Information related to the current status of legislation and regulations impacting California’s rural counties.
Assembly Bill 660 (Levine): Personal Information: Contact Tracing: Assembly Bill 660 would prohibit law enforcement from engaging in contact tracing for the coronavirus. Status: AB 660 failed passage in the Senate Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Oppose
Assembly Bill 685 (Reyes) Occupational Safety: COVID 19: Assembly Bill 685 would mandate a comprehensive set of reporting requirements for all California employers when an employee is exposed to the coronavirus. Status: AB 685 gained passage in the Senate Appropriations Committee and awaits consideration on the Senate Floor. RCRC Status: Oppose
Assembly Bill 995 (Garcia): Hazardous Waste: Assembly Bill 995 establishes a new board to oversee and establish goals for operation of the Department of Toxic Substances Control and consider appeals from permit decisions made by that Department. AB 995 requires the state to establish a task force to make recommendations on changes to the existing fees and taxes that fund DTSC’s operations and the cleanup of contaminated sites. The bill also requires the state to develop a hazardous waste management plan to reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated and disposed in the state. Status: AB 995 awaits action on the Senate Floor. RCRC Status: Watch
Assembly Bill 1080 (Gonzalez)/Senate Bill 54 (Allen): Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction. Assembly Bill 1080/SB 54 requires the state to reduce the waste associated with single use packaging and products 75 percent by 2030, requires the state to set standards for what is considered recyclable and compostable, and promotes the development of in-state manufacturing that uses recycled materials. Status: AB 1080 and SB 54 awaits consideration in the Senate and Assembly; respectively. RCRC Status: Support
Assembly Bill 2178 (Levine): Emergency Services: Assembly Bill 2178 clarifies authority to declare a state or local emergency for a public safety power shutoff by adding deenergization events to the list of triggering events under the California Emergency Services Act. Status: AB 2178 was not brought up for a vote before in the Senate Governmental Organization Committee. RCRC Status: Support
Assembly Bill 2296 (Quirk): Local Primacy Agencies: Assembly Bill 2296 authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to delegate partial responsibility for the Safe Drinking Water Act's administration and enforcement by means of a local primacy delegation agreement. Authorizes the state board, for counties that have not been delegated primary responsibility as of January 2021, to offer an opportunity for the county to apply for partial or primary responsibility if the state board determines that it needs assistance. Status: AB 2296 awaits consideration on the Senate Floor. RCRC Status: Support
Assembly Bill 2323 (Friedman): California Environmental Quality Act: Exemption: Assembly Bill 2323 makes several changes to improve the utility of various CEQA exemptions while maintaining adequate environmental protections. Among other things, AB 2323 allows CEQA exemptions to be used on infill, low-income, and agricultural housing projects proposed within the boundaries of a state conservancy. Status: AB 2323 was held on the in the Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense File. RCRC Status: Support
Assembly Bill 2459 (Bigelow): Alcoholic Beverage Licenses: County of Mariposa: Assembly Bill 2459 would authorize the Alcoholic Beverage Control to issue up to 10 additional new original on‑sale alcoholic beverage licenses to bona fide public eating places in Mariposa County that have a seating capacity for 50 or more persons. Status: AB 2459 awaits consideration in the Senate Floor. RCRC Status: Support/Co-Sponsor
Senate Bill 431 (McGuire): Mobile Telephony Service Base Transceiver Station Tower: Senate Bill 431 requires the commission, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, to develop and implement performance reliability standards for all mobile telephony service base transceiver station towers, commonly known as "cell towers," located within a commission-designated Tier 2 or Tier 3 High Fire Threat District. Status: SB 431 was held on thein the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Watch
Senate Bill 862 (Dodd): Planned Power Outage: Public Safety: Senate Bill 862 clarifies that public safety power shutoffs are included in the California Emergency Services Act and expands the universe of medically sensitive individuals for whom electrical corporations must mitigate public safety power shutoff event impacts, and establishes minimum requirements for the locations, hours of operation and services provided by a Community Resource Center. Status: SB 862 was held by the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee. RCRC Status: Support
Senate Bill 989 (Dahle): Sierra Nevada Conservancy: Sierra Nevada Region: Senate Bill 989Modifies areas listed under the definitions of the Sierra Nevada Region and its subregions as specified for purposes of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. Status: SB 989 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Support
Senate Bill 1156 (Archuleta): Lithium Ion Batteries: Illegal Disposal: Fire Prevent: Senate Bill 1156 requires the state to develop model protocols and training programs for responding to fires caused by lithium ion batteries in solid waste collection vehicles and at transfer stations, processing stations, and disposal facilities. Solid waste enterprises would be required to adopt such protocols and training programs in consultation with local fire marshals. Status: SB 1156 awaits action on the Assembly Floor. RCRC Status: Watch.
Senate Bill 1159 (Hill): Workers Compensation: Coronavirus: Senate Bill 1159 would provide enhanced workers’ compensation presumption benefits for coronavirus infections. Status: SB 1159 recently passed the Assembly Appropriations Insurance Committee and awaits consideration on the Assembly Floor. RCRC Status: Oppose