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Updated January 21, 2022
The California Legislature reconvened on January 3, 2022. Below are the initial bills of interest in the climate, energy, transportation, and environmental justice arenas.
Bills are listed in several categories, numerically in each category. For details on any bill listed below, click on the hyperlinked bill number and that will bring you to the State’s official legislative info page for that bill. Please send any corrections or suggestions to woody@theclimatecenter.org
HIGH PRIORITY Bills that The Climate Center supports
SB 833 (Dodd) — Senate Bill 833, the Community Energy Resilience Act of 2022, calls for the creation of a technical assistance and grant program administered by the California Energy Commission (CEC) to help local governments develop clean energy resilience plans, leveraging the substantial related investments that have already been made by the CEC. SB 833 enables local governments to collaborate with utilities in planning community-scale energy infrastructure such as solar panels and battery storage so that communities are deciding what facilities remain energized during a crisis. Plans of this kind are a prerequisite for attracting private and public investments in community energy resilience projects, which are particularly important in light of the recently passed federal infrastructure package. The bill is aimed to help California reduce its reliance on carbon-emitting generators during disaster-driven power outages by empowering local governments to more strategically plan for the use of clean-emission, distributed energy resources, with a priority on low-income communities. Read The Climate Center’s NEWS RELEASE. Read the bill author’s FACTSHEET. STATUS: Committee assignment pending in the Senate Rules Committee.
Assembly Bills that The Climate Center Supports
AB 1001 (C. Garcia) This bill would require mitigation measures, identified in a CEQA environmental impact report or mitigated negative declaration to mitigate the adverse effects of a project on air or water quality of a disadvantaged community, to mitigate those effects directly in the affected disadvantaged community. The bill would require all public agencies, in implementing CEQA, to act consistently with the principles of environmental justice by ensuring the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races, cultures, incomes, and national origins. Read The Climate Center’s SUPPORT LETTER. STATUS: Heard on Jan. 10 in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.
Senate Bills that The Climate Center Supports
SB 31 (Cortese) This bill, introduced in 2021 and dubbed the “Decarbonization Programs Act” would develop new building decarbonization programs through the California Energy Commission and the Public Utilities Commission, with a particular emphasis on providing opportunities for low income customers. SB 31 Fact Sheet. Read The Climate Center’s 2021 Letter of Support. STATUS: Set for January 20 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
SB 260 (Wiener, et al) This bill was amended on January 3 but the core policy remains. The bill would require the Air Resources Board (ARB) to develop regulations requiring publicly traded corporations (covered entities) with annual revenues in excess of $1 billion that do business in California to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to set science-based emissions reduction targets. Read the Coalition SIGN-ON LETTER that The Climate Center signed onto. STATUS: APPROVED January 20 in the Senate Appropriations Committee; ordered to third reading on January 24 in that same committee.
SB 379 (Wiener) The Solar Access Act requires California cities to provide online, instant solar permitting to streamline remote approvals. Implements instant, online solar permitting in counties with over 150,000 residents. This legislation will greatly decrease approval times for residential solar and solar-plus-storage systems, cut permitting costs for local governments and homeowners, and help California meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. SB 379 is co-sponsored by SPUR and Environment California. Read The Climate Center SUPPORT LETTER. STATUS: APPROVED January 10 in the Senate Energy Committee; referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
SB 852 (Dodd) This bill would authorize a city, county, city and county, special district, or a combination of any of those entities to form a climate resilience district for the purposes of raising and allocating funding for eligible projects and the operating expenses of eligible projects. It would define “eligible project” to mean projects that address sea level rise, extreme heat, extreme cold, the risk of wildfire, drought, and the risk of flooding. Read the Author’s FACTSHEET. STATUS: Introduced 1/18/22; pending committee referral.
SCR 53 (McGuire, et al) – This measure would declare that a climate emergency threatens the state, the nation, the planet, the natural world, and all of humanity. Read The Climate Center’s SUPPORT LETTER. STATUS: Set for third reading on the Senate Floor on January 24.
Bills that The Climate Center supports if amended
AB 1218 (McCarty, Berman, Medina, and Ting) This bill sets in law Governor Newsom’s September 2020 Executive Order setting 2035 as the final year that California will register gasoline-powered vehicles. The Climate Center’s position is that the year-certain should be moved up to 2030. Read The Climate Center’s conditional Letter of Support. STATUS: APPROVED in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on January 20; scheduled for a third reading on January 24 in that committee.
Bills that The Climate Center opposes unless amended
Coming soon
Bills that The Climate Center opposes
Coming soon
Bills that The Climate Center is monitoring but for which we have not taken a public position
AB 30 (Kalra) The State Urban Parks and Healthy Communities Act requires the Director of Parks and Recreation to develop a competitive grant program to assist state parks, specified state conservancies, urbanized and heavily urbanized local agencies, and community-based organizations within those jurisdictions to provide outdoor educational opportunities. This bill would improve access to nature for all people in the state and provide for recreational and educational opportunities, with a specific emphasis on increasing access for economically disadvantaged communities. STATUS: APPROVED in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on January 20. Set for 2nd reading on January 24 in that same committee.
AB 113 (Boerner-Horvath) Establishes a state tax credit for purchase of electric vehicle service equipment (charging stations) at multifamily dwellings. STATUS: Referred to the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee. No hearing date set as of 1/18/22.
AB 353 (O’Donnell) Existing law establishes the Oil Trust Fund in the State Treasury to finance the costs of well abandonment, pipeline removal, facility removal, remediation, and other costs associated with removal of oil and gas facilities from the Long Beach tidelands. Existing law prohibits the total amount deposited in the fund from exceeding $300,000,000 and requires all interest earned on money in the fund after the balance in the fund totals $300,000,000 to be transferred to the General Fund. This bill would delete the provisions relating to the limit on the total amount deposited in the fund. STATUS: APPROVED in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on January 20. Set for 2nd reading on January 24 in that same committee.
AB 943 (E. Garcia) This bill adds specified resilience, adaptation, and quality of life co-benefits to be included in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) project quantification and revises the criteria for various GGRF grant programs. STATUS: Set for January 20 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 1078 (Patterson) This bill extends by one year an exemption from requirements to include installation of solar on homes being rebuilt that were destroyed by wildfire. It exempts any homes destroyed in the 2020 calendar year and moves the expiration of the exemption from 2023 to 2024. STATUS: APPROVED in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on January 20. Ordered to the Assembly consent calendar.
AB 1227 (Levine) This bill aims to amend California’s Title 24 building standards in order to increase the reflectance of roofs. STATUS: APPROVED in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on January 20. Set for 2nd reading on January 24 in that same committee.
AB 1369 (Bennett) This bill adds new categories of materials to the list of materials that are eligible under the “Buy Clean” program and must report GHG emissions. STATUS: APPROVED January 20 in the Assembly Appropriations Committee; ordered to second reading on January 24 in same committee.
AB 1445 (Levine) This bill adds the impacts of climate change such as sea level rise and wildfire escape routes to the list of factors in local government general plans and used to develop the methodology for regional housing needs. STATUS: APPROVED in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on January 20. Set for 2nd reading on January 24 in that same committee.
AB 1519 (Gallagher) Requires the Natural Resources Agency to develop and implement a biomass fuels transportation grant program to offset the cost of transporting fuels to a biomass energy facility. STATUS: APPROVED in Assembly Natural Resources Committee January 10, referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 1676 (Burke) This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that would facilitate the deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration in order to help meet the state’s climate change goals. STATUS: Introduced January 20, pending committee referral.
ACR 109 (C.Garcia) Declares the Legislature’s recognition of the threat that extreme heat poses to communities and calls on the state’s agencies and departments to take immediate action to prepare and protect communities from its impacts. STATUS: APPROVED in the Assembly on January 20; referred to Senate – in Senate Rules Committee.
SB 45 (Portantino) This bill provides assistance to local governments in achieving organic waste reduction goals and reducing short-lived climate pollutants such as methane. STATUS: APPROVED in the Senate Appropriations Committee on January 20. Set for a 3rd reading in that same committee on January 24.
SB 582 (Stern) This bill updates the statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target to be up to 80 percent by 2030, establishes climate restoration goals, and tasks the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and other specified agencies with developing criteria to ensure these goals are achieved equitably. STATUS: On 1/18/2022 the bill was pulled from the inactive file on motion of Senator Hertzberg. Read second time on 1/19. Ordered to third reading.
Two-Year Bills (held over from 2021 – status TBD)
AB 11 (Ward) Existing law requires the Strategic Growth Council to establish and administer a regional climate collaborative program to assist under-resourced communities in a region to access statewide public and other grant moneys for climate change mitigation and adaptation projects. This bill would have required the Council to establish up to 12 regional climate change authorities to coordinate climate adaptation and mitigation activities in their regions and coordinate with other regional climate adaptation authorities, state agencies, and other relevant stakeholders. STATUS: Held in the Natural Resources Committee.
AB 21 (Bauer-Kahan) Imposes new fines for electricity infrastructure owners regarding brush clearance and fire safety. STATUS: Judiciary Committee hearing canceled at the request of author.
AB 50 (Boerner-Horvath) Existing law requires the Natural Resources Agency, in collaboration with the Ocean Protection Council, to create, and update biannually, a Planning for Sea Level Rise Database describing steps being taken throughout the state to prepare for and adapt to sea level rise. This bill would establish the Climate Adaptation Center and Regional Support Network in the Ocean Protection Council to provide local governments facing sea level rise with information and scientific expertise necessary to proceed with sea level rise mitigation. STATUS: Two-year bill.
AB 125 (R.Rivas) AB 125 is a $3 billion bond to build back a more resilient and equitable food and farm system that would protect and house our essential workers. The Equitable Economic Recovery, Healthy Food Access, Climate Resilient Farms and Worker Protection Bond Act (Rivas, AD 30), invests in 4 pillars of the food system: sustainable agricultural solutions to the climate crisis, farmworker safety and well-being, combating hunger and increasing healthy food access, and regional food economies. Read the Healthy Soils Coalition Bill Summary. STATUS: A two-year bill.
AB 284 (R. Rivas) This bill would require the Air Resources Board, when updating the scoping plan and in collaboration with other relevant state agencies, to take specified actions by January 1, 2023, including, among others, identifying a 2045 climate goal, with interim milestones, for the state’s natural and working lands and identifying practices, policy incentives, market needs, and potential reductions in barriers that would help achieve the 2045 climate goal. The bill would require the ARB to develop standard methods for state agencies to consistently track GHG emissions reductions, carbon sequestration, and additional benefits from natural and working lands over time. Read The Climate Center’s Letter of Support. STATUS: Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator Skinner on Sept 2.
AB 564 (Gonzalez, Kalra) This bill would establish the Biodiversity Protection and Restoration Act and would provide that it is the policy of the state that all state agencies, boards, and commissions shall utilize their authorities in furtherance of the biodiversity conservation purposes and goals of certain executive orders. STATUS: Held in the Asm Accountability and Administrative Review Committee in April.
AB 585 (L.Rivas, et al) This bill would have established the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program to coordinate the state’s efforts to address extreme heat and to facilitate the implementation of regional and state climate change planning. STATUS: 8/27/2021 Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(12). (Last location was APPR. SUSPENSE FILE on 8/16/2021)(May be acted upon Jan 2022)
AB 965 (Levine) This bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Building Standards Commission, by July 1, 2024, or the publication of the next interim California Building Code, whichever comes first, to research, develop, and propose building standards regarding the installation of future electric vehicle charging infrastructure for parking spaces for existing multifamily dwellings. Read the author’s FactSheet. STATUS: Two-year bill.
AB 1087 (Chiu) This bill would create an Environmental Justice Community Resilience Hubs Program, which would require each investor-owned utility (IOU) to award competitive grants to owners of critical community institutions and qualified housing for holistic community-driven building upgrade projects that demonstrate community engagement in all phases, demonstrate multi-stakeholder partnerships, reflect the geographic diversity of the state, and are installed on those properties. STATUS: Heard May 20 in the Asm Appropriations Committee: two year bill.
AB 1110 (R. Rivas) Existing law, the Charge Ahead California Initiative, administered by the Air Resources Board, includes goals of, among other things, placing in service at least one million zero-emission and near-zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by January 1, 2023, and establishing a self-sustaining California market for ZEVs in which ZEVs are a viable mainstream option for individual vehicle purchasers, businesses, and public fleets. This bill will establish the California Clean Fleet Accelerator Program to provide smaller local governments and rural public entities with technical and financial support to procure ZEVs for their fleets. AB 1110 is designed to ensure that the environmental benefits and cost savings associated with ZEV fleets are available to all public entities in the state. STATUS: Ordered to inactive file Sept. 9 at the request of Assembly Member Robert Rivas.
AB 1139 (L. Gonzalez) This bill would require the CPUC, no later than February 1, 2022, to develop a replacement for the 2nd net energy metering (NEM) standard contract or tariff (NEM 2.0), which may include net energy metering (NEM 3.0), for an eligible customer-generator with a renewable electrical generation facility that is a customer of a large utility, and would require that utility offer the standard contract or tariff to eligible customer-generators beginning no later than December 31, 2023. Read the original Coalition Letter of Opposition. STATUS: Failed on the Assembly Floor June 3, 2021.
AB 1365 (Bonta) This bill would add concrete to the state’s Buy Clean program to leverage California’s purchasing power in deploying low carbon technologies and best practices across the cement-concrete supply chain. STATUS: Two-year bill.
AB 1389 (Reyes) This bill makes various changes to the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, also known as the Clean Transportation Program (CTP). STATUS: Ordered to inactive file Sept. 7 at the request of Senator Gonzalez. Two year bill.
AB 1500 (Eduardo Garcia) This bill would have placed a $6.7 billion “Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparation, Flood Protection, Extreme Heat Mitigation, and Workforce Development Bond Act of 2022” ballot measure on the November 8, 2022 general election ballot. If approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $6,7 billion to finance projects for, well, safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, drought preparation, flood protection, extreme heat mitigation, and workforce development programs. STATUS: Heard May 10 in Appropriations, re-referred to same committee.
SB 17 (Pan) Would have established a state Office of Racial Equity. STATUS: Hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on August 26 canceled at request of author.
SB 25 (Hurtado) This bill relates to oil and gas well stimulation treatments, and earthquake and leak monitoring and reporting. STATUS: April 15 hearing in Nat. Resources Committee canceled at the request of the author.
SB 32 (Cortese) This bill, dubbed the “Decarbonization Act of 2021” would require all cities and counties in California to update their General Plans with objectives, targets, and policies to fully decarbonize their building stock. SB 32 Fact Sheet. STATUS: Heard May 3 in Sen. Appropriations Committee, placed in Suspense File.
SB 55 (Stern, Allen) SB 55 will put California on the path toward fire-safe growth by prohibiting new residential, commercial and industrial development in very high fire hazard severity zones. STATUS: Tw0-year bill.
SB 204 (Dodd) This bill proposes to codify an existing reliability and emergency demand response program, known as the Base Interruptible Program (BIP). The bill would establish specified incentive requirements and conditions for the continued use of the program. STATUS: Held in the Sen. Appropriations Committee.
SB 322 (Laird) This bill would establish the California Conservation Ranching Incentive Program as a separate component of the California Farmland Conservancy Program. STATUS: Held in Senate Appropriations Committee.
SB 342 (Gonzalez) This bill would have added two members to the South Coast Air Quality Management District board, appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly. The bill would require the two additional members to reside in and work directly with communities in the South Coast Air Basin that are disproportionately burdened by and vulnerable to high levels of pollution and issues of environmental justice. The Climate Center supports this bill with a friendly amendment to include the same provision at the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Read the Letter of Support with Amendment that The Climate Center signed on to. STATUS: Ordered inactive by author June 8.
SB 345 (Becker) This bill requires the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to establish common definitions of nonenergy benefits and attempt to determine consistent values for use in all distributed energy resource programs. Doing so will help ensure that California maximizes potential co-benefits, including (but not limited to) job creation, improved public health, and much more. The failure to include non-energy benefits in decisions has led to environmental justice communities being left behind, as demonstrated through data at the California Energy Commission and CPUC. Sponsored by the Greenlining Institute. Read The Climate Center’s Letter of Support. STATUS: Held in Appropriations.
SB 419 (Stern) This bill requires the use of a skilled and trained workforce, as defined for certain work performed on the state’s oil and gas wells and related production facilities. STATUS: July 7 hearing canceled at the request of author.
SB 449 (Stern) Californians and businesses based in the state face myriad risks associated with climate change, ranging from acute disasters to long-term trends such as droughts. Given the vast economic impacts that have occurred and will occur from climate-driven events, it is critical that businesses and financial institutions begin factoring those risks into their lending and investment decisions. SB 449 addresses this by requiring large California-based businesses to annually disclose their climate-related risks to the California Secretary of State, in accordance with the recommendations from the Task Force on Climate-Related Disclosure. These disclosures will include steps being taken by companies to reduce and adapt to climate-related risks. Read The Climate Center’s Letter of Support. STATUS: Held in Appropriations Committee.
SB 529 (Hertzberg) This bill is relevant to community choice agencies (CCAs). It would create a central procurement entity for electricity procurement, undermining CCA autonomy. The bill authorizes the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to consider changes within the resource adequacy (RA) program, a program to ensure sufficient electricity supply to satisfy demand, including the use of a multiyear centralized RA mechanism, among other options. STATUS: Parked in Senate Rules Committee since June 2021.
SB 542 (Limón) SB 542 would provide two tax incentives for consumers who purchase a new medium- or heavy-duty zero-emission truck and would establish sales tax and DMV fee parity between medium- and heavy-duty (MHD) zero-emission trucks and their diesel or gasoline equivalent. STATUS: Moved to inactive file at request of author on June 1.
SB 612 (Portantino) ACTION ALERT – SB 612 was removed from the June 30 Energy Committee agenda by the Chair, Assemblymember Chris Holden. Read CalCCA’s URGENT ACTION ALERT. This bill would help resolve some of the longstanding issues revolving around the power charge indifference adjustment that is charged to CCA customers as a separate fee, but that all ratepayers pay. The bill would ensure fair and equal access to the benefits of legacy resources held in investor-owned utility (IOU) portfolios and address the management of these resources to maximize value for all customers. Read The Climate Center’s Letter of Support. Read the Author’s Factsheet. STATUS: Was set for a June 30 hearing in the Assembly Energy Committee. Contact Assembly Energy Committee members and urge them to place the bill back on the agenda. Review the member roster to see if your representative is a member of the committee.
SB 662 (Archuleta) This bill would require the CPUC to evaluate and implement policies to promote the development of equipment and infrastructure needed to facilitate the use of hydrogen to fuel low-emission vehicles. It would require the CPUC, in collaboration with the ARB and the California Energy Commission, to initiate a proceeding to authorize gas corporations to file applications for investments in programs to accelerate zero-emission vehicle transportation, as defined, provided those programs do not result in cost shifts in customer rates nor result in a net increase in energy sector emissions. . STATUS: Heard May 17 in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Placed in Suspense File. Held.
SB 726 (Gonzalez) This bill will require the development of a comprehensive transportation sustainability strategy and requires the California Air Resources Board to set a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for the whole transportation sector. This bill also revises and recasts the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, administered by the California Energy Commission. STATUS: Ordered to inactive file on Sept. 7 on request of Assembly Member Reyes. Two year bill.
2021/2022 bills that have died:
AB 1317 (Berman) The existing target year for 100% Renewable Portfolio Standard-eligible electricity in the state’s power mix is 2045. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to accelerate the state’s goal of having 100% of electricity provided by renewable or other zero-carbon sources while maintaining a reliable and resilient electricity grid. STATUS: Referred to the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee. No hearing date set as of 1/21/22.
AB 1325 (Burke) Sponsored by The Climate Center. This bill would require the California Public Utilities Commission (“Commission” or “CPUC”) to develop and implement a Clean Community Microgrid Incentive Program by 2022 to fund community microgrids that support the critical needs of vulnerable communities that utilize distributed energy resources for the generation of electricity. Read the author’s FACTSHEET. STATUS: FAILED: 1/14/2022 Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(b)(1). (Last location was 2 YEAR on 4/30/2021)
SB 30 (Cortese) This bill, dubbed the “State Buildings and Assets Decarbonization Act of 2021” mandates that State buildings and assets achieve carbon-neutrality by 2035 and that the State divest from projects that are not zero emission by 2023. Beginning in 2022, all newly designed and constructed state buildings must be zero emission. SB 30 Fact Sheet. STATUS: FAILED 1/14/2022 — Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(b)(1). (Last location was 2 YEAR on 4/30/2021)
SB 67 (Becker) This bill aims to accelerate the state’s progress toward having 100% of electricity provided by renewable or other zero-carbon sources on a 24-hour, 7-day basis. STATUS: FAILED 1/14/2022 — Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(b)(1). (Last location was 2 YEAR on 4/30/2021)
Special Meetings or Hearings
None at this time.
Click HERE for the final recap of 2021 legislation.
