Assembly Standing Committee on Natural Resources

If you are a Member of the natural resources Committee, please come down so we can establish a quorum. But while operating as a Subcommittee, we'll go ahead and have our first author present. Mr. Berman, would you like to begin with AB 2199.

Sunset date and add chest start over? Yeah, I think it started with. It will be an honor Mister Chair and esteemed colleagues.

You know what, Madam Secretary, can we call the roll while we have a quorum?

[Roll Call]

And can we dispense with the consent calendar real fast? Do we have a motion by Mr. Flora? Second by Mr. Wood.

Consent items are AB 1921 Papan, AB 3147, [Roll Call].

Mr. Berman, you may begin

Thank you honorable Chair and colleagues. Now that everyone's in the mindset for voting aye, I would like to present AB 2199. I'd like to begin by thanking Committee staff for your work on this Bill. I will be accepting the Committee's amendments to add a 2035 sunset date and add that this Bill does not apply to projects that may cause a substantial adverse impact to tribal cultural resources as defined in Section 21074.

In 2018, I authored legislation to provide a CEQA exemption for infill housing projects within unincorporated areas of a county to be a tool to help address our housing crisis. Prior to this, there was already an exemption for info projects, but only in cities. The exemption in my previous Bill, which sunsets next year, incorporated the same narrow conditions as the exemption in cities, as well as provided further limitations to prevent sprawl.

As the Committee analysis notes, the exemption has been used for nine projects ranging from 10 to 98 units, for a total of 378 units. As California continues to face a housing crisis, AB 2199 would extend this existing tool to promote infill housing projects in our counties without adversely impacting the environment. I respectfully ask for an aye vote. And I'm joined today by Chris Lee on behalf of Urban Counties of California.

Good afternoon, Chair Bryan and Members Chris Lee here on behalf of the Urban Counties of California. We're an association of 14 of the most populous counties in California, and we were pleased to be the sponsor of AB 2199. We worked with Assemblymember Berman back in 2018 on 1804, and as the Assembly Member noted, until that time, there really wasn't a similar infill exemption under CEQA for housing projects in unincorporated areas. It's something we've been pushing for for a long time.

If you look at the areas where this exemption has been used, they're really like cities. If you looked at the map and you weren't a big map nerd like me, you. You'd probably think that it was within city limits, because these have to be small sites, they have to be completely, not completely substantially surrounded by urban uses, and have to be densely developed, at least as dense as the surrounding properties.

And so both in urban counties, where you have really significant populations that sometimes live in the unincorporated areas, as well as in more rural areas like Lake County, has used this exemption for an affordable housing project in a really small community called Kelseyville.

So we think it's really valuable if we're going to be able to achieve our climate goals and our affordable housing goals together, to have a regulatory incentive, even in unincorporated areas, to drive that development to the places that are most environmentally beneficial, where there's resources, where there's schools, where there's infrastructure that you can already use. And for those reasons, we're proud to support AB 2199 and ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Are there any witnesses here in the hearing room who would like to register their support for this measure?

Good afternoon, Chair. Awesome. Good afternoon, Chair and Members, my name is McKinley Thompson-Morley here on behalf of the Association of Environmental Professionals in support.

Thank you. Are there any primary witnesses in opposition to this measure? Is there anybody in this hearing room who would like to register their opposition to this measure? Questions? Comments from Committee Members seeing none. Motion by Mister Flora, second by Mister Kalra. Madam Secretary, or would you like to close Mister Berman?

I appreciate how efficient of a hearing you run, sir, and would respectfully ask for an aye vote. After everything that loss, y'all.

You know, I heard. And just confirming you did take the amendments? Yes, sir. And as you know, all great Committee chairs start out in the elections Committee.

That's absolutely right.

Where you get your training. This Bill has a do pass record from the Chair. Madam Secretary, can we call the roll?

The motion is do pass as amended to Appropriations. [Roll Call]

That has six votes. That Bill is out. Thank you.

Thank you, colleagues.

Mister Gabriel, I did my absolute best to see if I could only have you and Mister Berman presenting today AB 2331.

Thank you Mister Chari and collueges. I want to start by thanking your Committee staff for their thoughtful and insightful insistence on this Bill. I am pleased today to present AB 2331 a cleanup Bill that will provide additional clarification for buyers and sellers of voluntary carbon offsets. As many of you know, last year we passed AB 1305, creating a first in the nation disclosure requirement for voluntary carbon offsets.

In concept, voluntary carbon offsets credit credits allow an entity to reduce its net emissions by investing in projects or actions undertaken by another entity that reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case, as recent reports and academic research have shown that many offsets fail to achieve the greenhouse gas emissions reductions or removals as advertised. AB 1305 would require will allow consumers to have confidence in the offsets they purchase and can make informed decisions when comparing offset credits.

This Bill also meaningful progress in California's efforts to address corporate greenwashing, increasing transparency around claims of achieving carbon neutrality, or significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This Bill before you today is a simple cleanup measure to clarify when the first annual reports must be published and what products are within the scope of the Bill.

With AB 1305 being the first legislation of its kind in the United States, we have worked closely with industry stakeholders to identify areas that could benefit from increased clarity as entities begin making the required disclosures. This Bill has no registered opposition, has received support from the California environmental voters, and incorporates and incorporates feedback from the California Chamber of Commerce. With me today to testify in support of the Bill and answer any questions is Barbara Haya, the Director of the UC Berkeley Carbon Trading Project. Thank you, and respectfully request an aye vote.

Thank you, Mister Gabriel. Your witness can begin.

Hi, I'm Doctor Barbara Haya, research fellow at Goldman School of Public Policy. I supported Member Gabriel in drafting the initial Bill. I think transparency is absolutely essential to help ensure quality of offsets on the market and to allow buyers the ability to assess the quality of the offsets they buy. Transparency has been a problem on the offset market to date as well as quality, so I'm happy to continue to support the cleanup Bill AB 2331, and answer any questions today.

Matthew, are you here in support?

Yeah. Don't sound so shocked, but yes, in support. In support of the cleanup Bill. To be clear, very generous of the Assemblyman to do this. We missed this last year, didn't provide the type of vital feedback that might have been able to avoid some of the confusion in the definition. So it's kind enough to introduce a cleanup Bill. We're still working on that language. I don't think we've got it right, but we're getting very close. So I wanted to say thank you and share that with the Committee.

Thank you. Thank you sir. Are there any persons here in this Committee room who would like to register their support for this Bill?

Yes, Mike Jacob with the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. We also are a supportive amended and we appreciate the cleanup introduction. Our members that are ocean carriers, marine terminal operators are major participants in the LCFS program and we're looking forward to working on some additional language to get to support. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. Anybody in the hearing room who would registering support or opposition? Tweener?

Brady Van Engelen, Chamber of Commerce I'm a bit of a tweener. We would like to get the support. We appreciate working with the author's intent here and look forward to continue to work with them as this progressives. We just urge the Committee to move the Bill and we can continue to work on it as it makes its way through.

Yes sir.

Good afternoon, Joanne Bettencourt. On behalf of SIFMA, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association just wanted to thank the author and his staff for their willingness to sit down with us and we continue to work on these issues. We thank you.

Thank you so much. Any primary witnesses in opposition? Any persons in this hearing room who would like to register their opposition? Seeing none, we'll turn it back to Committee Members. Any questions, comments, concerns, or just want to give them a hard time? Seeing none, we have a motion by Mister Wood. A second by Mister Flora. Madam Secretary, can we call the roll?

The motion is due pass to Appropriations [Roll Call]

The Bill is out. Mister Gabriel, thank you very much.

Thank you so much, Miss Friedman. On behalf of former Speaker Anthony Rendon, would you like to present AB 3036?

Thank you Mister Chair. I'm pleased to present this Bill for speaker emeritus Rendon. Today, AB 3036 instructs the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to collaborate with the Department of Parks and Recreation, the California Conservation Corps, and the State Lands Commission to develop a permanent Los Angeles River Ranger Program based on the one created by AB 1558 of 2017.

This Bill will build on the work done to foster connections between communities, agencies and resources in promoting equitable usage and stewardship of the LA River to support ecological, social, and recreational opportunities. Furthermore, the River Rangers program will help residents experience the river as a safe, inviting place and allow them to participate in the river's enhancement through volunteer or employment programs. Here to speak in support of the Bill is Erika Romero, on behalf of the California Association of Local Conservation Corps.

Thank you. Good afternoon, Mister Chair and Members. Erika Romero on behalf of the California Association of Local Conservation Corps I think most of you are fairly familiar. As a reminder, in 2017, the Legislature allowed the development of a pilot program to develop a network of river rangers that would support restoration in the La river watershed. Since then, the program has empowered governing agencies to work together to increase river corridor improvements while supporting outdoor access and workforce development opportunities to communities that have historically lacked access to nature.

For example, the Conservation Corps long Beach implemented the initial pilot river Ranger program in the San Gabriel and Lower La River Conservancy along a five-mile stretch of the LA River at the confluence of the rear Ondo River, which required collaboration with the cities of Southgate, Downey, Bell Gardens, and unincorporated LA County.

This partnership resulted in restoration of adjacent river habitat, litter and debris removal, ecological restoration, education, research, surveys, and emergency response, all while providing outdoor access and work opportunities to the 50 core members who worked on the project, many of whom since then have moved on to secondary education or secured career placements with local and federal parks related agencies. This measure would help the program make this program permanent so that communities can continue to experience the river and work together to maintain it. For these reasons, we urgent aye vote. Thank you.

Any persons in this hearing room would like to issue their support for this measure.

Good afternoon, Chair and Members Nicholas Mazzotti, on behalf of the California State Parks Foundation, thank you so much.

Any persons in this hearing room would like to register their opposition to this Bill. Seeing none, we'll now turn it back to Committee Members. Miss Freedman, would you like to close?

I'll accept the witnesses testimony as my close.

Beautiful. We have a motion by Mister Flora, second by Mister Bauer-Kahan. Madam Secretary, can we call the roll?

The motion is due past to Appropriations. [Roll Call]

That Bill is out. Madam Secretary, can we call the roll for missing authors? Seriously? Members of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee looking to add on please make your way to the Committee hearing room on the fourth floor. We would love to see you.

Lifting the call on AB 2199 Berman. Motion is do pass as amended to Appropriations chair, voting aye. [Roll Call]. Consent Calendar lifting the call. Consent items are AB 1921, Papin AB 3147, Garcia, and AB 3265 Bryan absent Members [Roll Call].

Okay. Thank you.

Consent lifting the call on AB 2199 Berman. Motion is do passed as amended to Appropriations, absent Member [Roll Call]. Lifting the call on AB 2331 Gabriel [Roll Call]. Lifting the call on AB 3036. Rendon motion is due, past to Appropriations, absent Members [Roll Call]. And Consent Calendar, absent Members [Roll Call] I lifting the call on AB 2199 Berman motion do pass as amended to Appropriations chair, voting aye.

[Roll Call]. That Bill has nine votes. Everybody voted for it. Nine votes. It's out. AB 2331 Gabriel Motion do pass to Appropriations Chair voting aye. Absent Members [Roll Call], AB 3036 Brendan motion do pass to Appropriations Chair, voting aye. [Roll Call] Consent Calendar items AB 1921 Papin AB 3147, Garcia and AB 3264 Bryan [Roll Call]

Can we lift the call for our final Member?

Lifting the call on AB 2331 Gabriel Motion is do pass to Appropriations Chair, voting Aye. [Roll Call]. That has 10 votes AB 3036 Rendon motion do pass to Appropriations Chair, voting Aye. Absent Member [Roll Call]. 10 votes consent calendar bills AB 1921 Papan AB 3147, Garcia and AB 3265 Bryan absent Member [Roll Call].

That concludes the Assembly natural resources Committee.