Legislation Watch | 09.11.18

The Coalition tracked the following bills and others throughout the legislative session, which ended Aug. 31. Gov. Jerry Brown must act on all bills by Sept. 30. The Legislature will convene Dec. 3 for the 2018–19 session.

AB 1879 | Authors: Santiago and Rubio

In brief: Requires the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to provide a report explaining any moratoriums on new natural gas service connections. This bill would take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Status: Passed.

AB 1945 | Author: Eduardo Garcia

In brief: Requires CARB to work with the state agencies administering grant programs that allocate funds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to give specified communities preferential points during grant application scoring. It includes a specified timeline for programs with competitive application processes, and allows applicants from Imperial and San Diego counties to include daytime population numbers in grant applications.
Details: Requires the use of funds to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; increase water supply resilience; reduce or prevent increases in transportation, energy, or fuel costs, particularly in disadvantaged communities; and accelerate the development and implementation of low-carbon technology.
Status: Passed.

AB 2006 | Author: Eggman

In brief: Establishes the Charge Ahead California Initiative, which would place at least a million zero-emission and near-zero-emission vehicles in agricultural worker vanpool programs by Jan. 1, 2023. It would also increase access to zero-emission and near-zero-emission vehicles for disadvantaged, low-income, and moderate-income communities and consumers.
Status: Passed.

AB 2061 | Author: Frazier (sponsored by the Coalition)

In brief: Authorizes a near-zero-emission or zero-emission vehicle to exceed the weight limits on power units by as much as 2,000 pounds. The bill increases the allowable gross weight of a near-zero-emission or zero-emission truck to 82,000 pounds.
Status: Passed.

AB 3232 | Author: Friedman

In brief: Requires the CEC to develop a plan by Jan. 1, 2021, to make all new buildings zero emission and to create a strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels in the state’s building stock by Jan. 1, 2030. 
Details: 
The CEC must also establish standards for the electric and gas corporations and local publicly owned electric and gas utilities to use when reporting their greenhouse gas emissions.
Status: Passed.

SB 100 | Author: De León

In brief: Revises the goals of the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program to achieve the CPUC’s 50 percent renewable resources target by Dec. 31, 2026, and its 60 percent target by Dec. 31, 2030. Also calls for zero-carbon resources to generate all electricity sold at retail by Dec. 31, 2045.
Details: The bill originally included RNG as an acceptable renewable energy resource, but it was amended to specify zero carbon only. The Coalition is working to reinstate RNG as a tool for California to utilize in achieving a 100 percent renewable portfolio.
Status: Signed into law.

SB 957 | Author: Lara

In brief: Extends HOV identifiers for SULEVs, advanced technology partial zero-emission vehicles, and transitional zero-emission vehicles until Jan. 1, 2022, if the owner’s household income meets the threshold designated as low income.
Status: Passed.

SB 1014 | Author: Skinner

In brief: Creates the California Clean Miles Standard and Incentive Program for zero-emission vehicles used for taxi-type transportation services. The bill aims to make 100 percent of passenger miles emission free by Dec. 31, 2028.
Details: SB 1014 requires CARB to allocate $30 million from the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project for incentives to purchase zero-emission vehicles as replacements for fossil fuel–powered service cars.
Status: Passed.

SB 1119 | Author: Beall

In brief: Authorizes transit agencies that service disadvantaged communities to spend 50 percent of CARB Low Carbon Transit Operations Program funds on fare subsidies, transit connections, or technology improvements that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Status: 
Passed.

SB 1440 | Author: Hueso

In brief: Requires the CPUC to establish a biomethane procurement program by July 1, 2019, with goals for gas corporations to collectively procure 32 billion cubic feet of biomethane statewide each year.
Status: Passed.