Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to prepare a statewide strategy to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants and criteria air pollutants in communities affected by a high cumulative exposure burden that includes an assessment and identification of those communities. Existing law requires the statewide strategy to be updated at least once every 5 years. Existing law requires the state board, based on the assessment and identification, to select locations around the state for preparation of community emissions reduction programs. Existing law requires the assessment and identification to prioritize disadvantaged communities, as defined. Existing law requires the regional air quality management district or the regional air pollution control district encompassing the location selected by the state board, within one year of selection, to adopt a community emissions reduction program to achieve emissions reductions for the location selected using cost-effective measures, as provided. Existing law requires the state board to provide grants to community-based organizations for technical assistance and to support community participation in the implementation of the statewide strategy. Under this existing regulatory authority, the state board provides grants to development and implement local community emissions reduction plans.

This bill would revise the definition of “disadvantaged community” to include a disadvantaged unincorporated community. The bill would require the statewide strategy to be updated on or before July 1, 2027, and every 3 years thereafter. The bill would require the local community emissions reduction plans be submitted to the state board for review and approval and would authorize the state board or the relevant air district to enforce those plans. The bill would specify that a steering committee formed by an air district to assist it in the development and implementation of a community emissions reduction program remains active until the emissions objectives identified in the program are achieved. The bill would require members of the steering committee to meet certain requirements. The bill would specify eligible uses for the grants provided and would authorize the state board to audit and to take corrective action if those resources are improperly used.

This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.