27/2022-In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 1956   (Mathis)   Solid waste: woody biomass: collection and conversion.   Creates a new grant program administered by CalRecycle to fund woody biomass collection and disposal by rural counties with a population of 250,000 or less.   Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 3/24/2022-Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

AB 2081   (Garcia, Eduardo)   Municipal water districts: water service: Indian lands.     Location: Assembly Third Reading   Status: 4/28/2022-Read second time. Ordered to third reading.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 2201   (Bennett)   Groundwater sustainability agency: groundwater extraction permit: verification.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 4/28/2022-Re-referred to Com. on APPR.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 2208   (Kalra)   Fluorescent lamps: sale and distribution: prohibition.     Location: Assembly Third Reading   Status: 4/28/2022-Read second time. Ordered to third reading.   Position:   Watch   Staff:  John (1)

AB 2258   (Wood)   Local government: wildfire safety improvements.     Location: Assembly Banking and Finance   Status: 4/25/2022-Re-referred to Com. on B. & F.   Position:   Pending   Staff:  John (1)

AB 2374   (Bauer-Kahan)   Crimes against public health and safety: illegal dumping.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 4/26/2022-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 26). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Support   Staff:  John (1)

AB 2419   (Bryan)   Environmental justice: federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Justice40 Oversight Committee.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 4/27/2022-Coauthors revised. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 2.) (April 26). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Concerns   Staff:  Staci (1)

AB 2421   (Rubio, Blanca)   Water: unlicensed cannabis cultivation.   AB 2421 would amend the California State Water Code to provide authority to county counsels and city attorneys to civilly prosecute and enjoin water theft. It would also amend the California Fish and Game Code to authorize county counsels to civilly prosecute and enjoin water pollution. By removing existing limitations on prosecutorial authority, the bill provides more tools for local governments to use against the harmful community impacts of illicit cannabis cultivation as well as the degradation of our water and other natural resources.   Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 4/21/2022-Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Support   Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 2449   (Rubio, Blanca)   Open meetings: local agencies: teleconferences.   AB 2449 would authorize remote participation in local public meetings if at least a quorum of the members of the legislative body participates in person from a location clearly identified on the agenda that is also open to the public and situated within the boundaries of the local agencies. In order to do so, the local agency must appropriately post agendas, members of the legislative body attending the meeting by teleconference must participate in both audio and video formats, and members of the public must have call-in and internet-based access for attending and participating in the meetings.   Location: Assembly Local Government   Status: 3/3/2022-Referred to Com. on L. GOV.   Position:   Support   Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 2451   (Wood)   State Water Resources Control Board: drought planning.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 4/26/2022-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (April 26). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 2454   (Jones-Sawyer)   Public contracts: protests: joint labor-management committee.     Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 4/27/2022-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 27). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Pending   Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 2505   (Gray)   Water theft: irrigation districts.     Location: Assembly Local Government   Status: 3/28/2022-Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

AB 2647   (Levine)   Local government: open meetings.   This measure would clarify that writings distributed to the majority of a local legislative body less than 72 hours before a meeting can be posted online to satisfy the Brown Act if physical copies are made available for public inspection at the beginning of the next regular business day at a public office or designated location.   Location: Assembly Local Government   Status: 4/25/2022-In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.   Position:   Support   Staff:  Sarah (1)

AB 2677   (Gabriel)   Information Practices Act of 1977.   Would remove the exemption of local agencies from the Act, which deals with the collection, storage, and disclosure of personal information.   Location: Assembly Appropriations   Status: 4/25/2022-Re-referred to Com. on APPR.   Position:   Oppose   Staff:  Sarah (1)

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

ACA 13   (Mathis)   Water infrastructure projects: minimum funding requirement and general obligation bonds.     Location: Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife   Status: 4/7/2022-Referred to Coms. on W.,P., & W. and NAT. RES.    Staff:  Sidd (1)

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

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

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

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

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

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