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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-18</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Connolly</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 39730.7 of the Health and Safety Code, and to add Section 42649.87 to the Public Resources Code, relating to greenhouse gases. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>greenhouse gases</ns0:RelatingClause>
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<ns0:Subject>Organic waste: manure management: interagency task force: project approval.</ns0:Subject>
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(1)
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The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. The act requires the state board to adopt rules and regulations to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reductions to ensure that the statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40% below the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit, as defined, no later than December 31, 2030. Existing law requires the state board to prepare and approve a scoping plan for achieving the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, as provided, and to update the scoping plan at least once every 5 years.
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<html:p>Existing law requires the state board
to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants in the state. Existing law requires the state board, in consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, to adopt regulations to reduce methane emissions from livestock manure management operations and dairy manure management operations by up to 40% below the dairy sector’s and livestock sector’s 2013 levels by 2030.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require the Department of Food and Agriculture to convene an interagency task force to evaluate the role of alternative manure management practices in achieving certain goals and to make specified findings and recommendations based on its evaluation. The bill would require the task force to include representatives from specified state agencies, external scientific and technical experts, and other stakeholders, as provided. The bill would require the task force to coordinate scenario modeling of alternative manure management practices
adoption within the dairy and livestock industry under different policy and funding conditions, assess how alternative manure management practices can help the state meet groundwater protection strategies, water quality plans, and working lands climate goals, and facilitate interagency data sharing, technical consultation, and identification of research needs, as provided. The bill would authorize the state board to incorporate the task force’s findings and recommendations into updates to the above-described comprehensive strategy, the 2027 update to the scoping plan, and other planning documents as appropriate.</html:p>
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(2)
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Existing law requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, in partnership with various government agencies, to identify and recommend actions to address, with regard to both state agencies and the federal government, the permitting and siting challenges associated with composting and anaerobic digestion, and to
encourage the continued viability of the state’s organic waste processing and recycling infrastructure.
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<html:p>This bill would require the Department of Food and Agriculture to convene relevant government agencies, with input from the regulated community, to create an efficient and effective process for approving new projects that manage livestock and dairy manure through on-farm composting or by selling or transferring manure to offsite users. </html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 39730.7 of the
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is amended to read:
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(a)
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For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
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<html:p>
(1)
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“Department” means the Department of Food and Agriculture.
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(2)
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“Commission” means the Public Utilities Commission.
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(3)
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“Energy commission” means the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.
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(4)
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“Strategy” means the strategy to reduce short-lived climate pollutants developed pursuant to Section 39730.
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(b)
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(1)
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The state board, in consultation with the department, shall adopt
regulations to reduce methane emissions from livestock manure management operations and dairy manure management operations, consistent with this section and the strategy, by up to 40 percent below the dairy sector’s and livestock sector’s 2013 levels by 2030.
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(2)
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Prior to adopting regulations pursuant to paragraph (1), the state board shall do all of the following:
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(A)
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Work with stakeholders to identify and address technical, market, regulatory, and other challenges and barriers to the development of dairy methane emissions reduction projects. The group of stakeholders shall include a broad range of stakeholders involved in the development of dairy methane reduction projects, including, but not limited to, project developers, dairy and livestock industry representatives, state and local permitting agencies, energy agency representatives, compost producers with experience
composting dairy manure, environmental and conservation stakeholders, public health experts, and others with demonstrated expertise relevant to the success of dairy methane emissions reduction efforts.
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(B)
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Provide a forum for public engagement by holding at least three public meetings in geographically diverse locations throughout the state where dairy operations and livestock operations are present.
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(C)
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In consultation with the department, do both of the following:
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<html:p>
(i)
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Conduct or consider livestock and dairy operation research on dairy methane emissions reduction projects, including, but not limited to, scrape manure management systems, solids separation systems, and enteric fermentation.
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(ii)
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Consider developing and adopting methane emissions
reduction protocols.
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(3)
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The state board shall make available to the public by posting on its internet website a report on the progress made in implementing paragraph (2). Pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code, the state board shall notify the Legislature of the report.
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(4)
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Notwithstanding the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the regulations adopted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be implemented on or after January 1, 2024, if the state board, in consultation with the department, determines all of the following:
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(A)
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The regulations are technologically feasible.
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(B)
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The regulations are economically feasible considering milk and live cattle prices and the commitment of state, federal, and private funding, among other things, and that markets exist for the products generated by dairy manure management and livestock manure management methane emissions reduction projects, including composting, biomethane, and other products. The analysis shall include consideration of both of the following:
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<html:p>
(i)
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Electrical interconnection of onsite electrical generation facilities using biomethane.
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(ii)
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Access to common carrier pipelines available for the injection of digester biomethane.
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(C)
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The regulations are cost effective.
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(D)
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The regulations include provisions to minimize and mitigate potential leakage to other states or countries, as appropriate.
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(E)
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The regulations include an evaluation of the achievements made by incentive-based programs.
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(c)
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No later than July 1, 2020, the state board, in consultation with the department, shall analyze the progress the dairy and livestock sectors have made in achieving the goals identified in the strategy and specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b). The analysis shall determine if sufficient progress has been made to overcome technical and market barriers, as identified in the strategy. If the analysis determines that progress has not been made in meeting the targets due to insufficient funding or technical or market barriers, the state board, in consultation with the department and upon
consultation with stakeholders, may reduce the goal in the strategy for the dairy and livestock sectors, as identified pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b).
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(d)
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(1)
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The department shall convene an interagency task force to evaluate the role of alternative manure management practices in achieving the goals identified in the strategy and in related state mandates and to make findings and recommendations concerning the activities in paragraph (2), based on its evaluation.
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(2)
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The interagency task force shall include representatives from the state board, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, the Natural Resources Agency, and external scientific and technical experts and other stakeholders, including, but not limited to,
producers and dairy industry representatives representing organic and pasture-based operations and operations of a variety of sizes and income levels.
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(3)
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The interagency task force shall do the following:
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<html:p>
(A)
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Coordinate scenario modeling of alternative manure management practices adoption within the dairy and livestock industry under different policy and funding conditions.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
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Assess how alternative manure management practices can help the state meet groundwater protection strategies, water quality plans, and working lands climate goals.
</html:p>
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(C)
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Facilitate interagency data sharing, technical consultation, and identification of research needs, and
advise the state board on updates to its quantification methodology for the Alternative Manure Management Program, considering the most recent relevant data and research and impacts on equitable access.
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(4)
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The state board may incorporate the interagency task force’s findings and recommendations into updates to the strategy, the 2027 scoping plan update developed pursuant to Section 38561, and other planning documents as appropriate.
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(e)
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(1)
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(A)
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No later than January 1, 2018, the state board, in consultation with the commission and the
energy commission, shall establish energy infrastructure development and procurement policies needed to encourage dairy biomethane projects to meet the goal identified pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b).
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<html:p>
(B)
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The state board shall develop a pilot financial mechanism to reduce the economic uncertainty associated with the value of environmental credits, including credits pursuant to the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard regulations (Subarticle 7 (commencing with Section 95480) of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations) from dairy-related projects producing low-carbon transportation fuels. The state board shall make recommendations to the Legislature for expanding this mechanism to other sources of biogas.
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<html:p>
(2)
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No later than January 1, 2018, the commission, in consultation with the state board and the department, shall direct gas corporations to implement not less than five
dairy biomethane pilot projects to demonstrate interconnection to the common carrier pipeline system. For the purposes of these pilot projects, gas corporations may recover in rates the reasonable cost of pipeline infrastructure developed pursuant to the pilot projects.
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(f)
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No later than January 1, 2018, the state board shall provide guidance on credits generated pursuant to the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard regulations (Subarticle 7 (commencing with Section 95480) of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations) and the market-based compliance mechanism developed pursuant to Part 5 (commencing with Section 38570) of Division 25.5 from the methane reduction protocols
described in the strategy and shall ensure that projects developed before the implementation of regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (b) receive credit for at least 10 years. Projects shall be eligible for an extension of credits after the first 10 years to the extent allowed by regulations adopted pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500)).
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(g)
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Enteric emissions reductions shall be achieved only through incentive-based mechanisms until the state board, in consultation with the department, determines that a cost-effective, considering the impact on animal productivity, and scientifically proven
method of reducing enteric emissions is available and that adoption of the enteric emissions reduction method would not damage animal health, public health, or consumer acceptance. Voluntary enteric emissions reductions may be used toward satisfying the goals of this chapter.
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(h)
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Except as provided in this section, the state board shall not adopt methane emissions reduction regulations controlling the emissions of methane from dairy operations or livestock operations to achieve the 2020 and 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals established pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500)).
</html:p>
<html:p>
(i)
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This section does not limit the authority of the state board to acquire planning and baseline information, including requiring the monitoring and reporting of emissions.
</html:p>
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(j)
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This section does not in any way affect the state board’s or districts’ authority to regulate emissions of criteria pollutants, toxic air contaminants, or other pollutants pursuant to other provisions of this division.
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Section 42649.87 is added to the
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<html:p>The Department of Food and Agriculture shall convene relevant government agencies, with input from the regulated community, to create an efficient and effective process for approving new projects that manage livestock and dairy manure through on-farm composting or by selling or transferring manure to offsite users. The convened agencies may include, as appropriate, representatives from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery and its local enforcement agencies, the State Water Resources Control Board, regional water quality control boards, local air pollution control and air quality management districts, and local public health agencies. </html:p>
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