Existing law requires the Office of Planning and Research to coordinate with appropriate entities to establish a clearinghouse for climate adaptation information for use by state, regional, and local entities.

The bill would require the office to seek feedback from entities that use the clearinghouse to maximize the efficacy and usefulness of the clearinghouse.

 CONSENT 

Bill No: SB 1401

Author:

:

Vote:

SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE: 7-0, 4/4/18

AYES: Wieckowski, Stone, Gaines, Hill, Lara, Skinner, Stern

SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 9-0, 4/24/18

AYES: Hertzberg, Stone, Allen, Hueso, Jackson, McGuire, Monning, Stern, Vidak

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8

SUBJECT:

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This bill requires the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to seek feedback from entities that use the climate adaptation clearinghouse to maximize the efficacy and usefulness of the clearinghouse.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Establishes the Strategic Growth Council (SGC). (Public Resources Code (PRC) §75121)
   
2. Requires OPR to serve the Governor and Cabinet as staff for long-range planning and research, constituting the comprehensive state planning agency, with a focus on factors influencing the quality of the state’s environment. (Government Code (GOV) §65040)
   
3. Establishes an advisory council to support OPR by providing scientific and technical support and to facilitate coordination among state, regional, and local agency efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change. (PRC §71358)
   
4. Requires the Director of OPR to coordinate regional and local efforts with state climate adaptation strategies with, to the extent feasible, an emphasis on climate equity and strategies that benefit both Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reductions and adaptation efforts. (PRC §71354). Requires the Program to include:
   
   1. Working with and coordinating local and regional adaptation efforts, including developing tools and guidance, promoting and coordinating state agency support, and informing state-led programs, planning processes, grant programs, and guidelines development through regular coordination among state agencies, the Climate Action Team (CAT) established by Executive Order S-3-05, and the SGC.
      
   2. Assisting the Office of Emergency Services (OES) and other relevant agencies with coordinating regular reviews and updates to the Adaptation Planning Guide (APG).
      
   3. Conducting regular meetings with the advisory council as established.
      
   4. Coordinating and maintaining the state’s clearinghouse for climate adaptation information.

This bill requires OPR to seek feedback from entities that use the climate adaptation clearinghouse to maximize the efficacy and usefulness of the clearinghouse.

Background

1. The Strategic Growth Council (SGC). The SGC was established in 2008 by SB 732 (Steinberg, Chapter 729, Statutes of 2008) and is responsible for coordinating a variety of state programs and activities related to sustainable communities and the environment. The Council is comprised of ten members:
   
   1. The Director of OPR,
   2. The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency (CNRA),
   3. The Secretary of Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA),
   4. The Secretary of Transportation,
   5. The Secretary of Health and Human Services,
   6. The Secretary of Business, Consumer Services, and Housing,
   7. The Secretary of Department of Food and Agriculture,
   8. Three public members, one each being appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, the Senate Committee on Rules, and the Governor.
      
2. Office of Planning and Research (OPR). OPR serves the governor and the administration as staff for long-range planning, research, policy development and legislative analysis. The office formulates plans regarding land use, climate change, urban expansion, infrastructure development and resource protection while acting as a liaison to local governments, small businesses and the military.
   
3. Mitigation vs. Adaptation. There are many state and local policies designed to reduce GHG emissions because deep and severe cuts in global GHG emissions are needed to avoid the most severe consequences of a changing climate. While these efforts are crucial, they will not be enough to stave off climate change entirely. Even if all GHG emissions ceased today, many impacts of climate change would still be unavoidable because the climate system changes slowly. Not only has climate change already occurred, it will continue to happen for generations to come, even under the best of circumstances.
   
   Adapting to the irreversibly changing climate is crucial for public health, environmental quality, natural resources protection, food stability, infrastructure maintenance, and withstanding severe weather events like heavier rains, heat waves, and drought.
   
4. Executive Orders Relating to State Agencies and Adaptation. In 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger issued Executive Order S-3-05, which established GHG emission reduction targets, created the CAT, and directed the Secretary of CalEPA to coordinate efforts to meet the targets with the heads of other state agencies. The Order required the Secretary to report back to the Governor and Legislature biannually on progress toward meeting the GHG targets, GHG impacts to California, as well as mitigation and adaptation plans.
   
   In 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger issued Executive Order S-13-08, which directed state agencies to plan for climate impacts specifically from sea level rise. It further directed the CNRA, through the CAT, to coordinate the California Climate Adaptation Strategy by June 2009, noting “California must begin now to adapt and build our resiliency to coming climate changes through a thoughtful and sensible approach with local, regional, state and federal government using the best available science.”
   
   In 2015, Governor Brown issued Executive Order B-30-15, which, in addition to setting GHG-related goals, directed the CNRA to update the Plan every three years and include vulnerabilities to climate change by sector and region, as specified, outline primary risks and priority actions regarding climate change impacts, and identification of lead agencies for each sector, which then report back to the CNRA on their actions taken. The Order further directed state agencies to take climate change into account in planning and investment decisions, guided by specified principles, and directs OPR to establish a technical, advisory group to help state agencies in their efforts.
   
5. California’s Adaptation Documents. The 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy is a statewide strategy that includes a summary of impacts from climate change, provides recommendations for adaptation strategies in seven sectors, and provides guidance for establishing adaptation and resiliency actions for the state.
   
   The 2014 Safeguarding California Plan is an update that augments adaptation strategies based on new climate science and risk management options.
   
   The 2012 California APG, prepared and promoted by OPR, the CNRA, and OES, was designed to provide guidance and support for local governments and regional collaborations in addressing the impacts of climate change. The guide consists of an overview document and three companion documents for use in defining local and regional impacts, understanding regional characteristics, and identifying adaptation strategies. The guide is meant to allow for flexibility in time, money, and effort available for adaptation across communities.
   
6. Legislative Hearings on Climate Adaptation. In 2015, the Senate Environmental Quality Committee conducted four informational and oversight hearings on climate adaptation in California. The first hearing was focused mainly on state efforts to adapt to climate change impacts. Subsequent hearings focused on regional climate adaptation efforts, with hearings being held in the bay area, central valley, and southern California.
   
   Testimony also underscored the current and worsening impacts from climate change and the need for coordinating knowledge, tools, and funding so that adaptation is approached efficiently and holistically across government levels and regions.
   
   Taken together, these hearings highlighted the broad, cross-sector nature of climate change, which has been called a “threat multiplier,” exacerbating existing public health and environmental quality concerns, particularly for already socially and economically disadvantaged communities. Prior to this, policy conversations about climate adaptation were largely limited to natural resources and infrastructure issues rather than environmental quality or public health issues.
   
7. Environmental Quality and Public Health Impacts of a Changing Climate.
   
   1. Higher Temperatures and Air Quality. Climate change is already causing higher temperatures state-wide, and more frequent and hotter days will lead to worse air quality through increased amounts of ground-level pollutants such as ozone. An analysis of power plants in California showed a 3% increase in NOx emissions per degree Fahrenheit increase in daily temperature (Drechsler et al., 2006). This is due to a variety of factors, including increased energy use to run indoor air conditioning systems.
      
      Higher temperatures and heat waves also increase heat-related illness and death, including 650 deaths in California during heat wave in 2006. Heat waves also directly lead to immediate public health concerns, particularly for those people without either access to air conditioning or enough money to pay for running an air conditioner even if they have access to one.
      
      Extreme events, such as wildfires, can affect air quality by leading to increased concentrations of Particulate Matter (PM), which has been linked to premature death in people with heart and lung disease, as well as aggravating asthma and respiratory symptoms. Scientific modeling has predicted 12-53% increase in large California wildfires by 2100 (Westerling and Bryant, 2006).
      
   2. Water Quality. In many regions, hydrological systems are being altered by changes in precipitation and snow pack. Reductions in the Sierra Nevada snowpack are expected from higher temperatures, leading to diminished water reserves. Because of these dwindling water reserves, groundwater pumping may continue to increase and result in an increased concentration of pollutants in drinking water.
      
      For example, nitrate contamination of drinking water, already an acute problem in many areas in the Central Valley, may be further exacerbated, resulting in a much higher fraction of residents who are not able to drink water safely from their tap.
      
      Though overall rain amounts will be reduced, rainfall events are expected to be more extreme, which can overwhelm sewage and water treatment facilities, resulting in decreased water quality.
      
      In coastal areas, rising sea levels can lead to increased salinity in coastal aquifers. Higher salinity of water has reduced usability for both drinking water and agricultural purposes, and desalination procedures are energy-intensive and costly.
      
   3. Infectious and Vector-borne Diseases and Public Health Impacts. Climate change can further lead to public health impacts by facilitating disease spread and exacerbating chronic health conditions. Already, California has seen an increase in the length of the growing season and pollen production amounts of ragweed, a common cause of severe seasonal allergies.
      
      Increased temperatures can promote bacterial contamination in foods and lead to increases in harmful algal blooms that have been tied to skin, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and neurological signs and symptoms.
      
      Reductions in the number and sizes of recreational bodies of water due to decreased rainfall can further lead to increased concentration of pollutants and bacterial contaminants from more users in fewer and smaller areas.
      
      There is concern about the spread of vector-borne diseases, as the distribution of vectors (e.g. ticks, mosquitoes) carrying pathogens spread into new habitats as regional climates change. Droughts, which will increase with climate change, can also favor mosquito breeding because streams that would normally be flowing become a series of stagnant pools in which mosquitoes breed. For example, previous research has shown that human outbreaks of the mosquito-transmitted Saint Louis encephalitis are correlated with periods of several days when the temperature exceeds 30°C (95°F), as has been the case in previous California epidemics (Githeko et al. 2000).
      
      In addition to expanding habitats, hot temperatures also facilitate the spread of West Nile Virus (WNV) by speeding up both the replication of the virus and the development of the mosquito that carries it. Mosquitoes digest blood meals more rapidly at higher temperatures, leading them to feed more often.
      
   4. Impacts on Agriculture. In addition to the effects of drought and severe weather events, climate change can further threaten food production and quality by facilitating diseases spreading to crops from vectors and pests. Combating these threats to food security will likely require increased use of pesticides and fertilizers, which leads to increased GHG emissions and concerns about human health and water quality from runoff and drift. In times of food insecurity and rising prices, people turn to nutrient-poor, calorie-rich foods with health impacts including malnutrition and obesity.
      
8. Adapting to the Environmental Quality and Public Health Impacts of a Changing Climate. In order to address the environmental quality and public health impacts and challenges of climate change, Senator Wieckowski authored SB 246 (Wieckowski, Chapter 606, Statutes of 2015). This legislation established a framework for adaptation coordination among state agencies by creating a program within the state’s Office of Planning and Research to bring together state, regional, and local entities. The bill also created a central hub, or clearinghouse, of information and tools to help stakeholders efficiently address adaptation.
   
   The bill also formed an advisory council to provide scientific and technical expertise, and regional and local perspectives, to assist state agencies. The advisory council was just established and consists of 17 non state-affiliated and five agency-affiliated scientific and technical experts. The first meeting of the advisory council is scheduled for March 27, 2017.

Comments

1. Purpose of Bill. According to the author, “among other things, my Senate Bill 246 from 2015 required the Office of Planning and Research to create a climate adaptation clearinghouse. The clearinghouse is intended to be a centralized source of information that provides available climate data to guide decisionmakers at state, regional, and local levels when planning for and implementing climate adaptation projects to promote resiliency to climate change. This was particularly important at the time because climate adaptation efforts were largely focused on natural resources issues, such as protecting coastal communities from sea-level rise, and did not focus on the environmental quality and public health impacts of our changing climate, such as diminished air quality and increased incidences of vector-borne illnesses. Additionally, California local governments were working individually to asses and adopt policy changes to become more resilient.
   
   “OPR is currently working on a new release of the clearinghouse, and SB 1401 simply ensures that as that OPR seeks feedback from users to maximize the efficacy and usefulness of the clearinghouse as that version—and newer ones—are released.”

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

SUPPORT: (Verified 5/7/18)

None received

OPPOSITION: (Verified 5/7/18)

None received

Prepared by:

5/9/18 14:16:51

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER

Senator Robert Hertzberg, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular

Bill No: SB 1401 Hearing Date: April 24, 2018

Subject: Climate change: climate adaptation information: clearinghouse

BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW

Existing law establishes the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) in the Office of the Governor.  OPR shall “serve the Governor and his or her Cabinet as staff for long-range planning and research, and constitute the comprehensive state planning agency” (Government Code §65040), and is required to fulfill various duties.

Recently, the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program (program) was established under the auspices of OPR (SB 246 (Wieckowski, Chapter 606, Statutes of 2015). One element of the program is the creation of an advisory council to OPR and the advisory council is required to support OPR’s goals, as specified, to facilitate coordination among state, regional, and local agency efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change (Public Resources Code (PRC) §71358). The membership of the advisory council is specified to include a diverse range of disciplines and from regional and local governments and entities.

Existing law requires the OPR to coordinate with appropriate entities to establish a clearinghouse for climate adaptation information for use by state, regional, and local entities. On the program’s web-site, OPR states that it is “collaborating with State agency partners, local and regional governments, and communities across the state to provide relevant and timely resources that advance climate adaptation and resiliency efforts throughout the state and beyond.”

OPR has released a “beta” version of the clearinghouse’s web-site (http://resilientca.org/) and feedback from visitors to the site is actively solicited (there is a pop-up screen). Feedback is also solicited from visitors to the program’s web-site for items to be included in the clearinghouse.

PROPOSED LAW

This bill would require OPR to seek feedback from entities that use the clearinghouse to maximize the efficacy and usefulness of the clearinghouse.

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT

According to the author, “[a]mong other things, my Senate Bill 246 from 2015 required the Office of Planning and Research to create a climate adaptation clearinghouse. The clearinghouse is intended to be a centralized source of information that provides available climate data to guide decisionmakers at state, regional, and local levels when planning for and implementing climate adaptation projects to promote resiliency to climate change. This was particularly important at the time because climate adaptation efforts were largely focused on natural resources issues, such as protecting coastal communities from sea-level rise, and ignored the environmental quality and public health impacts of our changing climate, such as diminished air quality and increased incidences of vector-borne illnesses.”

“OPR is currently working on a new release of the clearinghouse, and SB 1401 simply ensures that as OPR seeks feedback from users to maximize efficacy and usefulness of the clearinghouse as that version – and newer ones – are released.”

ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION

None received.

COMMENTS

Does seeking feedback need to be formalized? Existing law clearly envisions the ongoing evolution of the clearinghouse and its contents (see, for example, PRC §71360 (b) which requires regular updates to the clearinghouse). Further, there is repeated direction to OPR to coordinate and work with various specified stakeholders to ensure the program and clearinghouse meet their established goals. The required meetings with the advisory council also provide a forum for clearinghouse discussion. Implicit in all of these activities is user feedback. The utility of the clearinghouse would be potentially impaired otherwise. It would be inconsistent with its statutory goals and ability to meet its statutory goals should OPR decide to stop its efforts to solicit feedback.

Future amendments. Should the Committee pass this bill out of Committee today and should the bill’s contents change substantively thereafter, the Committee may wish to return the bill to Committee for re-hearing.

SUPPORT

None Received

OPPOSITION

None Received

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Senator Wieckowski, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular

Bill No: SB 1401

SUBJECT: Climate change: climate adaptation information: clearinghouse

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Establishes the Strategic Growth Council (SGC). (Public Resources Code (PRC) §75121)
   
2. Requires the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to serve the Governor and Cabinet as staff for long-range planning and research, constituting the comprehensive state planning agency, with a focus on factors influencing the quality of the state’s environment. (Government Code (GOV) §65040)
   
3. Establishes an advisory council to support OPR by providing scientific and technical support and to facilitate coordination among state, regional, and local agency efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change. (PRC §71358)
   
4. Requires the Director of OPR to coordinate regional and local efforts with state climate adaptation strategies with, to the extent feasible, an emphasis on climate equity and strategies that benefit both Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reductions and adaptation efforts. (PRC §71354). Requires the Program to include:
   
   1. Working with and coordinating local and regional adaptation efforts, including developing tools and guidance, promoting and coordinating state agency support, and informing state-led programs, planning processes, grant programs, and guidelines development through regular coordination among state agencies, the Climate Action Team (CAT) established by Executive Order S-3-05, and the SGC.
      
   2. Assisting the Office of Emergency Services (OES) and other relevant agencies with coordinating regular reviews and updates to the Adaptation Planning Guide (APG).
      
   3. Conducting regular meetings with the advisory council as established.
      
   4. Coordinating and maintaining the state’s clearinghouse for climate adaptation information.
      

This bill:

Requires OPR to seek feedback from entities that use the clearinghouse to maximize the efficacy and usefulness of the clearinghouse.

Background

1. The Strategic Growth Council (SGC). The SGC was established in 2008 by SB 732 (Steinberg, Chapter 729, Statutes of 2008) and is responsible for coordinating a variety of state programs and activities related to sustainable communities and the environment. The Council is comprised of ten members:
   
   1. The Director of OPR,
   2. The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency (CNRA),
   3. The Secretary of Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA),
   4. The Secretary of Transportation,
   5. The Secretary of Health and Human Services,
   6. The Secretary of Business, Consumer Services, and Housing,
   7. The Secretary of Department of Food and Agriculture,
   8. Three public members, one each being appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, the Senate Committee on Rules, and the Governor.
      
2. Office of Planning and Research (OPR). OPR serves the governor and the administration as staff for long-range planning, research, policy development and legislative analysis. The office formulates plans regarding land use, climate change, urban expansion, infrastructure development and resource protection while acting as a liaison to local governments, small businesses and the military.
   
3. Mitigation vs. Adaptation. There are many state and local policies designed to reduce GHG emissions because deep and severe cuts in global GHG emissions are needed to avoid the most severe consequences of a changing climate. While these efforts are crucial, they will not be enough to stave off climate change entirely. Even if all GHG emissions ceased today, many impacts of climate change would still be unavoidable because the climate system changes slowly. Not only has climate change already occurred, it will continue to happen for generations to come, even under the best of circumstances.
   
   Adapting to the irreversibly changing climate is crucial for public health, environmental quality, natural resources protection, food stability, infrastructure maintenance, and withstanding severe weather events like heavier rains, heat waves, and drought.
   
4. Executive Orders Relating to State Agencies and Adaptation. In 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger issued Executive Order S-3-05, which established GHG emission reduction targets, created the CAT, and directed the Secretary of CalEPA to coordinate efforts to meet the targets with the heads of other state agencies. The Order required the Secretary to report back to the Governor and Legislature biannually on progress toward meeting the GHG targets, GHG impacts to California, as well as mitigation and adaptation plans.
   
   In 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger issued Executive Order S-13-08, which directed state agencies to plan for climate impacts specifically from sea level rise. It further directed the CNRA, through the CAT, to coordinate the California Climate Adaptation Strategy by June 2009, noting “California must begin now to adapt and build our resiliency to coming climate changes through a thoughtful and sensible approach with local, regional, state and federal government using the best available science.”
   
   In 2015, Governor Brown issued Executive Order B-30-15, which, in addition to setting GHG-related goals, directed the CNRA to update the Plan every three years and include vulnerabilities to climate change by sector and region, as specified, outline primary risks and priority actions regarding climate change impacts, and identification of lead agencies for each sector, which then report back to the CNRA on their actions taken. The Order further directed state agencies to take climate change into account in planning and investment decisions, guided by specified principles, and directs OPR to establish a technical, advisory group to help state agencies in their efforts.
   
5. California’s Adaptation Documents. The 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy is a statewide strategy that includes a summary of impacts from climate change, provides recommendations for adaptation strategies in seven sectors, and provides guidance for establishing adaptation and resiliency actions for the state.
   
   The 2014 Safeguarding California Plan is an update that augments adaptation strategies based on new climate science and risk management options.
   
   The 2012 California APG, prepared and promoted by OPR, the CNRA, and OES, was designed to provide guidance and support for local governments and regional collaborations in addressing the impacts of climate change. The guide consists of an overview document and three companion documents for use in defining local and regional impacts, understanding regional characteristics, and identifying adaptation strategies. The guide is meant to allow for flexibility in time, money, and effort available for adaptation across communities.
   
6. Legislative Hearings on Climate Adaptation. In 2015, the Senate Environmental Quality Committee conducted four informational and oversight hearings on climate adaptation in California. The first hearing was focused mainly on state efforts to adapt to climate change impacts. Subsequent hearings focused on regional climate adaptation efforts, with hearings being held in the bay area, central valley, and southern California.
   
   Testimony also underscored the current and worsening impacts from climate change and the need for coordinating knowledge, tools, and funding so that adaptation is approached efficiently and holistically across government levels and regions.
   
   Taken together, these hearings highlighted the broad, cross-sector nature of climate change, which has been called a “threat multiplier,” exacerbating existing public health and environmental quality concerns, particularly for already socially and economically disadvantaged communities. Prior to this, policy conversations about climate adaptation were largely limited to natural resources and infrastructure issues rather than environmental quality or public health issues.
   
7. Environmental Quality and Public Health Impacts of a Changing Climate.
   
   1. Higher Temperatures and Air Quality. Climate change is already causing higher temperatures state-wide, and more frequent and hotter days will lead to worse air quality through increased amounts of ground-level pollutants such as ozone. An analysis of power plants in California showed a 3% increase in NOx emissions per degree Fahrenheit increase in daily temperature (Drechsler et al., 2006). This is due to a variety of factors, including increased energy use to run indoor air conditioning systems.
      
      Higher temperatures and heat waves also increase heat-related illness and death, including 650 deaths in California during heat wave in 2006. Heat waves also directly lead to immediate public health concerns, particularly for those people without either access to air conditioning or enough money to pay for running an air conditioner even if they have access to one.
      
      Extreme events, such as wildfires, can affect air quality by leading to increased concentrations of Particulate Matter (PM), which has been linked to premature death in people with heart and lung disease, as well as aggravating asthma and respiratory symptoms. Scientific modeling has predicted 12-53% increase in large California wildfires by 2100 (Westerling and Bryant, 2006).
      
   2. Water Quality. In many regions, hydrological systems are being altered by changes in precipitation and snow pack. Reductions in the Sierra Nevada snowpack are expected from higher temperatures, leading to diminished water reserves. Because of these dwindling water reserves, groundwater pumping may continue to increase and result in an increased concentration of pollutants in drinking water.
      
      For example, nitrate contamination of drinking water, already an acute problem in many areas in the Central Valley, may be further exacerbated, resulting in a much higher fraction of residents who are not able to drink water safely from their tap.
      
      Though overall rain amounts will be reduced, rainfall events are expected to be more extreme, which can overwhelm sewage and water treatment facilities, resulting in decreased water quality.
      
      In coastal areas, rising sea levels can lead to increased salinity in coastal aquifers. Higher salinity of water has reduced usability for both drinking water and agricultural purposes, and desalination procedures are energy-intensive and costly.
      
   3. Infectious and Vector-borne Diseases and Public Health Impacts. Climate change can further lead to public health impacts by facilitating disease spread and exacerbating chronic health conditions. Already, California has seen an increase in the length of the growing season and pollen production amounts of ragweed, a common cause of severe seasonal allergies.
      
      Increased temperatures can promote bacterial contamination in foods and lead to increases in harmful algal blooms that have been tied to skin, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and neurological signs and symptoms.
      
      Reductions in the number and sizes of recreational bodies of water due to decreased rainfall can further lead to increased concentration of pollutants and bacterial contaminants from more users in fewer and smaller areas.
      
      There is concern about the spread of vector-borne diseases, as the distribution of vectors (e.g. ticks, mosquitoes) carrying pathogens spread into new habitats as regional climates change. Droughts, which will increase with climate change, can also favor mosquito breeding because streams that would normally be flowing become a series of stagnant pools in which mosquitoes breed. For example, previous research has shown that human outbreaks of the mosquito-transmitted Saint Louis encephalitis are correlated with periods of several days when the temperature exceeds 30°C (95°F), as has been the case in previous California epidemics (Githeko et al. 2000).
      
      In addition to expanding habitats, hot temperatures also facilitate the spread of West Nile Virus (WNV) by speeding up both the replication of the virus and the development of the mosquito that carries it. Mosquitoes digest blood meals more rapidly at higher temperatures, leading them to feed more often.
      
   4. Impacts on Agriculture. In addition to the effects of drought and severe weather events, climate change can further threaten food production and quality by facilitating diseases spreading to crops from vectors and pests. Combating these threats to food security will likely require increased use of pesticides and fertilizers, which leads to increased GHG emissions and concerns about human health and water quality from runoff and drift. In times of food insecurity and rising prices, people turn to nutrient-poor, calorie-rich foods with health impacts including malnutrition and obesity.
      
8. Adapting to the Environmental Quality and Public Health Impacts of a Changing Climate. In order to address the environmental quality and public health impacts and challenges of climate change, Senator Wieckowski authored SB 246 (Wieckowski, Chapter 606, Statutes of 2015). This legislation established a framework for adaptation coordination among state agencies by creating a program within the state’s Office of Planning and Research to bring together state, regional, and local entities. The bill also created a central hub, or clearinghouse, of information and tools to help stakeholders efficiently address adaptation.
   
   The bill also formed an advisory council to provide scientific and technical expertise, and regional and local perspectives, to assist state agencies. The advisory council was just established and consists of 17 non state-affiliated and five agency-affiliated scientific and technical experts. The first meeting of the advisory council is scheduled for March 27, 2017.

Comments

1. Purpose of Bill. According to the Author, “among other things, my Senate Bill 246 from 2015 required the Office of Planning and Research to create a climate adaptation clearinghouse. The clearinghouse is intended to be a centralized source of information that provides available climate data to guide decisionmakers at state, regional, and local levels when planning for and implementing climate adaptation projects to promote resiliency to climate change. This was particularly important at the time because climate adaptation efforts were largely focused on natural resources issues, such as protecting coastal communities from sea-level rise, and did not focus on the environmental quality and public health impacts of our changing climate, such as diminished air quality and increased incidences of vector-borne illnesses. Additionally, California local governments were working individually to asses and adopt policy changes to become more resilient.
   
   “OPR is currently working on a new release of the clearinghouse, and SB 1401 simply ensures that as that OPR seeks feedback from users to maximize the efficacy and usefulness of the clearinghouse as that version—and newer ones—are released.”
   
2. Continuity. OPR, as an extension of the Governor’s office, serves the governor and the administration as staff for long-range planning, research, policy development and legislative analysis. Among other things, OPR formulates plans regarding land use, climate change, and climate adaptation.
   
   Staffing at OPR is dependent on each Governor. In order to ensure continuity of legislative priorities for which OPR is responsible, statute that provides OPR staff with direction will help ensure continuity.
   

Related/Prior Legislation

SB 246 (Wieckowski, Chapter 606, Statutes of 2015) established the Climate Advisory Council, with a range of experience, to support OPR by providing scientific and technical support and to facilitate coordination among state, regional, and local agency efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

AB 1482 (Gordon, Chapter 603, Statutes of 2015) requires the CNRA to regularly update the Safeguarding California Plan, requires state agencies to maximize specified objectives across sector vulnerabilities, and requires the SGC review activities and funding to meet the priorities of the Plan.

SB 379 (Jackson, Chapter 608, Statutes of 2015) requires local jurisdictions to include climate vulnerability and adaptation considerations in their general plan updates.

SB 1217 (Leno, 2014) would have required the CNRA and SGC to prepare a climate risk assessment and strategy evaluating California’s vulnerability and risk for climate change impacts and to identify and prioritize climate resiliency projects. SB 1217 died in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 2329 (Ruskin/Chesbro, 2010) would have enacted the CAT Act of 2010 to coordinate oversight of state agency efforts to meet GHG reduction targets, including development and implementation of mitigation and adaptation plans. AB 2329 failed on the Senate Floor.

SB 721 (Steinberg, 2009) was a reintroduction of SB 1760 (Perata, 2008), which was vetoed. SB 721 would also have required the CAT to biennially prepare and adopt a climate change impact mitigation and adaptation plan including specified information. SB 721 died in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

DOUBLE REFERRAL:

If this measure is approved by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, the do pass motion must include the action to re-refer the bill to the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee.

SOURCE:

Author

SUPPORT:

None on file

OPPOSITION:

None on file

-- END --