BILL NUMBER: AJR 53	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER  92
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  JULY 11, 2008
	ADOPTED IN SENATE  JULY 2, 2008
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 19, 2008
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 30, 2008

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Huffman

                        APRIL 3, 2008

   Relative to greenhouse gas emissions.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AJR 53, Huffman. Air resources: greenhouse gas emissions.
   This measure would encourage the United States Congress and the
President of the United States to support the Reducing Global Warming
Pollution from Vehicles Act of 2008 and the Right to Clean Vehicles
Act of 2008 in the 110th Congress, which would permit California and
other states to implement their standards to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from motor vehicles.



   WHEREAS, California has implemented more stringent motor vehicle
air emissions regulations than the federal government for over 40
years; and
   WHEREAS, In recognition of the pioneering role of the state in
protecting public health and welfare from motor vehicle emissions,
the United States Congress enacted subdivision (b) of Section 209 of
the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 7543(b)) that allows the
Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(Administrator) to waive federal preemption of state motor vehicle
standards established; and
   WHEREAS, Once a waiver is granted to California for that
regulation, other states may adopt the vehicle emission standards
established by the California; and
   WHEREAS, According to legal papers filed by the California
Attorney General, of the approximately 98,000 comments in the docket
of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, more than 99.9
percent of those comments supported the petition of the state; and
   WHEREAS, Notwithstanding that support, on December 19, 2007,
Administrator Stephen Johnson denied the waiver request of
California, dated December 21, 2005; and
   WHEREAS, According to the Congressional Research Service,
California has requested waivers of preemption under subdivision (b)
of Section 209 of the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 7543(b))
for vehicle emission standards more than 50 times since that
provision was enacted, and the Administrator has never denied such a
request, but instead always granted the requests, in whole or in
part; and
   WHEREAS, The Administrator sought to justify the denial of the
waiver on the basis that the national fuel economy standards for
vehicles enacted by the federal Energy Independence and Security Act
of 2007 would be ''more effective'' at reducing emissions than the
California standards; and
   WHEREAS, An analysis by the State Air Resources Board shows that
the California standards, once fully adopted, would result in, by
2020, twice the amount of carbon dioxide cumulative reduction
emissions in California and an 80 percent greater reduction in carbon
dioxide emissions nationally, than would be achieved under the
federal act; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California
hereby encourages the United States Congress and the President of the
United States to support the Reducing Global Warming Pollution from
Vehicles Act of 2008 (Sen. No. S. 2555, 110th Cong., 2nd Sess.
(2008)) and the Right to Clean Vehicles Act of 2008 (H. Res. No.
5560, 110th Cong., 2nd Sess. (2008)), which would permit California
and other states to implement their standards to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions from motor vehicles; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
Majority Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative
from California in the Congress of the United States.