SB 263: Climate Assistance Centers.

Existing law creates the Transformative Climate Communities Program, which is administered by the Strategic Growth Council. Existing law requires the council to award competitive grants to specified eligible entities for the development and implementation of neighborhood-level transformative climate community plans that include greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects that provide local economic, environmental, and health benefits to disadvantaged communities, as defined. Existing law requires the California Environmental Protection Agency to provide assistance in performing outreach to disadvantaged communities and assessing the environmental justice benefits of project awards.

This bill would require the council council, among other things, to establish no less than 10 regional climate assistance centers, as specified. specified, and award competitive grants to eligible entities through an application process, as specified. The bill would require the climate assistance centers to provide to target user groups technical assistance in applying for moneys, provide to target user groups assistance and training in project management and implementation, and work with local organizations to formulate policy ideas policies and programming that accomplish specified goals. The bill would authorize the council and climate assistance centers to solicit and accept nonstate money. The bill would require the council, among other things, to convene an annual statewide summit for climate assistance center staff and grant recipients, as specified. The bill would require the council and the State Air Resources Board to make a specified report to the Legislature.