Silicon Valley Democratic Club
Environmental Committee’s Legislative Priority List
August 2020
We are increasingly witnessing the threat climate change poses to our humanity everyday. The destructive impacts and consequences of global temperature rise and environmental degradation in the Bay Area include increased wildfire disasters, deteriorating coastlines and wetlands, toxic air pollution, a plastic waste crisis, and a host of environmentally caused health problems. The SVDC Environmental Committee is prioritizing the following vital bills impacting our community, state and planet. Many of these bills are being tracked by environmental groups with solid track records, including Bay Area 350, Sierra Club California, Californians Against Waste, and Environment California.
The SVDC Environmental Committee believes in proactive environmental policy that pushes forward ambitious, yet achievable solutions that keep California on the forefront of the battle against climate change. We know that this is not only an environmental issue, but a social justice issue that disproportionately affects those that live in poverty as well as communities of color. Our state has played a vital role in enacting climate justice and energy policies that have not only helped to de-carbonize all sectors of our economy, but has led to drastic economic benefits and job creation. With the passage of SB 100 in 2018, which will usher in 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045, California has played a key role in resisting the science-denying, environmental rollbacks of the Trump administration.
This legislative cycle, we must continue to serve as a model for the rest of the U.S. and support aggressive policies that will protect our environment, the ocean food chain and the health of communities across California.
NOTE: Click on Assembly or Senate Bill number below for more detail.
Cutting Waste & Toxics AB 1080 (Gonzalez) and SB 54 (Allen) California Circular Economy and Pollution Reduction Act Single-use products—typically plastic packaging—is overflowing our landfills and fouling our oceans and streets. Current disposal and recycling policies cannot resolve these problems. These two identical bills will require the reduction, composting or recycling of 75 percent of single-use packaging by 2030. SUPPORT. AB 1080 passed in Assembly. Awaiting Senate floor vote. SB 54 passed in Senate. Awaiting Assembly floor vote. AB 1080 and SB 54 still on inactive file. AB 2287 (Eggman) Plastic Product Compostability Certification This bill supports the development and use of truly degradable and compostable alternatives to traditional plastics by updating California’s environmental advertising laws to reflect updated standards, certifications and best practices for labeling products. SUPPORT. Passed the Assembly. Moves to the Senate. Now at Senate EQ, hearing on 8/11.Protecting California’s Lands, Coast, Ocean and Wildlife Support: AB 3030 (Kalra) State Land and Ocean Conservation Goal This bill would set a goal to conserve at least 30 percent of state lands and 30 percent of the ocean within the state by 2030 in an effort to safeguard California’s clean air, clean drinking water and biodiversity. It places an emphasis on improving access to nature for all and promoting carbon sequestration on state lands. SUPPORT. Passed the Assembly. Moves to the Senate. Now at Senate NR&W, hearing on 8/12. Reducing Oil and Gas Dependence Support: AB 345 (Muratsuchi) Protecting Public Health from Impacts of Oil Extraction This bill would codify a requirement that the state entity overseeing oil and gas drilling and production, the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), conduct a rulemaking to protect public health and safety from the impacts of oil extraction operations. The bill also requires that in doing its rulemaking, CalGEM establish a minimum setback of extraction operations from homes, schools, daycare facilities and other sensitive receptors. SUPPORT. Passed in Assembly. Moves to the Senate. Failed at Senate NR&W; under reconsideration. Support: AB 3214 (Limón) Offshore Oil Spill Penalties This bill updates the current criminal penalties for companies that knowingly cause oil spills or failed to take actions that they know would have prevented an oil spill into state waters. SUPPORT. Passed the Assembly. Moves to the Senate. Now at Senate NR&W, hearing on 8/12. Protecting Californians from Wildfire Support: AB 3074 (Friedman) Ember-Resistant Zones During wildfires, most homes are destroyed by embers that can travel miles ahead of the flames and ignite flammable objects on or near a home. This bill would protect lives and property from wildfires, strengthening California’s defensible space laws by requiring a five-foot “ember-resistant zone” around homes in high fire risk areas. SUPPORT. Passed the Assembly. Moves to the Senate. Now at Senate NR&W, to hear on 8/12. Support: AB 3164 (Friedman) Wildfire Risk Model This bill would help the state and communities prepare for wildfires and prioritize the use of wildfire prevention and mitigation funds by requiring that CAL FIRE develop a wildfire risk model to identify areas with the highest risk to property and health. SUPPORT. Passed the Assembly. Moves to the Senate. Now at Senate Appropriations. | Increasing Energy Efficient Infrastructure Support: AB841 (Ting) Energy: transportation electrification: energy efficiency programs: School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program: This bill would redirect existing funds to repair and replace HVAC systems and water fixtures while creating high quality green jobs.This bill also streamlines EV infrastructure projects by ensuring that upgrades to the electrical system are regularly reviewed in a utility’s general rate case. Moreover, AB841 also aims to decrease greenhouse gas emission through making sustainable transit like electric cars more accessible to people by implementing at least 1 million charging stations in the State of California, a tremendous increase when compared to the 43K charging stations that the State has right now, which in turn will help CA reach its goal of 5 million EV by 2030. SUPPORT. Passed in the Assembly. Moves to the Senate. Now at Senate Appropriations. Advancing Clean TransportationOppose:: AB 1002 (Quirk-Silva) Eliminating EV Charging Infrastructure Incentives This bill would hamper the state’s clean air and greenhouse gas reduction goals by effectively ending incentives for electric vehicle charging infrastructure under the Air Resources Board’s Low-Carbon Fuel Standard program. OPPOSE. Passed the Assembly. Moves to the Senate. Now in Senate EQ. Protecting Environmental Review Oppose:: AB 3279 (Friedman) Onerous Barriers for CEQA Petitioners This bill will severely limit the ability for environmental justice communities to enforce the law and protect their environmental health. OPPOSE. Passed the Assembly. Moves to the Senate. Judicial requirements removed in current (7/27) language; record of proceedings language kept. Now in Senate EQ, scheduled for 8/11 hearing. Advancing Zero-Emission Electricity Oppose:: SB 1185 (Moorlach) Unrestricted Gas Generators. This bill would authorize an air district to adopt, or revise, a rule to specify that hours for usage due to the loss of normal electrical service during a deenergization event, as defined, by a permitted natural-gas-powered emergency backup generator that is either federally compliant, as defined, or state board designated are prohibited from counting toward that permit’s conditions for usage. Preemption language removed in current (7/27) language. Currently in Asm NR. Reducing Oil and Gas Dependence Oppose:: AB 3163 (Salas) Increasing Biomethane Pollution This bill would undermine California’s climate and clean-air goals and encourage turning woody waste into methane gas by expanding the definition of biomethane to include methane gas made by converting wood into methane. OPPOSE. Passed the Assembly. Moves to the Senate. Now in Senate Appropriations, scheduled for 8/13 hearing. |
References: Sierra Club California Legislative Priority List 2020 350 Bay Area Action Legislative Committee https://350bayareaaction.org/legislative-team Californian’s Against Waste 2019-2010 Legislation https://www.cawrecycles.org/legislation |