BILL NUMBER: SB 1253 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 16, 1999
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 7, 1999
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 20, 1999
INTRODUCED BY Senator Sher
FEBRUARY 26, 1999
An act to add Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 25720) to
Division 15 of the Public Resources Code, relating to climate change.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1253, as amended, Sher. Climate change.
Existing law establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation
and Development Commission and requires the commission, among other
things, to analyze the environmental consequences of trends in the
consumption of energy. Existing law also requires the commission to
have conducted a study on or before June 1, 1990, regarding the
manner in which global warming trends may affect California's energy
supply and demand, economy, environment, agriculture, and water
supplies.
This bill would require the commission, in consultation with the
State Air Resources Board, the Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection, the Department of Transportation, the State Water
Resources Control Board, the California Integrated Waste Management
Board, any other state agencies with jurisdiction over matters
affecting climate change, to update , by January 1, 2001,
the inventory of greenhouse gas emissions from all sources located in
the state, as identified in a specified report, and to acquire and
develop data and information on global climate change
issues, and provide state, regional and local agencies,
utilities, business, industry, and other energy and economic sectors
with information on the costs and ,
technical feasibility , and demonstrated effectiveness of
methods of for reducing or
mitigating the production of greenhouse gases from in-state
sources.
The bill would require the commission to update its inventory
every 5 years and report on the updated inventory to the Governor and
the Legislature.
The bill would require the commission to conduct at least one
public workshop prior to finalizing each updated inventory. The bill
would require the commission to post its report and inventory on the
commission's web page on the Internet. The bill would also require
the commission to convene an interagency task force consisting of
state agencies with jurisdiction over matters affecting climate
change to ensure policy coordination for those activities, and to
establish a climate change advisory committee , as provided,
to advise the commission on strategies for reducing
greenhouse gases make recommendations to the
commission on the most equitable and efficient ways to implement
international and national climate change requirements, as provided
.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 25720) is added to
Division 15 of the Public Resources Code, to read:
CHAPTER 8.5. CLIMATE CHANGE INVENTORY AND INFORMATION
25720. The commission, in consultation with the State Air
Resources Board, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the
Department of Transportation, the State Water Resources Control
Board, the California Integrated Waste Management Board, and other
state agencies with jurisdiction over matters affecting climate
change, shall do all of the following:
(a) Update On or before January 1, 2001,
update the inventory of greenhouse gas emissions from all
sources located in the state, as identified in the commission's 1998
report entitled, "Appendix A: Historical and Forecasted Greenhouse
Gas Emissions Inventories for California." Information on natural
sources of greenhouse gas emissions shall be included to the extent
that information is available. The inventory shall include
information that compares emissions from similar inventories prepared
for the United States and other states or countries, using
the generic indicators of C02 emissions per capita and C02 emissions
per gross state and national product and shall include
information on relevant current and previous energy and air quality
policies, activities, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions and
trends since 1990 , to the extent that information is
available.
(b) Acquire and develop data and information on global climate
change issues , and provide state, regional, and
local agencies, utilities, business, industry, and other energy and
economic sectors with information on the costs and technical
feasibility of methods for reducing the costs,
technical feasibility, and demonstrated effectiveness of methods for
reducing or mitigating the production of greenhouse gases from
in-state sources , including net reductions through the
management of natural forest reservoirs . The commission, in
consultation with the State Air Resources Board, shall provide a
variety of forums for the exchange of that information among
interested parties, and shall advise other state agencies on
provide other state agencies with information on
cost-effective and technologically feasible methods that can be
used to reduce or mitigate the emissions of greenhouse
gases.
(c) Update its inventory every five years using current scientific
methods and, notwithstanding Section 7550.5 of the Government Code,
report on the updated inventory to the Governor and the Legislature.
(d) Conduct at least one public workshop prior to finalizing each
updated inventory. The commission shall post its report and
inventory on the commission's web page on the Internet.
(e) Convene an interagency task force consisting of state agencies
with jurisdiction over matters affecting climate change to ensure
policy coordination at the state level for those activities.
(f) Establish a climate change advisory committee , to
advise the commission on strategies for reducing greenhouse
gases the extent that the commission determines that
it can do so within existing resources . This advisory
committee shall make recommendations to the commission on the most
equitable and efficient ways to implement international and national
climate change requirements, based on cost and technical
feasibility. The commission shall chair and ,
technical feasibility, and relevant information on current energy and
air quality policies and activities and on greenhouse gas emissions
reductions and trends since 1990. The commission shall designate one
of its commissioners as chair and shall include on the
advisory committee members who represent business, including major
industrial and energy sectors, utilities, forestry, agriculture,
local government, and environmental groups. The meetings of the
advisory committee shall be open to the public, and shall provide an
opportunity for the public to be heard on matters considered by the
advisory committee.