The Barbed Wire - April 9, 2021

California Leadership Announces Forest Task Force Relaunch and Early Action Wildfire Funding

On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom and California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot announced the relaunch of the Governor’s Forest Management Task Force, which will feature a new collaborative leadership structure utilizing experts at all levels of government, including RCRC Chair Supervisor Stacy Corless, Mono County. The Task Force was initially formed in 2018 as a follow-up to the Tree Mortality Task Force to implement the provisions of the state’s Forest Carbon Plan. The relaunch of the Task Force will focus on implementing the California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, released in January 2021, in an attempt to make better progress than the state has achieved on the Forest Carbon Plan. 

In order to implement the Action Plan, the Governor, in concert with Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, also announced a $536 million funding plan for wildfire prevention, forest management and restoration, home hardening and community fire mitigation efforts, and woody biomass utilization that will be allocated in the current budget year before the start of the 2021 wildfire season. The funds include $125 million in Greenhous Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) dollars to fulfill the Legislature’s second year of commitments under Senate Bill 901 (Dodd, 2018), which promised five consecutive years of $200 million annual appropriations from the GGRF for forest health programs. Funding in the plan includes:

• $155 million to CAL FIRE for state forest health programs;
• $123 million to CAL FIRE for local community fire prevention grants;
• $25 million to CAL FIRE and CalOES for programs to assist homeowners with fire prevention retrofits (home hardening); 
• $2 million to CAL FIRE to fortify defensible space inspection activities; 
• $20 million to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to implement projects in high fire risk areas; 
• $16 million for the Climate Catalyst Fund to help stimulate industries with low-interest finance for low carbon projects and programs such as woody biomass utilization or methane capture technologies;
• $3 million to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research to develop strategies to encourage the use and development of new wood products; and, 
• $6 million to CAL FIRE and the Workforce Development Board to help develop the state’s forest health and wildfire prevention workforce. 

According to Governor Newsom, the funding proposal, which is in print in Senate Bill 85 and Assembly Bill 79, could be approved by the Legislature as early as Monday, April 12 and signed by the Governor the following day. The official announcement on the early action wildfire funding can be found on Governor Gavin Newsom’s website here.

Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 1311 (Wood) – Beverage Container Recycling

This week RCRC supported Assembly Bill 1311, authored by Assembly Member Jim Wood (D- Santa Rosa), which seeks to improve consumer access to beverage container recycling opportunities.   

Over the last several years, hundreds of recycling centers have closed statewide. This has dramatically reduced (and in many cases eliminated) consumer access to convenient redemption opportunities. Three counties currently have NO recycling centers, seven counties have only a single recycling center, and six have just two. RCRC has long sought to increase access to convenient redemption opportunities, as the program quickly becomes a regressive tax if consumers cannot get their deposits back. 

AB 1311 provides CalRecycle with greater flexibility to adjust recycling center operating hours and allow appointment-based recycling opportunities to accommodate local needs. This flexibility was sought by the Humboldt Waste Management Authority, Humboldt County, RCRC, CSAC, and the League of California Cities and will particularly help recycling centers in rural areas that need to use alternative schedules to meet local demand.  AB 1311 also builds in other changes sought by those organizations to provide retailers with the ability to redeem consumer beverage containers at the store site rather than in the store, as is currently required by law.  Finally, the bill helps to facilitate the use of “bag drop” recycling programs as another mode of redemption opportunity.

Assembly Bill 1311 helps make modest changes to an incredibly complex statutory framework that provides CalRecycle with little opportunity to respond to changing local needs and market conditions.  As the bill progresses, RCRC will work with the author to explore other prudent changes to improve the Beverage Container Recycling Program.  

Assembly Bill 1311 will be heard by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, April 14.  To read RCRC's letter of support, see here. For more information, contact John Kennedy, RCRC Legislative Advocate, by email or call (916) 447-4806.

Governor Announces Plan to Reopen California By Mid-June

On Wednesday, April 6, 2021, Governor Newsom announced the State’s plan to reopen California on June 15. California has reached 20 million vaccinations, including 4 million in the hardest-hit communities and hospitalizations are on a decline. The next major step for California will be moving beyond the Blueprint for a Safer Economy with the State’s reopening on June 15.  To move forward with the reopening two criteria must be met: 

• Vaccine supply is sufficient for Californians 16 years and older who wish to be inoculated; and
• Hospitalization rates are stable and low.

Everyday activities will be allowed, and businesses can open with risk reduction measures, including encouraging Californians to get vaccinated and mandating masking, to prevent illness and promote health. The entire state will move into this new phase. The state is continuing to monitor hospitalization rates, vaccine access and vaccine efficacy against variants, and may reevaluate the reopening date if needed.

Under the reopening for June 15, all sectors listed in the current Blueprint for a Safer Economy grid may return to usual operations in compliance with Cal/OSHA requirements. Large-scale indoor events will be allowed to occur with testing or vaccination verification requirements.  For more information on the June 15 reopening see here.

RCRC Weighs in on Large Utilities’ Wildfire Mitigation Plans

All electrical utilities are required to construct, maintain and operate their lines and equipment to minimize the risk of a utility-caused wildfire and undertake comprehensive mitigation measures through Wildfire Mitigation Plans (WMPs), which must cover a three-year period.  In early February, all of the large investor-owned utilities (IOUs) submitted 2021 updates of their WMPs as required by the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC’s) Wildfire Safety Division for public review and formal approval. For the first time, these WMPs were required to include information on Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) as a wildfire risk reduction tool.  

On April 6th, RCRC responded to these large IOU updates, which have several concerning findings related to vegetation management and PSPS. RCRC advocated to comprehensively examine risk calculation models, rectify deficient vegetation management practices, and investigate the usage of PSPS events to ensure they are conducted reasonably as a last resort. The Wildfire Safety Division has bifurcated the review and approval process for large IOUs and the Small and Multi-Jurisdictional Utilities (SMJUs) and Independent Transmission Owners (ITOs). More information on 2021 WMPs can be found here; public comments on SMJU and ITO 2021 WMP updates are due on April 14, 2021. 
 

Registration Now Open! Redistricting Webinar Series Part Two – What to Expect When You’re Redistricting

Registration is now open for the Redistricting Webinar Series, Part Two: What to Expect When You’re Redistricting, brought to you by CSAC and RCRC.  This two-part webinar series breaks down all you need to know about redistricting for your county. Part Two will be held on Friday, April 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and will be a conversation on best practices and what you can expect the redistricting process to look like on the ground. Come ready to ask your burning questions about public input, working with demographers, and what to look for in a good map.  Register today!

If you have questions please reach out to Dorothy Poole (RCRC) or Ada Waelder (CSAC). To view Part One of the series, click here.

ICYMI: Hometown California Visits Washington D.C. for an Update on the National Political Pulse

Hometown California recently visited Washington D.C. for an update on the national political pulse. In the first interview, our host, Paul A. Smith, spoke with Leah Askarinam, Editor-in-Chief of the Hotline at the National Journal about the change of control in the U.S. Senate, the razor-thin margin of control in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the new administration in the White House. They discuss the politics of the American Rescue Plan, the pandemic, and how things are shaping-up for the 2022 General Election - which congressional seats are up for election, who is retiring, who will be facing primary challenges, and how this impacts policy-making at the federal level. For the second interview, Paul sits down with two of RCRC’s federal lobbyists, Sheryl Cohen and Chris Israel of American Continental Group (ACG), to give listeners a deeper look at the early days of the 117th Congress. Hear about the politics behind the Biden Administration’s early priorities including coronavirus relief, the twin priorities of infrastructure and climate, and more. Listen to insights about the how the politics of the 117th Congress, the upcoming 2022 elections, and the wins and losses of 2020 are impacting congressional leadership and policy negotiations under the dome. And, with the shift in the White House, hear about some of the key differences between the old and new Administration.

Find Hometown California on your favorite listening app, or check out all the episodes right here.

CPUC Issues New Proposed Decision to Modify Rule 20 Undergrounding Program

On April 7th, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a long-awaited Proposed Decision modifying many elements of the Rule 20 program. The Rule 20A program funds the undergrounding of overhead power lines, and was originally created to address the aesthetic impacts of the power lines. Local projects are completed through ratepayer-funded work credits that are allocated to communities based on the number of meters in that jurisdiction. The Rule 20B program funds a portion of undergrounding project costs for non-aesthetic purposes while the Rule 20C program requires the project applicant to pay for the full cost of undergrounding. Rule 20D only applies to San Diego Gas and Electric and allows undergrounding for wildfire mitigation, although no projects have yet been initiated under that program.

The Rule 20A program has been criticized because most of the projects have benefited denser urban areas. In general, it can take an extremely long time to accumulate sufficient work credits to fund a project, it is more difficult to undertake projects in rural and mountainous areas, and there are dozens of communities that have not completed any projects in over 16 years.  

While CPUC staff suggested ending the Rule 20A program and transitioning to Rule 20B and 20C type programs, the Proposed Decision stops short of such a drastic change. In brief, the Proposed Decision:

• Expands the types of projects covered by the Rule 20A program to include undergrounding where overhead power lines limit or impede wheelchair access or pass through areas of cultural or historic interest.
• Discontinues allocation of new Rule 20A work credits after December 31, 2022.
• Prohibits local agencies from borrowing work credits from future allocations beyond 2022.
• Prohibits local governments from selling or trading work credits in the secondary market; however, exceptions will be made for intra-county donations from counties to cities and towns within the county and among two or more adjoining municipalities.
• Imposes significant new accounting and reporting obligations on utilities to improve transparency and prevent the use of those funds by utilities for non-Rule 20A projects.
• Requires utilities to work with specified entities, including the Rural County Representatives of California, to draft an updated Rule 20 Guidebook detailing costs, responsibilities, and contacts for Rule 20 projects.

While the CPUC was contemplating expanding the Rule 20A program to mitigate wildfire risk from overhead lines, the Proposed Decision defers action on that issue to an upcoming Phase 2 of the proceeding.  Phase 2 will also consider: 1) Whether to modify the Rule 20A program to support projects in underserved and disadvantaged communities; 2) Whether to take other steps to support completion of active Rule 20A projects; and 3) Whether to modify or discontinue the Rule 20D program.

For more information, please contact John Kennedy,  RCRC Legislative Advocate, by email or call (916) 447-4806.

California Senators Support Using COVID-19 Relief for Local Governments, Special Districts

Last week, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla sent a letter to California state government leaders encouraging them to use funds from the recently passed coronavirus relief bill, the American Rescue Plan, to support special districts and other units of state and local government. It is projected that California’s special districts will have a budget shortfall of at least $2.4 billion by the end of 2021.

Senate Parliamentarian Rules on Reconciliation with Potential Impacts on the American Jobs Plan

On Monday, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that Congress could revise the budget resolution for fiscal year (FY) 2021 to create additional reconciliation instructions, meaning that the Democratic majority has two more chances this year to pass priority legislation through the upper chamber with a simple majority vote: once under a revised FY 2021 budget resolution, and once under a FY 2022 budget resolution. This ruling means the Senate could have two chances to pass President Biden’s American Jobs Plan with a majority vote if the Senate splits the $2.25 trillion package into two smaller packages. Under this splitting scenario, President Biden and Congressional Democrats could choose to divide the American Jobs Plan into a “traditional infrastructure” package featuring funding for roads, bridges, rail, etc., and a second “untraditional infrastructure” package featuring funding for his remaining priorities including domestic manufacturing, research & development, education, and job training initiatives. Congress could use the revised FY 2021 budget resolution and a FY 2022 budget resolution for the two bills.
 
In order to comply with the Byrd rule, any spending on infrastructure in a reconciliation bill would either have to be temporary or be offset so that it does not affect the deficit outside a specific budget window, usually 10 years. This restriction could make it difficult to fund larger projects like high-speed rail, which can take decades to develop and build.  Additionally, transferring funding to the expiring Highway Trust Fund — the main source of federal funding for highways and mass transit that is set to expire on September 30th — would not be allowed in a reconciliation bill. Specific earmarks also would not pass the Byrd rule, including funding for a Bay Area Rapid Transit extension into Silicon Valley or the Gateway Project in the New York City Region, both significant priorities for Senate Democrats.

KEEPING UP

Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California's rural counties.

Heather A. Bernikoff, 50, of Catheys Valley, has been appointed to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. Bernikoff has been a Program Officer of Education at The James B. McClatchy Foundation since 2020 and a Self-Employed Consultant since 2017. She was a Consultant for Mariposa County providing service to the American Indian Council of Mariposa County from 2019 to 2020, was Administrative Director at California Small County Collaborative from 2017 to 2020 and Program Director at the California Consumer Protection Foundation from 2002 to 2017. Bernikoff was Program Director at The Special Hope Foundation from 2014 to 2017, Program Manager at California Telehealth and Telemedicine Center from 2000 to 2002 and Senior Health Educator and Program Manager at Contra Costa Health Plan from 1997 to 2000. She is a volunteer on the Outreach and Education Committee of the Integrated Regional Watershed Management Plan and American Indian Council of Mariposa County, and an advisor of the Fellowship Program at the Sierra Institute. Bernikoff earned a Master of Science degree in health education from the University of Wyoming. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Bernikoff is a Democrat.

William F. Honsal III, 48, of Fortuna, has been appointed to the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board. Honsal has served as Sheriff of Humboldt County since 2017, where he was Undersheriff from 2013 to 2017. Honsal was an Investigator at the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office from 2007 to 2013. He held several positions at the Humboldt State University Police Department from 2003 to 2007, including Lieutenant and Sergeant. He was a Patrol Officer at the Eureka Police Department in 2003, was Patrol Officer and Firefighter at the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety from 1996 to 2003 and was a Patrol Officer at the Madera Police Department from 1995 to 1996. He is a board member for the Redwood Teen Challenge and a member of the Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Honsal is a Republican.

Patrick E. Wright, 59, of Grass Valley, has been appointed Director of the Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force. Wright has been Acting Director of the Forest Management Task Force at California Natural Resources Agency since 2020 and Executive Director at the Tahoe Conservancy since 2006. He was Executive Director at the California Bay-Delta Authority from 2003 to 2006, Deputy Secretary for Policy Development at the California Natural Resources Agency from 2000 to 2003 and Senior Policy Advisor to the Regional Administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1995 to 2000. Wright earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $170,772. Wright is a Democrat.

BULLETIN BOARD

Announcements regarding hearings, grants, and public comment notices of importance to California's rural counties.

California Air Resources Board Offers Webinars on Regulatory Compliance Training

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is offering a variety of training webinars for regulatory compliance on issues affecting public fleets such as Off-Road Regulations, Truck and Bus Rules, and Diesel Truck Rules. 

The In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulation (Off-Road Regulation) requires fleet owners to report to CARB, label their off-road vehicles, and reduce emissions from older equipment.  This course provides detailed information to help fleet owners understand and comply with the Off-Road Regulation: 

Date:               May 13, 2021
Time:               1:00 p.m.
Webinar:         Register

The CARB Diesel Truck Rules course will discuss compliance options and reporting requirements for 2021 and beyond for those that own, operate or dispatch heavy-duty diesel trucks in California. If your vehicles are not compliant, you need to know what the current and future requirements are. If your vehicles are compliant, you may need to report to remain compliant. 

Date:               April 29, 2021
Time:               1:00 p.m.
Webinar:         Register

The Compliance Overview: Truck & Bus Rule, Off-Road Regulation, and Portable Equipment course includes the following topics:

Truck and Bus Regulation:

• Regulation Applicability
• Engine Model Year Schedule
• Exemptions & Extensions
• How to Report for Regulation Flexibilities
• Broker and Dispatcher Requirements
• DMV Registration

Periodic Smoke Inspection Program (PSIP):

• Regulation Applicability
• Program Updates

Advanced Clean Truck (ACT):

• Manufacturers ZEV Sales Requirements
• One-Time Reporting
• Future ZEV Rules

In-Use Off-Road Diesel Vehicle Regulation:

• Regulation Applicability
• Requirements Currently in Effect
• Future Compliance Deadlines

Portable Equipment Registration Program (PERP) & Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM):

• PERP Eligibility
• Program Requirements
• ATCM Program & Updates
• Enforcement & Inspections

Date:               April 22, 2021
Time:               1:00 p.m.
Webinar:         Register

Forest Stewardship Workshop

The University of California Cooperative Extension is offering training opportunities to help landowners develop sustainable plans to improve and protect their forest lands. Online workshops are being offered weekly from March 22, 2021 through May 27, 2021, with an in-person session scheduled in Humboldt County on Saturday, April 24, 2021. For more information, see here.

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) ASSISTANCE

Resource pages, deadline extensions, and available programs to assist communities impacted by COVID-19.

Coronavirus Relief Available from the Small Business Administration

The federal Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering several coronavirus relief options to help alleviate the financial hardships resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19). The programs have received an overwhelming number of applications from businesses, so be sure to check the SBA website for the latest updates on the status of these programs.

• The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provides loan forgiveness for retaining employees by temporarily expanding the traditional SBA 7(a) loan program. After initial funding was quickly depleted, the program received an infusion of an additional $310 billion, allowing the SBA to resume the program on April 27, 2020. Be sure to check the SBA website for the most recent information on the application process and availability of funds.
• The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Emergency Advance provides up to $10,000 of economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing temporary difficulties.
• SBA Express Bridge Loans can be used to bridge the gap for businesses while applying for a direct SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan; small businesses who currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 quickly.
• SBA Debt Relief provides a financial reprieve to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you are interested in programs for other disasters, the SBA Disaster Loan Assistance portal is available here.

Economic Development Resources for Communities and Businesses Impacted by the Coronavirus

The California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) has assembled resources for communities and business impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19). The page will be continually evolving as new resources become available. To go directly to the CALED resources, click here.

Use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds for Infectious Disease Response

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds may be used for a range of eligible activities that prevent and respond to the spread of infectious diseases such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Check out the Quick Guide to CDBG Eligible Activities to Support Infectious Disease Response for guidance and additional information.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) County Resource Page Available

The California State Association of Counties (CSAC), RCRC’s local government partner, continues to provide excellent up-to-date state and federal information to counties on this ever-changing pandemic event.  We encourage visiting CSAC’s COVID-19 resource page, which contains vital links to all CSAC COVID-19 advocacy letters and resources.  CSAC’s staff continues to work around the clock to update activities so that all of California’s counties can remain properly informed.

LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY UPDATE

Information related to the current status of legislation and regulations impacting California’s rural counties.

Assembly Bill 1 (C. Garcia): Hazardous Waste: Assembly Bill 1 establishes several new governance, policy, and fiscal reforms to improve the Department of Toxic Substances Control, including significantly increasing several fees and repealing several important fee exemptions. Status: AB 1 awaits consideration by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Concerns

Assembly Bill 246 (Quirk) Contractors: disciplinary actions. AB 246 allows the Contractors State Licensing Board to take disciplinary actions against a contractor who violates state or local laws prohibiting illegal dumping.  Status: AB 246 awaits consideration from the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Pending

Assembly Bill 297 (Gallagher) Fire Prevention. Increases funding for forest health improvement and wildfire risk reduction projects and makes other substantive changes to help expedite project completion.  Status: AB 297 awaits consideration in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Status: Support

Assembly Bill 318 (Levine): Hazardous waste: Assembly Bill 318 excludes from classification as hazardous waste green waste that has not been contaminated by a hazardous or toxic chemical during production, harvest, or processing.  Requires those green wastes to be disposed in a permitted solid or hazardous waste landfill or composting operation.  Status:  AB 318 is awaiting consideration by the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. RCRC Status:  Pending

Assembly Bill 322 (Salas): Energy: Electric Program Investment Charge program: Requires the Energy Commission to consider bioenergy projects for biomass conversion when awarding funds under the Electric Program Investment Charge program. Status: AB 322 is awaiting consideration in the Natural Resources Committee.  RCRC Status: Support 

Assembly Bill 332 (ESTM): Hazardous waste: treated wood waste: Seeks to reestablish a statutory pathway for the alternative management and disposal of treated wood waste in a landfill.  Status:  AB 332 is awaiting consideration by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.  RCRC Status:  Support

Assembly Bill 648 (Fong) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: Healthy Forest and Fire Prevention: Appropriation. Continuously appropriates $200 million annually for forest health improvement and wildfire risk reduction projects Status: AB 648 awaits consideration in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Status: Support

Assembly Bill 819 (Levine) Requires lead agencies to post California Environmental Quality Act notices and documents on their internet websites and to submit CEQA documents to the State Clearinghouse in electronic form.  Status: AB 819 awaits consideration from the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Watch

Assembly Bill 843 (Aguiar-Curry): California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program: renewable feed-in tariff: Allows Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) to access the CPUC BioMAT program that provides funding for renewable bioenergy electricity projects, including biomass and biogas. Status: AB 843 awaits consideration from the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Support

Assembly Bill 881 (Gonzalez) Plastic waste: diversion: recycling: export. Repeals the ability for local governments to claim diversion credit for mixed plastic waste that is exported for recycling. Status: AB 881 awaits consideration from the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Watch

Assembly Bill 987 (Low) Public utilities: civil penalties: unplanned electrical outages and deenergization events. AB 987 makes a number of significant changes to the conduct of utility public safety power shutoff events.  Status: AB 987 awaits consideration from the Assembly Utilities Committee. RCRC Status: Pending

Assembly Bill 1078 (Patterson) Energy: building standards: photovoltaic requirements. Exempts residential buildings damaged or destroyed in a disaster during the 2020 calendar year from having to install solar energy systems under the California Energy Commission’s recently adopted building requirements.  Status: AB 1078 awaits consideration from the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Status: Support

Assembly Bill 1154 (Patterson) California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: egress route projects: fire safety. Exempts from the California Environmental Quality Act egress route projects undertaken by a public agency and that are recommended by the Board of Forestry to improve fire safety of an existing subdivision.  Status: AB 1154 awaits consideration from the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Status: Support

Assembly Bill 1276 (Carrillo) Single-use food accessories and service ware. Prohibits food facilities and platforms from providing single-use food accessories to consumers unless requested or necessary to protect public health and safety or safe delivery.  Status: AB 1276 awaits consideration from the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Watch

Assembly Bill 1277 (Rubio) California Environmental Quality Act: student housing development projects: expedited judicial review. Expedites the litigation timeline for challenges to student housing projects brought under the California Environmental Quality Act.  Status: AB 1277 awaits consideration from the Assembly Natural Resources and Judicial Committee. RCRC Status: Watch

Assembly Bill 1311 (Wood) Recycling: beverage containers: certified recycling centers. Makes modest changes to the Beverage Container Recycling Act to increase consumer access to redemption opportunities. Status: AB 1311 awaits consideration from the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Status: Support

Assembly Bill 1344 (Arambula) State Department of Public Health: Needle and Syringe Exchange Services.  Exempts needle and syringe exchanges services from the California Environmental Quality Act.  Status: AB 1344 awaits consideration in the Assembly Health and Natural Resources Committees. RCRC Status: Neutral 

Assembly Bill 1350 (Patterson) Department of Toxic Substances Control: environmental fee: exemption. Until 1/1/2025, exempts businesses with 50-100 employees from having to pay the Environmental Fee, which funds oversight of hazardous waste management and disposal and to remediate orphan and legacy contaminated properties. Status: AB 1350 awaits consideration from the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. RCRC Status: Watch

Assembly Bill 1403 (Levine) Emergency Services. Assembly Bill 1403 clarifies that deenergization events (also known as PSPS events) qualify as events for which a state of emergency or local emergency can be declared under the California Emergency Services Act. Status: AB 1403 awaits consideration in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Support

Assembly Bill 1454 (Bloom) Beverage Container and Litter Reduction Act.  Assembly Bill 1454 makes several changes to the Beverage Container Recycling Program, including creation of a new $25,000 startup loan for the creation of new recycling centers in unserved or underserved areas.  Status: AB 1454 Awaits consideration by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.  RCRC Status: Support if Amended

Assembly Bill 1547 (Reyes) Air pollution: warehouse facilities. AB 1547 allows the Air Resources Board to regulate indirect sources of air pollution and requires local governments to undertake many other actions to identify and address the potential environmental impacts of warehouse development projects.   Status: AB 1547 awaits consideration from the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Status: Oppose. 

Senate Bill 30 (Cortese): Building Decarbonization: Prohibits state agencies from designing or constructing a state facility that is connected to the natural gas grid and prohibits state agencies from funding projects for the construction of residential and nonresidential buildings that are connected to the natural gas grid. Status: Senate Bill 30 awaits consideration by the Senate Governmental Organization Committee. RCRC Status: Oppose Unless Amended

Senate Bill 38 (Wieckowski): Beverage Containers: Replaces the existing Beverage Container Recycling Program (Bottle Bill) with a new recycling program administered by beverage container manufacturers and increases the CRV from $0.05 to $0.10 per container if the state fails to achieve specified recycling rates.  Repeals the $10.5 million annually set aside for payments to cities and counties to address recycling and litter. Status: SB 38 awaits consideration by the Senate Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Oppose Unless Amended

 Senate Bill 42 (Wieckowski): Department of Toxic Substances Control:  Establishes a new Board of Environmental safety to oversee the Department of Toxic Substances Control, consider permit appeals, and propose regulatory changes and establishes an ombudsperson to make and receive public complaints and suggestions.  SB 42 is anticipated to be amended to also include many of the fiscal changes suggested by the Administration to address DTSC’s structural deficit. Status: SB 42 awaits consideration by the Senate Environmental Quality committee. RCRC Status: Watch

Senate Bill 52 (Dodd): State of Emergency: Power Outages. Senate Bill 52 clarifies that deenergization events (also known as PSPS events) qualify as events for which a state of emergency or local emergency can be declared under the California Emergency Services Act. Status: SB 52 awaits consideration on the Senate Floor (Third Read). RCRC Status: Support

Senate Bill 54 (Allen) Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act.  SB 54 requires manufactures of single-use, disposable packaging and food service ware to ensure that those products sold, distributed, or imported into the state are either recyclable or compostable.  Status: SB 54 awaits consideration from the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. RCRC Status: Support in Concept.

Senate Bill 99 (Dodd): Community Energy Resilience Act of 2021: Senate Bill 99 requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop and implement a grant program for local governments to develop community energy resilience plans. It also sets forth guiding principles for plan development, including equitable access to reliable energy and integration with other existing local planning documents. Status: SB 99 awaits consideration in the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee.  RCRC Status: Pending

Senate Bill 207 (Dahle): Photovoltaic Recycling Advisory Group: Senate Bill 207 seeks to spur the recycling and reuse of solar photovoltaic panels by requiring an advisory group to make recommendations to ensure that, to the extent possible, all solar photovoltaic panels in the state are reused or recycled at the end of their lives in a safe and cost-effective manner. Status: SB 207 awaits consideration by the Senate Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status:  Support

Senate Bill 244 (Archuleta): Lithium-ion batteries: illegal disposal: fire prevention: Senate Bill 244 seeks to prevent lithium-ion battery fires by requiring the state to develop training and best practices for the detection, safe handling, and suppression of fires that originate from discarded lithium-ion batteries in solid waste collection vehicles, transfer and processing stations, and disposal facilities.  Status: SB 244 awaits consideration from the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. RCRC Status: Support

Senate Bill 261 (Allen) Regional Transportation Plans:  Sustainable Communities Strategies.  Requires the Air Resources Board (ARB) to adopt new greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction targets for incorporation into the sustainable communities’ strategies prepared by the state’s 18 metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs).  Status: SB 261 awaits consideration in the Senate Transportation Committee. RCRC Status: Oppose

Senate Bill 289 (Newman) Recycling: batteries and battery-embedded products.: Requires producers of battery and battery-embedded products to create stewardship organizations and programs for the collection, transportation, and recycling of those products. Status: SB 289 awaits consideration in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.    RCRC Status:  Support 

 Senate Bill 341 (McGuire) Makes several changes to increase oversight and accountability of telecommunications service outages. Status: SB 341 awaits consideration from the Senate Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Support 

Senate Bill 343 (Allen) Prohibits the sale of any product or packaging using a deceptive or misleading claim about its recyclability, including using the chasing arrows symbol unless CalRecycle determines the product or packaging is recyclable.  Requires CalRecycle to identify the types of plastic products and packaging from which a claim of recyclability may be made. Status: SB 343 awaits consideration from the Senate Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Watch 

Senate Bill 533 (Stern) Electrical corporations: wildfire mitigation plans: deenergization events: microgrids. Requires electrical corporations to ensure electrical transmission and distribution systems achieve the highest level of safety, reliability, and resiliency by modernizing, upgrading, replacing, hardening, or undergrounding any portion of its transmission and distribution wires or poles that experiences a specified number of recurring deenergization events.  Requires the CPUC to create a database of critical facilities, infrastructure, and circuits located in high fire threat districts. Status: SB 533 awaits consideration from the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee. RCRC Status: Support  

Senate Bill 557 (Wieckowski) Hazardous waste: treated wood waste. Seeks to reestablish a statutory pathway for the alternative management and disposal of treated wood waste in a landfill. Status: SB 557 awaits consideration from the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. RCRC Status: Watch

Senate Bill 619 (Laird) Organic waste: reduction regulations. Will seek to provide local governments with additional flexibility to achieve the state’s organic waste recycling requirements.  Status: SB 619 awaits consideration from the Senate Rules Committee. RCRC Status: Support