BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                    Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
          
                                       AB 2705 (Cardoza)
          
          Hearing Date:  8/14/00                      Amended: 8/8/00
          Consultant:  Bob Franzoia      Policy Vote: E, U&C  6-0
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          BILL SUMMARY: 
          
          AB 2705 would require that funds received from loan  
          payments and interest on loans made by the California  
          Energy Commission (CEC) for the Agricultural Energy  
          Assistance Program (AEAP) be deposited in Energy  
          Technologies Research, Development, and Demonstration  
          Account (ETRDDA).  The bill would provide that the loans  
          have a repayment period of not more than seven years and  
          bear interest at a rate not less than two percent below the  
          rate earned by moneys in the Pooled Money Investment  
          Account.  The bill would repeal a program for the  
          development of solar technology in agriculture.

                              Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
           
          Major Provisions                     2000-01       2001-02   2002-03         
               Fund  
          
          Redirection        $200 annually for six years    PVEA        
          
          STAFF COMMENTS:  
          
          The AEAP was created in 1986 with an appropriation of $3  
          million from the Petroleum Violation Escrow Account (PVEA)  
          for the purpose of making low interest loans to  
          agricultural entities.  Currently, $1.2 million of  
          principal and interest remains outstanding.  The CEC  
          anticipates receiving these loan repayments, which are  
          deposited in the PVEA, over the next six years.

          This bill would direct those repayments from the PVEA to  
          the ETRDDA.