Date of Hearing: June 2, 2020

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 3256

Author:(Eduardo Garcia) – As Amended Ver:May 18, 2020

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill places a $6.98 billion general obligation bond (Bond) on the November 3, 2020, statewide ballot for voter approval to finance projects for economic recovery, wildfire prevention, safe drinking water, climate resilience, drought preparation and flood protection. Specifically, this bill:

1. Specifies that proceeds of the $6.98 billion in bonds issued by this bill be allocated according to the following schedule:
   
   1. $1.625 billion for wildfire prevention and climate risk reduction.
   2. $1.1 billion for the protection of coastal lands, bays, and oceans from climate risks.
   3. $1.355 billion for the protection of California’s water supplies from multiyear droughts, reducing flood risk from extreme events and providing safe drinking water.
   4. $1.3 billion for the protection of California’s wildlife, biodiversity, fisheries, and working and agricultural lands from climate risks.
   5. $1.6 billion to for climate resilience projects tailored to the state’s unique regions.
2. Requires an administering state agency to prioritize projects that leverage private, federal and local funding or create the greatest public benefit.
   
3. Requires projects funded by the Bond to include signage informing the public the project received funding from the Bond.
   
4. Specifies not more than 5% of the funds allocated for a program may be used for administrative costs of the program.
   
5. Requires the Department of Finance to provide for an independent audit of expenditures of the Bond.
   
6. Specifies that any moneys allocated by the Bond that are not encumbered or expended by the recipient entity within the time period specified by the administering agency will revert to the administering agency for allocation consistent with purposes of that portion of the Bond.
   
7. Requires every administering agency to report to the Legislature annually in the budget on its expenditure of Bond funds and the associated public benefits.
   
8. Authorizes the administering state agency to provide advanced payments in the amount of 25% of the grant award to the recipient.
   
9. Establishes the Economic Recovery, Wildfire Prevention, Safe Drinking Water, Drought Preparation and Flood Protection committee (Committee) consisting of the Director of Finance, the Treasurer, the Controller, and the Secretary of the NRA.
   
10. Requires the Committee to determine whether it is necessary or desirable to issue bonds authorized by this bill and, if so, the amount of bonds to be issued and sold.
    
11. Suspends the deadline for adoption of this bill to be placed on the November 3, 2020 election.

FISCAL EFFECT:

1. Total principal and interest costs of approximately $11.25 billion to pay off the bonds ($6.98 billion in principal and $4.27 billion in interest), with average annual debt service payments of $375 million (General Fund), when all bonds are sold, and assuming a 30-year maturity and an interest rate of 3.5%
2. One-time costs in the range of $415,000 to $550,000 to the Secretary of State (SOS) for printing and mailing costs to place the measure on the ballot in the November 2020 statewide election. (General Fund).

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author:

Climate change poses a significant threat to all Californians and requires a comprehensive approach in mitigating its impact on the state’s public health, agriculture, disadvantaged and coastal communities, forestry, economy, infrastructure, and waterways. Too often, disadvantaged communities do not have the means to fund and prepare environmental projects in their respective regions, which ultimately furthers their equability in climate change readiness. If approved, AB 3256 seeks to put before California voters a general obligation bond to fund various climate resilience projects throughout the state that ensure access to water during multiyear droughts, reduce flood risks, improve forest health, restore natural lands and ecosystems, and protect the state’s farmlands. As we continue to move forward as a collective state, it’s imperative that California provide the necessary resources for its communities, especially disadvantaged communities, to lessen the impact of climate change, become more resilient to its effects, and provide locals green infrastructure jobs.

1. Other Bonds. The Governor proposed a $4.75 billion climate resilience bond for the November 2020 ballot in the in the January budget, however, following the COVID 19 pandemic and ensuing recession, the Governor withdrew this proposal.

SB 45 (Allen) proposes the Wildfire Prevention, Safe Drinking Water, Drought Preparation, and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2020, subject to voter approval in the November 3, 2020, statewide general election. This bill proposes a $5.51 billion general obligation bond. SB 45 is in the Assembly Rules Committee.

1. Urgency Clause. The author is proposing an amendment to add an urgency clause.

Analysis Prepared by: Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: May 13, 2020

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Laura Friedman, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 3256 (

Author:Eduardo Garcia) – As Amended Ver:May 4, 2020

SUBJECT: Wildfire Prevention, Safe Drinking Water, Climate Resilience, Drought Preparation, and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2020

SUMMARY: Proposes the Wildfire Prevention, Safe Drinking Water, Climate Resilience, Drought Preparation and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2020 (Bond), subject to voter approval in the November 3, 2020, statewide general election. This bill proposes the issuance of $6.98 billion in general obligation bonds to implement its provisions.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Requires, except under certain circumstances, a two-thirds vote of the Legislature, and a majority vote of the people in an election, before the state may issue a general obligation bond.
   
2. Prescribes the state’s responsibilities regarding the issuance and sale of general obligation bonds.
   
3. Authorizes general obligation bonds that the state pays out of general revenues and that are guaranteed by the state's full faith and credit.
   
4. Establishes the Natural Resources Agency (NRA) and declares its mission is to restore, protect, and manage the state's natural, historical, and cultural resources for current and future generations using creative approaches and solutions based on science, collaboration, and respect for all communities and interests involved.
   
5. Provides—pursuant to SB 5 (de León, Chapter 852, Statutes of 2017), which was approved by the voters in the form of Proposition 68, known as the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018—a general obligation bond of $4 billion for resources-focused projects.
   
6. Requires the NRA to update its climate adaptation strategy, the Safeguarding California Plan (Plan), by July 1, 2017, and every three years thereafter, by coordinating adaptation activities among lead state agencies in each sector.
7. Establishes the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program (ICARP) to coordinate regional, local and state efforts to adapt to climate change. Requires ICARP to:
   1. Pursue an emphasis on climate equity across sectors and strategies that benefit both greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions and adaptation efforts;
   2. Require program efforts including, but not limited to, working with and coordinating local and regional efforts for climate adaptation and resilience; and,
8. Maintain a continued data clearinghouse on climate change and climate adaptation for the purposes of facilitating educated state and local policy decisions.
   

THIS BILL:

1. Requires, when expending funds from the Bond, an administering state agency to prioritize projects that leverage private, federal, and local funding or create the greatest public benefit.
   
2. Requires that projects funded by the Bond include signage informing the public that the project received funding from the Bond.
   
3. Specifies that not more than 5% of the funds allocated for a program funded by the Bond can be used to pay the administrative costs of the program.
   
4. Requires the Department of Finance to provide for an independent audit of expenditures of the Bond.
   
5. Specifies that any moneys allocated by the Bond that are not encumbered or expended by the recipient entity within the time period specified by the administering agency will revert to the administering agency for allocation consistent with purposes of that portion of the Bond.
   
6. Requires any agency receiving funding to administer a grant program from Bond funding to report to the Legislature annually in the budget on its expenditure of Bond funds and the associated public benefits.
   
7. Authorizes, for grants awarded for projects that serve a disadvantaged community or severely disadvantaged community, the administering state agency to provide advanced payments in the amount of 25% of the grant award to the recipient.
   
8. Establishes the Wildfire Prevention, Safe Drinking Water, Climate Resilience, Drought Preparation and Flood Protection Fund (Fund) and requires proceeds of bonds issued and sold to de deposited into the Fund. Requires the Fund to be available, upon appropriation, for the purposes of the Bond.
   
9. Specifies that proceeds of the $6.98 billion in bonds issued by this bill be allocated according to the following schedule:
   
   1. $1.625 billion for wildfire prevention and climate risk reduction, as follows;
      
      1. $500 million to the Office of Emergency Services for a prehazard mitigation grant program to prevent wildfires and reduce the risk of wildfires to communities by increasing community hardening.
         
      2. $300 million to the NRA’s Regional Fire and Forest Capacity Program to increase regional capacity to prioritize, develop, and implement projects that improve forest health and fire resilience.
         
      3. $300 million to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to support various long-term forest health projects.
         
      4. $300 million to the NRA for watershed improvement projects that include the use of prescribed fire and improve water supply or water quality.
         
      5. $50 million to CAL FIRE to provide funding to fire safe councils, nongovernmental organizations with demonstrated expertise, and resource conservation districts for the purchase of large equipment necessary to conduct fuel reduction and forest health projects.
         
      6. $75 million to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy for forest health and watershed improvement.
         
      7. $50 million to the Air Resources Board to convert forest and other vegetation waste removed for wildfire mitigation to beneficial uses that maximize the reductions in GHG emission reductions.
         
      8. $50 million to the Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) to plan for and implement projects to reduce the risks of fire and for the fire hardening of infrastructure for units of the state park system.
         
   2. $1.1 billion for the protection of coastal lands, bays, and oceans from climate risks, as follows:
      
      1. $300 million to the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) for projects to protect, restore, and increase the resilience of beaches, bays, coastal dunes, wetlands, coastal forests, and coastal watershed resources.
         
      2. $150 million to the SCC for competitive grants for demonstration and pilot projects that use natural infrastructure to protect critical infrastructure that is vulnerable to sea level rise and flooding.
         
      3. $100 million to the SCC for grants to remove outdated or obsolete dams and water infrastructure.
         
      4. $50 million to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission for grants for local adaptation planning and updating local coastal programs.
         
      5. $200 million to the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) for the protection of coastal lands, bays, and oceans from climate risks.
         
      6. $200 million to either the SCC, the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), or the OPC for competitive grants to restore or enhance coastal and ocean ecosystems.
         
      7. $50 million to State Parks to plan for and implement projects to reduce the risks of sea level rise for units of the state park system.
         
   3. $1.355 billion for the protection of California’s water supplies from multiyear droughts, reducing flood risk from extreme events and providing safe drinking water, as follows:
      
      1. $395 million to the Department of Water Resources for competitive grants for projects that support sustainable groundwater implementation.
         
      2. $360 million to the SWRCB for competitive grants or loans to help provide clean, safe, and reliable drinking water to all Californians.
         
      3. $400 million for the protection and restoration of rivers, lakes, and streams to improve climate resilience, water supplies, water quality, and other benefits.
         
      4. $150 million for flood management projects that are components of multiple benefit flood management system improvements that reduce risks to public safety and provide improvement to wildlife habitat.
         
      5. $50 million to the Central Valley Flood Protection Board for further development of the State Plan of Flood Control.
         
   4. $1.3 billion for the protection of California’s wildlife, biodiversity, fisheries, and working and agricultural lands from climate risks, as follows:
      
      1. $400 million to the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) for the protection of California’s fish and wildlife resources in response to changing climate conditions.
         
      2. $100 million to the WCB for groundwater sustainability projects that provide wildlife habitat.
         
      3. $100 million to the DFW to improve the climate resilience of fish and wildlife habitat.
         
      4. $500 million to the NRA for allocation to the state’s 10 conservancies based on each conservancy’s climate resiliency plan.
         
      5. $150 million to the Department of Food and Agriculture (DFA) for improvements in climate resilience of agricultural lands and ecosystem health.
         
      6. $50 million to the Department of Conservation for projects for the protection, restoration, and enhancement of farmland and rangeland.
         
   5. $1.6 billion for regional climate resilience projects that address multiple risks, as follows:
      
      1. $1.3 billion to the Strategic Growth Council (SGC) for local governments or regional collaboratives to implement the highest priority projects identified in qualified local or regional climate adaptation plans.
         
      2. $200 million to SGC for a competitive grant program to reduce urban heat island impacts.
         
      3. $100 million to DFA for grants to fairgrounds for upgrades that improve their capacity to serve as multirole community, staging, and evacuation centers.
         
10. Establishes the Wildfire Prevention, Safe Drinking Water, Climate Resilience, Drought Preparation and Flood Protection committee (Committee) consisting of the Director of Finance, the Treasurer, the Controller, and the Secretary of the NRA.
    
11. Requires the Committee to determine whether or not it is necessary or desirable to issue bonds authorized by this bill and, if so, the amount of bonds to be issued and sold.
    
12. Requires this bill be submitted by the Secretary of State (SOS) to the voters in the November 3, 2020, statewide general election. Suspends the deadline for adoption of this bill to be placed on the November 3, 2020 election.

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS:

1. Author’s statement:

Climate change poses a significant threat to all Californians and requires a comprehensive approach in mitigating its impact on the state’s public health, agriculture, disadvantaged and coastal communities, forestry, economy, infrastructure, and waterways. Too often, disadvantaged communities do not have the means to fund and prepare environmental projects in their respective regions, which ultimately furthers their equability in climate change readiness. If approved, AB 3256 seeks to put before California voters a general obligation bond to fund various climate resilience projects throughout the state that ensure access to water during multiyear droughts, reduce flood risks, improve forest health, restore natural lands and ecosystems, and protect the state’s farmlands. As we continue to move forward as a collective state, it’s imperative that California provide the necessary resources for its communities, especially disadvantaged communities, to lessen the impact of climate change, become more resilient to its effects, and provide locals green infrastructure jobs.

1. Adaptation/Resilience. According to the Fourth Climate Change Assessment, California is one of the most “climate-challenged” regions of North America and must actively plan and implement strategies to prepare for and adapt to extreme events and shifts in previously “normal” averages. The report stated that climate change impacts are here, including the following impacts:
   1. Temperatures are warming, heat waves are more frequent, and precipitation has become increasingly variable.
   2. Glaciers in the Sierra Nevada have lost an average of 70% of their area since the start of the 20th century.
   3. The sea level along the central and southern California coast has risen more than 5.9 inches over the 20th century. Recently, even moderate tides and storms have produced extremely high sea levels—La Jolla’s all time highest sea level occurred in November 2015 under a high astronomical tide and a moderate storm.

Climate risks in California include sea level rise, changes in precipitation that increase the risk of both drought and flooding, and increases in temperatures that can affect air quality and habitat.

During 2017 and 2018, California experienced the largest fires ever recorded in its history. In 2017, over 1.3 million acres burned in high-severity wildfires and over 10,000 structures were destroyed. In 2018, over 1.8 million acres burned and over 22,700 structures were destroyed. Over one hundred Californians have died from wildfires over those two years. Over 95% of the structures lost in those two years were residences. Increased severity and length of wildfire seasons has been attributed to the climate change impacts of reduced humidity and precipitation and increased temperatures.

A significant challenge in understanding and addressing the impacts of climate change is California’s natural and historic climate experiences of drought, flooding, wildfires, and heat waves. Climate change exacerbates many of California’s normal climate issues. This creates confusion about what solutions are truly addressing climate impacts versus dealing with historic issues caused by poor water management, bad land use decisions, and low-severity fire exclusion. However, there is also a benefit that California has a long history of working on some of these issues.

California has been a leader in reducing its GHG emissions. However, many other jurisdictions have not taken significant steps to reduce their GHG emissions, and the federal government is taking actions that increase the United States’ GHG emissions. The level of climate impacts California will experience in the future will be the direct result of the global level of GHG emissions allowed now and in the future.

California has also been planning and taking steps to deal with the impacts of climate change for over 10 years. In 2009, the NRA described adaptation as a relatively new concept in California policy and stated the term means, “efforts that respond to the impacts of climate change – adjustments in natural or human systems to actual or expected climate changes to minimize harm or take advantage of beneficial opportunities.”

California’s adaptation efforts can be traced back to 2008, when Governor Schwarzenegger ordered the NRA, through the Climate Action Team, to coordinate with local, regional, state, federal, public, and private entities to develop, by 2009, the state’s Climate Adaptation Strategy. Governor Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order S-13-08 required the strategy to summarize the best known science on climate change impacts for California, assess California's vulnerability to the identified impacts, and outline solutions that can be implemented within and across state agencies to promote resiliency. As a result, NRA drafted The 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy. The state’s Climate Adaptation Strategy represents the work of seven sector-specific working groups led by 12 state agencies, boards, and commissions and numerous stakeholders. The state’s Climate Adaptation Strategy proposes a comprehensive set of recommendations designed to inform and guide California decision makers as they begin to develop policies that will protect the state, its residents, and its resources from a range of climate change impacts. In July of 2014, NRA released an update to the 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy, Safeguarding California: Reducing Climate Risk. AB 1482 (Gordon), Chapter 603, Statutes of 2015, required updates to the plan every three years, which was done last in 2018.

California is responding to these risks through various efforts, including the recently passed parks bond (Proposition 68) and water bond (Proposition 1), which allocated significant resources to adaptation, the SCC’s Climate Ready Program, and the Wildlife Conservation Board’s Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program. These programs provide funding for planning, preservation, and the creation of natural infrastructure. The use of natural infrastructure such as wetland/estuary restoration, living shorelines, and dune restoration projects offer opportunities to make the coast more resilient, sequester more carbon, and provide important habitat and recreational benefits.

The state has required local governments to include climate impacts in their general planning. The state also provides local governments with resources and information to plan for climate impacts through the ICARP.

In addition, the CCC has been working with coastal zone local governments to update their local coastal programs to address shoreline hazards and sea level rise. This has been done through grants to local governments. The CCC has also released a Sea Level Rise Policy Guidance document that provides an overview of best available science on sea level rise for California and recommended steps for addressing sea level rise in CCC planning and regulatory actions. This will help coastal local governments to make planning decisions that take sea level rise into account and identify infrastructure and property that is at risk.

In addition to the term climate adaptation, another term that has entered into the policy lexicon is the term “climate resilience”. In 2015, the state defined a resilient community in its successful application to the National Disaster Resilience Competition administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: A resilient community is able to resist and rapidly recover from disasters or other shocks with minimal outside assistance. Reducing current and future risk is essential to the long-term vitality, economic well-being, and security of all communities. By identifying future risk and vulnerabilities, resilient recovery planning can maximize preparedness, save lives, and bring benefits to a community long after recovery projects are complete.

The Fourth Climate Change Assessment defined “resilience” as the “capacity of any entity – an individual, a community, an organization, or a natural system – to prepare for disruptions, to recover from shocks and stresses, and to adapt and grow from a disruptive experience. Adaptation actions contribute to increasing resilience, which is a desired outcome or state of being.”

SB 45 (Allen, 2020) defines “resilience” as “the ability of an entity or system, including an individual, a community, or a natural system, and its component parts to absorb, accommodate, or recover from the effects of a hazardous event in a timely and efficient manner, including through ensuring the preservation, restoration, or improvement of its essential basic structures and functions. In the case of natural and working lands, resilience includes the preservation, restoration, or enhancement of the ability to sequester carbon.”

Californians understand that the climate is changing. However, many do not understand the terms “climate adaptation” or “resilience”. This bill uses the term climate resilience, but does not define it. It may be wise for the state to examine both terms, develop clear and concise definitions that can be used to educate the public, and build support for actions that increase the state’s ability to adapt and be resilient to climate change impacts.

1. AB 3256. This bill represents what would be the largest investment the state has ever made in adapting to the impacts of climate change. While this bill makes investments in natural resources protection and restoration and in the state’s water supply system, it is substantially different from past resource and water bonds, such as Propositions 68 and 1, because all of the investments in this bill are focused on projects to make California more resilient to climate change. In addition, this bill avoids identifying specific projects and allows administering agencies to select large, transformative projects of statewide or regional significance. The author of this bill has had numerous meetings with experts, the Administration, and the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) on this issue. In January, the Governor proposed a $4.75 billion climate resiliency bond and the Senate passed SB 45, a $5.51 billion climate resiliency bond. The Assembly’s proposal was ready in early March, but it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended California, causing immense human suffering, and has put state and local finances into a crisis. According to the Department of Finance, the economic disruption from the pandemic is expected to result in a recession and is having significant negative effects on state revenues. This raises concerns for California’s economy and its ability to pay the debt on additional bonds.

After selling general obligation bonds, the state makes regular payments until they are paid off, which typically takes a few decades. The state currently has about $80 billion of General Fund‑supported bonds on which it is making principal and interest payments each year. In addition, the voters and the Legislature have approved about $42 billion of General Fund‑supported bonds that have not yet been sold. These totals include bonds for natural resources purposes as well as other types of state programs. It is expected that these bonds will be sold in the coming years. The LAO estimates that the state currently is spending about $6 billion annually from the General Fund to repay bonds, representing about 4% of past annual General Fund revenues. Over $1 billion of these annual payments is associated with debt service for natural resources‑related bonds.

This bill is still a work in progress. There are on-going discussions about whether this bill should be amended to either add to or modify the eligible projects with a focus on the economic recovery needed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are some issues that should be considered when spending for economic recovery. Should this bill include specific shovel-ready projects that can be completed by workers deemed essential? Currently, the regional funding and conservancy funding in the bill is directed by plans meant to increase the impacts of those investments. Those investments may still be wise, but will take time to be expended, and therefore will spread out the economic impact of the bond spending over multiple years. In addition, many of the grant programs in the bill are competitive grants. Should administering agencies be able to directly award grants? Another consideration is the potential to leverage additional funds to magnify the investments. An example of this is the $500 million allocated for the prehazard mitigation grant program. In the Administration’s Budget Change Proposal to implement AB 38 (Wood), Chapter 391, Statutes of 2019, they expect a 3-1 federal match for similar prehazard mitigation work.

Decisions on changes to this bill will need to be made quickly. The last day for a legislative measure to qualify for the November 3, 2020 statewide general election ballot is June 25. This bill has provisions to go past that deadline and requires the SOS to print supplemental ballot information if needed. These provisions were not included in SB 5 (proposition 68), and if they are used, they will add costs and complication to the election. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic may reduce the ability of the SOS to place a measure on the ballot significantly after the deadline.

1. Comments from Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this bill has only been referred to this committee. The Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee has the following comments relating to this bill. Climate change is already impacting water and other resources in California and will continue to do so as California’s population increases. Climate change exacerbates droughts and floods, and decreases snowpack, which provides as much as a third of California’s water supply. The bond includes $1.355 billion for protecting water supply during multiyear droughts, ensuring access to safe drinking water, and providing protection from flood risks.

The bond allocates $400 million to OPC, SCC, DFW, and SWRCB for fisheries management, assisting coastal communities with climate change adaptation, and restoring or enhancing coastal and ocean ecosystems. While the relevant agencies are required to collaborate, the author may want to specify the types of restoration or enhancement projects each agency could fund.

State Parks owns and manages approximately one-third of California’s coastline. The bond includes $50 million for State Parks to plan for and implement projects to reduce the risks of sea level rise for units of the state park system.

The WCB approves and funds projects that set aside lands within the state for wildlife conservation and related public recreation, through acquisition or other means. The bond includes $400 million for WCB to protect California’s fish and wildlife resources in response to changing climate conditions, as well as for restoration and stewardship projects that restore or manage land or habitat to improve its resilience to climate impacts and natural disasters.

DFW manages over 1.1 million acres of land in California. The bond allocates $100 million for projects to improve the climate resilience of fish and wildlife habitat, which could include projects on DFW-managed lands or projects that would benefit fish and wildlife species.

1. Amendments. The author has requested that the committee add an urgency to this bill and change the title to add economic recovery. In addition to those author amendments the author and committee may wish to consider the following amendments:
   
   1. Define the following terms used in the bill: risk reduction buffer, natural infrastructure, and Water Resilience Portfolio;
      
   2. Move the definition of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to the definition section of the bill;
      
   3. Expand advance payment provisions to all projects;
      
   4. Clarify who administers specified allocations of funding;
      
   5. Clarify the amount of funding going to local government assistance based on climate adaptation action plans, including filling in the blanks in the bill; and,
      
   6. Other technical and clarifying amendments.
      
2. Related legislation.

AB 2371 (Friedman) requires the Strategic Growth Council (SGC) to establish a science advisory team to provide recommendations on climate adaptation priorities, scientific studies and models, guidelines for allocation of adaptation funding, monitoring metrics, and experimental adaptation projects. This bill will be heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on May 13, 2020.

AB 2619 (Stone) establishes the Coastal Resilience, Adaptation, and Access Program (Program) to spend 30% of revenue, money, and remittances derived from mineral extraction leases on state tide and submerged lands, including tidelands oil revenue, on activities intended to help the state prepare, plan, and implement actions to address and adapt to sea level rise and coastal climate change. This bill will be heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on May 13, 2020.

AB 2621 (Mullen) requires, on or before January 1, 2022, the SGC to develop guidelines that establish standards for how a regional climate network should develop a regional climate adaptation action plan to gain the approval of the SGC and to make recommendations on potential sources of financial assistance for the creation and implementation of plans. This bill will be heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on May 13, 2020.

SB 45 (Allen) proposes the Wildfire Prevention, Safe Drinking Water, Drought Preparation, and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2020, subject to voter approval in the November 3, 2020, statewide general election. This bill proposes the issuance of $5.51 billion in general obligation bonds to implement its provisions. This bill is pending referral in the Assembly.

SB 1100 (Atkins) creates the California Sea Level Rise State and Regional Support Collaborative to provide state and regional information to the public and support to local, regional, and other state agencies for the identification, assessment, and, where feasible, the mitigation of sea level rise. This bill makes other statutory changes related to sea level rise. This bill is awaiting hearing in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

American Forest Foundation
Big Sur Land Trust
Bioenergy Association of California
Bolsa Chica Land Trust
California Association of Resource Conservation Districts
California Climate & Agriculture Network
California Native Plant Society
California Outdoor Recreation Partners
California Park & Recreation Society
California State Parks Foundation
California Trout
California Urban Forests Council
Climate Resolve
Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California
East Bay Regional Park District
Mayor Eric Garcetti, City of Los Angeles
Mojave Desert Land Trust
North Coast Resource Partnership
Peninsula Open Space Trust
Professional Engineers in California Government
Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency
Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency
Salton Sea Authority
Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
Save the Bay
Sierra Business Council
Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Sonoma County Water Agency
Sonoma Land Trust
The Nature Conservancy
Together Bay Area
Trout Unlimited
Watershed Conservation Authority

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Michael Jarred / NAT. RES. /