Spring 2015 Environmental Justice Legislative Agenda
Our Spring 2015 EJ Legislative Agenda highlights our bills that will significantly impact environmental justice communities. It includes our three priority bills that will increase investments into EJ communities and bring clean renewable energy into low-income communities of color. The Legislative Agenda also includes bills that reform agencies, such as the CPUC and DTSC, that have long under-served environmental justice communities, and bills that address housing, water, and fracking in impacted communities.
Spring 2015 Environmental Justice Legislative Agenda
SUPPORT (CEJA PRIORITY): AB 1071 (Atkins), Environmental Justice SEPs
Requires each Board, Department and Office within CalEPA to establish a Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) policy to benefit environmental justice communities by directing polluter fines into disadvantaged communities.
SUPPORT (CEJA PRIORITY): SB 350 (De León), Golden State Standards
Sets the following goals for 2030: 1) increase the Renewable Portfolio Standard from 33% to 50%; 2) reduce in petroleum use by 50% by 2030; and 3) increase energy efficiency in existing buildings by 50%.
SUPPORT (CEJA PRIORITY): AB 693 (Eggman), Multifamily Affordable Housing Renewable Energy Program
Creates a “Solar CARE” (or “Multi-family Affordable Housing Renewables”) program that allows low-income tenants the option of benefitting from on-site renewable energy on multifamily affordable housing projects and receive the equivalent or greater than their current CARE subsidy through renewable energy, while supporting local jobs, renewable energy, and cleaner air.
SUPPORT: AB 156 (Perea), GGRF Funded Disadvantaged Community Technical Assistance
Requires CalEPA to allocate available greenhouse gas reduction funds (GGRF) for technical assistance programs in disadvantaged communities that lack managerial and technical capacity to compete successfully for funding.
SUPPORT: AB 401 (Dodd), Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Program
Requires the Department of Community Services to develop a plan for creating a low-income water rate assistance program, which is currently lacking in the state.
OPPOSE: AB 590 (Dahle and Salas), Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
Uses Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds to subsidize polluting biomass incinerators, many of which are located near environmental justice communities.
SUPPORT: AB 1030 (Ridley-Thomas), Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
Requires state agencies that allocate moneys from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to prioritize projects that involve hiring that supports the targeted training and hiring from disadvantaged communities for career-track jobs.
SUPPORT: AB 1075 (Alejo), DTSC Reform
Requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to revoke a permit if a major incident, such as an explosion, occurs three times in five years.
SUPPORT: AB 1335 (Atkins), Homes and Jobs Act
Seeks to create a permanent source of funding for affordable housing by placing a $75 fee on real estate transactions, excluding homes sales. Money would go into an already existing housing trust funding.
SUPPORT: SB 185 (De León), Public Divestiture of Thermal Coal Companies Act
Prohibits the boards of the Public Employees’ Retirement System and the State Teachers’ Retirement System from making new investments or renewing existing investments of public employee retirement funds in a thermal coal company.
SUPPORT: SB 398 (Leyva), Green Assistance Program
Establishes the Green Assistance Program within the California Environmental Protection Agency that would provide technical assistance to small businesses, nonprofits and disadvantaged communities in equitably applying for funding within the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
SUPPORT: SB 660 (Leno and Hueso), CPUC Reform and AB 825 (Rendon), Public Utilities Act
Both bills make reforms at the CPUC including: transparency in how the CPUC operates, modifying the powers of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) President, creating new standards and a process for considering whether a Commissioner should be recused for bias or prejudice, and setting new rules for communications between the CPUC and the companies they regulate.
SUPPORT: SB 673 (Lara), Hazardous waste
Creates a Community Oversight Committee that will make recommendations to the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to increase public participation and transparency at the agency and provide input on ways to improve the agency’s enforcement and permitting of hazardous waste facilities, especially in California’s most overburdened and vulnerable communities.
Click here to get the full Spring 2015 EJ Legislative Agenda!
For more information, please visit www.caleja.org or contact Strela Cervas
scervas@caleja.org, 323.826.9771 x104
