 Legislative Update
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Last update: August 25, 2008
AB 109 | Author: Núñez
In brief: Amends last year’s AB 118, which created new programs and funding sources to reduce air pollutant
emissions and promote greater use of alternative fuels and vehicles. This bill expands the definitions of “life-cycle assessment” and “full fuel-cycle assessment” to include additional features of biofuel production
and clarifies restrictions on the use of grant funds.
Status: On Senate Floor
AB 2179 | Author: Furutani
In brief: Requires diesel vehicles purchased or leased by the state after Jan. 1, 2009 to use at least 20 percent biodiesel, provided the fuel is readily available, costs no more than diesel, and has been found by CARB not to increase emissions of criteria air pollutants or toxic air contaminants.
Status: Passed Senate; to Assembly
Concurrence.
AB 2403 | Author: Smyth
In brief: Authorizes Caltrans, until 2014, to spend up to $15 million annually to buy and equip heavy-duty vehicles and equipment using a “best value procurement” method.
Details: AB 2403 was “double-joined” to AB 2560 by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, meaning
it can only take effect if AB 2560 is also signed into law.
Status: To the governor
AB 2009 | Author: Hernandez
In brief: Exempts natural gas used for transportation by a local agency or public transit operator from a local utility user tax if the gas is dispensed by a separately metered, dedicated compressor.
Details: AB 2009 is sponsored by the Foothill Transit District, which operates a CNG fueling station in the city of Irwindale. The city is assessing
Foothill a utility user tax for gas consumed for transportation purposes. AB 2009 clarifies existing
law, which bars the imposition of the tax for transportation uses.
Status: Signed by the governor.
AB 2546 | Author: De La Torre
In brief: Amended bill includes emissions from mobile sources as an “air release” under the Toxic Hot Spots law, if the vehicles are within a stationary source facility.
Details: AB 2546 contends that emissions from vehicles at rail yards should be included under the state’s Toxic Hot spots law, since they are an integral part of the rail yard, which is a stationary source subject to the law.
Status: Held in Senate Appropriations
Committee.
AB 2560 | Author: Lieu
In brief: Requires the Department of General Services to update its purchasing
methodology for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to include consideration of greenhouse gas emissions and life-cycle costs.
Details: Sponsored by the Coalition.
The bill follows the enactment last year of AB 236 (Lieu), which established a similar methodology
for passenger and light-duty vehicles.
Status: To the governor
AB 2645 | Author: Núñez
In brief: Amends last year’s AB 118, which created new programs and funding sources to reduce air pollutant emissions and promote greater use of alternative fuels, to expand the definitions of “life-cycle assessment” and “full fuel-cycle assessment” to include additional features of biofuel production.
Details: Other amendments may be added, especially in the Senate, which was critical of some provisions
of AB 118.
Status: In Senate Transportation and Housing Committee
AB 118 | Author: Nuñez
In brief: Provides funding for alternative fuels research, development, and deployment to meet clea air and greenhouse gas reduction goals and ensure a reliable fuel supply.
Status: Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 118 into law on October 14, 2007.
SB 974 | Author: Lowenthal
In brief: Imposes a $30 fee on shipping
containers moving through the ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Oakland, with revenues spent equally on improving infrastructure and reducing air pollution.
Details: Lowenthal held the bill on the Assembly Floor last year at the governor’s request, with the governor’s commitment to work with him to have the bill passed.
Status: To the governor
SB 1240 | Author: Kehoe
In brief: Gutted and amended to address an unrelated issue.
Details: The bill would have required
CARB to adopt regulations to implement and enforce a low-carbon
fuel standard that achieves the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels, and at least a 10 percent reduction by 2020. The standard would have applied to all refiners, blenders, producers, and importers
of transportation fuel. The bill was an effort to add requirements to the standard established by the governor’s executive order, including
a prohibition on compliance options that result in backsliding on air pollutant emissions.
Status: The Legislature will not address low-carbon fuel standards this session
SB 1374 | Author: Battin
In brief: Removes the cap on the number of stickers available for single-occupant hybrid access to HOV lanes and requires the DMV to make stickers available to vehicles that have received an offset for their CO2 emissions from a CARB–
certified offset program.
Status: Held in Senate Transportation
and Housing Committee.
SB 1646 | Author: Padilla
In brief:Removes the 2010 sunset on the SCAQMD’s authority to impose
a $1 fee on vehicle registration
renewal, with revenues used to fund the district’s Clean Fuels Program.
Status: To the governor
SB 1720 | Author: Lowenthal
In brief: Applies existing penalties for using false vehicle identification
stickers to the illegal use of a “clean air sticker,” which grants access to HOV lanes.
Status: To the governor
SB 1737 | Author: Kehoe
In brief: Requires the PUC to evaluate
and implement policies to promote the development of equipment
and infrastructure needed to facilitate the use of electric and natural gas low-emission vehicles.
Details: The PUC scaled back utilities’
low-emission vehicle programs significantly after concluding that many of the activities did not meet the law’s “public interest” test. The definition of “public interest” has subsequently been amended to include the use of alternative fuels and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, making a PUC review in order.
Status: Referred to Appropriations suspense file.
SB 1174 | Author: Lowenthal
In brief: Redefines “clean fuel vehicle” to mean a new passenger vehicle or light-duty truck that is certified by CARB to run on a clean alternative fuel, as listed in the bill, provided the fuel is reasonably priced and exists in close proximity to where the vehicle is operated.
Details: Vehicles that could qualify include CNG vehicles, plug-in hybrids,
flex-fuel vehicles, battery electric vehicles, and hydrogen vehicles, among others.
Status: In Assembly Appropriations
Committee Suspense File.
AB 99 | Author: Feuer
In brief: Requires that by 2012, 50 percent of new passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks sold in California are clean alternative vehicles, and that by 2020, all are.
Status: Failed passage in Assembly Transportation Committee; reconsideration granted.
AB 236 | Author: Lieu
In brief: Requires every state office, agency and department that has flex-fuel fleet vehicles to use the alternative fuel unless it is impossible to do so, and directs the Department of General Services to report on alternative and petroleum fuel consumption.
Status: Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 236 into law on October 14, 2007.
AB 493 | Author: Ruskin
In brief: Requires CARB to create a clean vehicle incentive program that would provide rebates to, and assess sur-charges on the purchasers of new motor vehicles based on the vehicles' greenhouse gas emissions.
Status: Failed passage in Assembly floor; reconsideration granted.
AB 631 | Author: Horton
In brief: Requires CARB to adopt regulations requiring that all new fueling stations constructed in the state be able to provide E85.
Status: In Assembly Transportation Committee; two year bill.
AB 712 | Author: de Leon
In brief: Imposes a 50-cent-per-ton "tip" fee at landfills, with revenue used to help operators of off-road equipment at landfills and composting facilities defray the cost of installing best-available emission reduction technologies. Sets aside up to $4 million annually for projects demonstrating the commercial viability of producing transportation fuels from landfill gas.
Status: To Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense File.
AB 746 | Author: Krekorian
In brief: Coalition-sponsored bill requires that California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to create policies and programs promoting the development and use of natural gas as a transportation fuel.
Status: In Senate Appropriations Committee.
AB 1225 | Author: DeSaulnier
In brief: Requires the CEC, with CARB and the Department of General Services to develop a way to evaluate the environmental and energy benefits and costs of motor vehicles for potential procurement by state and local governments.
Status: In Assembly Business and Professions Committee; two year bill.
SB 9 & 19 | Author: Lowenthal
In brief: Bills establish the selection process, criteria, and conditions for projects funded under the state's $20 billion transportation board.
Status: SB 9 to Assembly Appropriations Committee Suspense File; SB 19 in Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SB 210 | Author: Kehoe
In brief: Directs CARB to administer a program to reduce the carbon content of transportation fuels and create a low-carbon fuel standard applicable to refiners, blenders, producers, and importers.
Details: Intended to codify the governor’s executive order creating the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and ensure that low-carbon fuels do not negatively affect air quality.
Status: Vetoed by Governor. See SB 1240.
SB 494 | Author: Kehoe
In brief: Requires CARB to adopt regulations to ensure that an unspecified percentage of new passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks sold in the state each year are clean alternative fuel vehicles, and that starting Jan. 1, 2020, half of them are.
Status: In Assembly Transportation Committee; two year bill.
SB 876 | Author: Calderon
In brief: Requires CARB to consider economic impacts on small business owners of vehicle replacement and retrofit rules when adopting in-use emission regulations for private heavy-duty fleet vehicles.
Status: In Senate Transportation and Housing Committee; two year bill.
The Legislative Update is provided courtesy of CalNGV News, a bi-weekly publication of the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition.
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