The below list of bills related to climate change, particularly adaptation, are being tracked by ARCCA as a resource to its members and adaptation professionals in California.
Please note: Descriptions are pulled directly from the bill text without any analysis, and some descriptions only include a portion of the summary. If you are interested in a particular bill, we encourage you to follow the link (bill number) to read the full text.
Last updated: Monday, July 9th at 11:15 AM
Status: 7/03 – Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Description: This bill would require theDepartment of Forestry and Fire Protection, on or before July 1, 2019, to establish a local assistance grant program, funded upon appropriation by the Legislature, for fire prevention activities, as defined. The bill would require the department to prioritize projects that are multiyear efforts to, among other things, improve resiliency on the landscape and adapt landscapes to withstand increased frequency and intensity of large wildfires. The bill would require the Director of Forestry and Fire Prevention, on or before July 1, 2021, to hold a public workshop to, among other things, review activities funded by the local assistance grant program and program outcomes, and discuss and recommend possible improvements to the program. The bill would require the department to report a summary of the findings of the public workshop to the appropriate committees of the Legislature on or before September 1, 2021.
Status: 7/02 – In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
Description: This bill would require the Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the panel, to establish a technical assistance grant program to provide funds to technical assistance providers, as defined, to provide assistance to Healthy Soils Program, alternative manure management practices programs, and State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program, applicants. The bill would require the department to make available to the grant program not less than 15% of the funds appropriated to the department for those programs, but not more than $5,000,000, for the purposes of providing technical assistance to farmers and ranchers who apply for grants from those programs, prioritizing that technical assistance to small and moderately scaled farms and ranches, and supporting annual information sharing among technical assistance providers, the department, and other relevant stakeholders for the continuous improvement of programmatic guidelines, application processes, and relevant climate change and agricultural research. The bill would require the department, on or before January 31, 2021, to provide a report to the panel on the grant program.
Status: 6/27 – Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Description: This bill would, until January 1, 2024, establish the Health in All Policies (HiAP) Program, to be administered by the council, for the purposes of incorporating health, equity, and sustainability considerations into decision-making across sectors and policy areas, as specified. The bill would require the council, by October 1, 2019, to develop a report of recommendations for programs, policies, and practices that state agencies can undertake to advance health, equity, and specified goals of the HiAP Program, as provided.
Status: 7/03 – Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Description:
Status: 7/03 – Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Description: This bill would require the Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention to establish, implement, and administer the Forest and Wildland Health Improvement and Fire Prevention Program, as prescribed. The bill would require the department to take specified actions to implement and administer programs that are intended to promote forest and wildland health, restoration, and resilience, and improve fire outcomes, prevention, and preparedness throughout the state. The bill would also require the department, to the extent feasible, to collaborate with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to utilize correctional officers and conservation crews for vegetation management and fire prevention activities. The bill would authorize the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to enter into an agreement with the owner or any other person who has legal control of any property, any public agency with regulatory or natural resource management authority over any property that is included within any wildland, or any nonprofit organization to conduct joint prescribed burning operations that serve the public interest and are beneficial to the state. The bill would require the agreement to adhere to specified requirements and would require each prescribed burn to be for one or more specified purposes.
Status: 6/21 – From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 20). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Description: This bill would require the State Coastal Conservancy, to the extent allowed, to prioritize projects, either described above, or that reduce flood risk and enhance fish and wildlife habitat, as described.
Status: 6/21 – From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (June 20). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Description: This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, by January 1, 2021, to assess the potential for the state to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases from the state’s residential and commercial building stock by at least 40% below 1990 levels by January 1, 2030. The bill would require the commission to include in the 2021 edition of the integrated energy policy report and all subsequent integrated energy policy reports a report on the emissions of greenhouse gases associated with the supply of energy to residential and commercial buildings.
Status: 6/27 – June 27 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
Description: This bill would recast the advisory council as the California Council for Adaptation and Resiliency. The bill would transfer the office’s functions, regarding the program and the clearinghouse, to the council. The bill would require the council to take certain actions related to climate adaptation, as specified. The bill would require the council to make publicly available certain information on its Internet Web site. The bill would specify that the members on the council serve staggered terms of 4 years. The bill would require the director of the office, or his or her designee, to serve as the chair of the council.
Status: 6/26 – From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 6.) (June 26). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Description: This bill would establish the California Climate Resiliency Program to increase resiliency to climate change impacts in urban and rural communities throughout the state and to fund the planning and implementation of projects that improve and enhance the climate change resiliency of natural systems, natural and working lands, and developed areas. The bill would require that the program be developed and implemented by the Wildlife Conservation Board, in coordination with any participating state conservancies, as defined. The bill would require that moneys from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, bonds, settlements with conditions consistent with the program, and other revenue sources, upon appropriation in the annual Budget Act, be transferred to the California Climate Change Resiliency Fund (fund), which the bill would create. The bill would require that the board and any participating state conservancies, by June 30, 2019, jointly develop a schedule for the allocation of moneys transferred to the fund pursuant to those provisions to the board and each participating conservancy, as provided. The bill would require that the schedule of allocation be determined based on the geographical scope and population of the jurisdictional area covered by the board and each participating conservancy, and be jointly updated by the board and participating conservancies, not less than once every 5 years, as prescribed. The bill would require that any allocations of moneys from the fund that are included in the schedule of allocation be based on the geographical scope and population of the jurisdictional area covered by the board and each participating conservancy with consideration given to visitor population of the jurisdictional area and the population served by a jurisdictional area even if all or a portion of the population served by the jurisdictional area resides outside of the jurisdictional area. The bill would require that the board and any participating state conservancies expend moneys from the fund for purposes of the program, as prescribed. The bill would also require the board to expend a portion of those moneys to fund projects located in disadvantaged communities, as described, and low-income communities, as defined.
Status: 6/28 – Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Description: This bill would instead require the safety element to be reviewed and revised as necessary to address climate adaption and resiliency strategies and would require, after these revisions, the planning agency to review and, if necessary, revise the safety element upon each revision of the housing element or local hazard mitigation plan, but not less than once every 8 years, to identify new information relating to flood and fire hazards and climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable to the city or county that was not available during the previous revision of the safety element. By increasing the duties of local officials, this bill would create a state-mandated local program.
Status: 7/02 – Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Description: This bill, until October 1, 2029, would establish a regional climate collaborative program, to be administered by the council, to assist under-resourced communities, as defined, in a region to access statewide public and other grant moneys, as specified, for climate mitigation and adaptation projects by establishing collaboratives, as specified. The bill would authorize the council to award specified grants to collaboratives for specified activities. This bill also would require a state agency or department that administers a funding program that contains a targeted mechanism for funding under-resourced communities to develop policies and standards for technical assistance, as defined, according to specified guidelines developed and adopted by the council.
Status: 6/11 – June 11 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
Description: This bill would require the Office of Planning and Research to seek feedback from entities that use the clearinghouse for adaptation information to maximize efficacy and usefulness of the clearinghouse.
Status: 5/31 – Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 15, Statutes of 2018.
Description: This bill would require the State Water Resources Control Board, in coordination with the Department of Water Resources, to adopt long-term standards for the efficient use of water, as provided, and performance measures for commercial, industrial, and institutional water use on or before June 30, 2022. The bill would require the department, in coordination with the board, to conduct necessary studies and investigations and make recommendations, no later than October 1, 2021, for purposes of these standards and performance measures. The bill would require the department, in coordination with the board, to conduct necessary studies and investigations and would authorize the department and the board to jointly recommend to the Legislature a standard for indoor residential water use. The bill, until January 1, 2025, would establish 55 gallons per capita daily as the standard for indoor residential water use, beginning January 1, 2025, would establish the greater of 52.5 gallons per capita daily or a standard recommended by the department and the board as the standard for indoor residential water use, and beginning January 1, 2030, would establish the greater of 50 gallons per capita daily or a standard recommended by the department and the board as the standard for indoor residential water use.
The bill would require the department, in consultation with the board, to propose to the Governor and the Legislature, by January 1, 2020, recommendations and guidance relating to the development and implementation of countywide drought and water shortage contingency plans to address the planning needs of small water suppliers and rural communities, as provided. The bill would require the department, in consultation with the board and other relevant state and local agencies and stakeholders, to use available data to identify small water suppliers and rural communities that may be at risk of drought and water shortage vulnerability, no later than January 1, 2020,and would require the department to notify counties and groundwater sustainability agencies of those suppliers or communities. This bill would revise the components of the plan and additionally require a plan to include an annual water budget based on the quantification of all inflow and outflow components for the service area of the agricultural water supplier and a drought plan describing the actions of the agricultural water supplier for drought preparedness and management of water supplies and allocations during drought conditions.
Status: 6/29 – Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
Description: Existing law requires a named insured on a residential property insurance policy be provided with a copy of the California Residential Property Insurance Disclosure, which sets forth a description of certain types of insurance coverage, such as actual cash value coverage and guaranteed replacement cost coverage. Existing law also requires every California Residential Property Insurance Disclosure be accompanied by a California Residential Property Insurance Bill of Rights. This bill would require a California Residential Property Insurance Disclosure that is provided on and after January 1, 2020, to include any fire safety-related discounts offered by the insurer.
Status: 5/31 – Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 14, Statutes of 2018.
Description: The bill would require an urban retail water supplier to calculate an urban water use objective no later than November 1, 2023, and by November 1 every year thereafter, and its actual urban water use by those same dates. The bill would require an urban retail water supplier to submit a report to the department for these purposes by those dates. The bill would authorize the board to issue information orders, written notices, and conservation orders to an urban retail water supplier that does not meet its urban water use objective, as specified. The bill would authorize the board to waive these requirements for a period of up to 5 years, as specified. The bill would impose civil liability for a violation of an order or regulation issued pursuant to these provisions, as specified. The bill would also authorize the board to issue a regulation or informational order requiring a wholesale water supplier, urban retail water supplier, or distributor of a public water supply to provide a monthly report relating to water production, water use, or water conservation.
Status: 3/08 – Referred to Com. on RLS.
Description: This bill would qualify that prohibition by making it applicable in addition to any extended replacement cost coverage purchased by the insured and in addition to any increase in policy limits. The bill would require the policy to permit the insured to recover full replacement cost benefits regardless of whether the insured rebuilds at the current location, rebuilds at a new location, or purchases an already built home at a new location. The bill would also make technical changes to those provisions.
Status: 7/02 – Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator Glazer.
Description: Existing law requires the measure of indemnity to be based upon the replacement cost of the insured property and prohibits it from being based upon the cost to repair, rebuild, or replace at a location other than the insured premises. This bill would instead prohibit, in the event of a total loss of an insured structure, a fire insurance policy issued or delivered in this state from containing a provision that limits or denies, on the basis that the insured has decided to rebuild at a new location or to purchase an already built home at a new location, payment of the building code upgrade cost or the replacement cost, including any extended replacement cost coverage, to the extent those costs are otherwise covered by the terms of the policy or any policy endorsement. The bill would prohibit the measure of indemnity from exceeding, rather than requiring it to be based upon, the replacement cost, as specified.
Status: 2/16 – Referred to Com. on W., P., & W.
Description: This bill would require the Department of Water Resources, no later than January 1, 2020, in consultation with the State Water Resources Control Board and other relevant state and local agencies and stakeholders, to use available data to identify small water suppliers and rural communities that may be at risk of drought and water shortage vulnerability and would require the department to notify counties and groundwater sustainability agencies of those suppliers or communities. The bill would require the department, in consultation with the board, to propose to the Governor and the Legislature, by January 1, 2020, recommendations and guidance relating to the development and implementation of countywide drought and water shortage contingency plans to address the planning needs of small water suppliers and rural communities, as provided.
Status: 4/23 – In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
Description: This bill, beginning in the 2019–20 fiscal year, would continuously appropriate $74,805,000 from the fund annually to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for purposes of fire prevention activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This bill also, beginning in the 2019–20 fiscal year, would continuously appropriate $450,000,000 from the fund annually to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for state and local healthy forest and fire prevention programs and projects that improve forest health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, for vegetation management projects of local entities that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and maximize certain cobenefits, for the implementation of memorandums of understanding regarding federal lands for vegetation management that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and maximize certain cobenefits, and for resource management, to be allocated as specified.
Status: 5/25 – In committee: Held under submission
Description: This bill would require the State Air Resources Board, in consultation with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, to annually submit a specified report to the Legislature that includes, among other things, an estimate of the annual emissions of greenhouse gases associated with wildfires in the state that have burned 10,000 acres or more and a direct comparison of that estimate to the emissions of greenhouse gases offset by the state board’s applicable regulatory programs.
Status: 4/09 – In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
Description: This bill would require the Energy Commission to provide compliance incentive credit for measures that result in reduced emissions of greenhouse gases beyond those the commission has determined to be cost effective. The bill would require the Energy Commission, for the year 2022 and thereafter, to require new residential and nonresidential buildings to be electric-ready buildings, as defined, and to develop standards pursuant to which emissions of greenhouse gases associated with new residential and nonresidential buildings could be reduced in a cost-effective manner. This bill would require the PUC to require electrical corporations to develop a tariff offering optional residential and commercial rates that encourages the deployment of flexible electric loads, removes disincentives customers face to adopt low-emissions heating technologies, and helps integrate renewable energy to support achieving the goals of the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program in the most cost-effective manner. By requiring electrical corporations to develop the tariff, a violation of which would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the PUC, in a new proceeding, to identify barriers and adopt rules requiring electrical and gas corporations to make policy changes to their energy efficiency programs to support the adoption of space and water heating technologies that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in new and existing buildings. The bill would require the PUC to (A) update its fuel substitution test, as specified, (B) include societal and environmental costs of energy use in determining the cost-effectiveness of programs under its jurisdiction, and (C) create or update incentive programs, including those specified, that encourage the transition to low-emissions heating technologies in residential and nonresidential buildings.
Status: 5/31 – Ordered to inactive file on request of Senator McGuire.
Description: This bill would specify that additional living expense coverage shall include all reasonable expenses incurred by the insured in order to maintain a comparable standard of living and would provide a list of expenses that shall be covered. This bill would require, for losses related to a declared state of emergency, that the insurer provide an advance payment for living expenses and an advance payment for contents, the insurer to accept an inventory of contents in any reasonable form permit the grouping of certain items in an inventory of contents, and offer a payment of no less than 80% of the policy limit for contents without an itemized claim. This bill would require an insurer to offer a 30-day grace period, as specified, for payments of premiums for policies on property located within a declared state of emergency for a period of 30 days after the declaration of the emergency. This bill would apply specified provisions retroactively to certain claims for losses incurred on or after July 1, 2017.
Status: 5/25 – May 25 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
Description: This bill would authorize the Office of Planning and Research to include in the clearinghouse information concerning funding and financing opportunities relating to clean energy projects, as specified.
