California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1324

Introduced by Assembly Member Williams

February 27, 2015

An act to amend Section 38501 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to greenhouse gases.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1324, as introduced, Williams. California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.

The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The state board is required to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020 and to adopt rules and regulations in an open public process to achieve the maximum, technologically feasible, and cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The act makes various findings and declarations.

This bill would make changes to those findings and declarations.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 38501 of the Health and Safety Code is
amended to read:

38501.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Global warming poses a serious threat to the economic
well-being, public health, natural resources, and the environment
of California. The potential adverse impacts of global warming
include the exacerbation of air quality problems, a reduction in
the quality and supply of water to the state from the Sierra
snowpack, a rise in sea levels resulting in the displacement of
thousands of coastal businesses and residences, damage to marine
ecosystems and the natural environment, and an increase in the
incidences of infectious diseases, asthma, and other human
health-related problems.

(b) Global warming will have detrimental effects on some of
California’s largest industries, including agriculture, wine, tourism,
skiing, recreational and commercial fishing, and forestry. It will
also increase the strain on electricity supplies necessary to meet
the demand for summer air-conditioning in the hottest parts of the
state.

(c) California has long been a national and international leader
on energy conservation and environmental stewardship efforts,
including the areas of air quality protections, energy efficiency
requirements, renewable energy standards, natural resource
conservation, and greenhouse gas emission standards for passenger
vehicles. The program established by this division will continue
this tradition of environmental leadership by placing California at
the forefront of national and international efforts to reduce
emissions of greenhouse gases.

(d) National and international actions are necessary to fully
address the issue of global warming. However, action taken by
California to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases will have
far-reaching effects by encouraging other states, the federal
government, and other countries to act.

(e) By exercising a global leadership role, California will also
position its economy, technology centers, financial institutions,
and businesses to benefit from national and international efforts
to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. More importantly,
investing in the development of innovative and pioneering
technologies will assist California in achieving the begin delete 2020 end delete statewide
begin delete limit end delete begin insert limits end insert on emissions of greenhouse gases established by this
division begin insert for 2020 and beyond end insert and will provide an opportunity for
the state to take a global economic and technological leadership
role in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that the State Air Resources
Board coordinate with state agencies, as well as consult with the
environmental justice community, industry sectors, business
groups, academic institutions, environmental organizations, and
other begin delete stakeholders end delete begin insert stakeholders, end insert in implementing this division.

(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that the State Air Resources
Board consult with the Public Utilities Commission in the
development of emissions reduction measures, including limits on
emissions of greenhouse gases applied to electricity and natural
gas providers regulated by the Public Utilities Commission in order
to ensure that electricity and natural gas providers are not required
to meet duplicative or inconsistent regulatory requirements.

(h) It is the intent of the Legislature that the State Air Resources
Board design emissions reduction measures to meet the statewide
emissions limits for greenhouse gases established pursuant to this
division in a manner that minimizes costs and maximizes benefits
for California’s economy, improves and modernizes California’s
energy infrastructure and maintains electric system reliability,
maximizes additional environmental and economic co-benefits for
California, and complements the state’s efforts to improve air
quality.

(i) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Climate Action
Team established by the Governor to coordinate the efforts set
forth under Executive Order S-3-05 continue its role in
coordinating overall climate policy.