Currrent as of February 4, 2022
Senate Bill No. 359
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Introduced by Senator Caballero |
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An act to add and repeal Section 75218.3 of the Public Resources Code, relating to climate change.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
SB 359, as amended, Caballero. Climate change: Resilient Merced County Incentive Pilot Program.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include in its regulation of greenhouse gas emissions the use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Existing law continuously appropriates 20% of the annual proceeds of the fund to the Strategic Growth Council for the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, as provided. Under its authority, the council has established the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program as a component of the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program to provide incentives for conservation of agricultural lands.
This bill would, until ____, require the council, in consultation with the Department of Conservation and the state board, to develop and implement the Resilient Merced County Incentive Pilot Program (pilot program) to assist the County of Merced to use scenario-planning tools to estimate and account for the countywide greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration potential of different land management, restoration, and conservation activities and for the council to provide financial assistance to private landowners to voluntarily implement activities resulting from the use of the scenario-planning. tools used by the county. The bill would require the council to implement the pilot program as a component of the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program and consistent with the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program. The bill would require the council, in collaboration with the department and the state board, to estimate and monitor the greenhouse gas reductions, carbon sequestration, and other benefits associated with the County of Merced’s scenario planning and the land management, restoration, and conservation activities implemented pursuant to the pilot program. The bill would require the department, by ____, to submit to the Legislature a report on the results of the pilot program and a recommendation as to whether the pilot program should be expanded to other areas of the state.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Merced.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal Committee: yes Local Program: no
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.
Section 75218.3 is added to the Public Resources Code, immediately following Section 75218.1, to read:
75218.3.
(a) The council, in consultation with the Department of Conservation and the State Air Resources Board, shall develop and implement the Resilient Merced County Incentive Pilot Program to do both of the following:
(1) Provide financial and technical assistance to the County of Merced for the county to do both of the following:
(A) Use scenario-planning tools to estimate and account for the countywide greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration potential of different land management, restoration, and conservation activities.
(B) Integrate the activities identified pursuant to subparagraph (A) into the County of Merced’s climate and land use plans.
(2) Provide financial assistance to private landowners to voluntarily implement activities resulting from the use of the scenario-planning tools used by the County of Merced pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) and supported by the county to help meet the county’s climate goals.
(b) The council shall develop and implement the Pilot Program as a component of the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program, consistent with the requirements of this part.
(c) The council, in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and the State Air Resources Board, shall estimate and monitor the greenhouse gas reductions, carbon sequestration, and other benefits associated with the County of Merced’s scenario planning and the land management, restoration, and conservation activities implemented pursuant to the Pilot Program.
(d) This section does not require the council to create any new scenario-planning tools for purposes of the Pilot Program.
(e) On or before ____, the council shall submit to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, a report on the results of the Pilot Program and a recommendation as to whether the Pilot Program should be expanded to other areas of the state.
(f) For purposes of this section, “Pilot Program” means the Merced County Incentive Pilot Program developed and implemented by the council pursuant to subdivision (a).
(g) This section shall remain in effect only until ____, and as of that date is repealed.
SEC. 2.
The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the need to assist the County of Merced, which is developing a climate action plan to establish and accomplish greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals for the county in furtherance of statewide greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.
SB 359