Bill Text: CA AB1881 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: California Coastal Commission: scientific panel expertise: coastal erosion.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-07-15 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 88, Statutes of 2024. [AB1881 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB1881-Amended.html

---

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 11, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1881

---

Introduced by Assembly Member Davies

January 22, 2024

---

An act to amend Section 30301 30335.5 of the Public Resources Code, relating to coastal resources.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1881, as amended, Davies. California Coastal Commission: membership. scientific panel expertise: coastal erosion.

The California Coastal Act of 1976 establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the California Coastal Commission and provides for the planning and regulation of development in the coastal zone, as defined. The act requires the commission, if it determines that it has sufficient resources, to establish one or more scientific panels to review technical documents and reports, among other things. The act requires the panel or panels to be composed of, but not limited to, persons with expertise and training in specified topics, including coastal geomorphology.

This bill would include persons with expertise and training in the topic of coastal erosion as part of the composition of the panel described above.

The California Coastal Act of 1976 establishes the California Coastal Commission and prescribes the membership, functions, and duties of the commission with regard to the administration and implementation of the act. The act requires the Governor to appoint specified members of the public to the commission. The act requires one of the representatives appointed by the Governor to reside in, and work directly with, communities in the state that are disproportionately burdened by, and vulnerable to, high levels of pollution and issues of environmental justice, including, but not limited to, communities with diverse racial and ethnic populations and communities with low-income populations.

This bill would instead require that representative appointed by the Governor to either have the qualification described above or have a professional background in geology, environmental engineering, or carpentry or building and construction trades.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YESNO   Local Program: NO  

---

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 30335.5 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

30335.5.

 (a) The commission shall, if it determines that it has sufficient resources, establish one or more scientific panels to review technical documents and reports and to give advice and make recommendations to the commission prior to before making decisions requiring scientific expertise and analysis not available to the commission through its staff resources. It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission base any such technical decisions on scientific expertise and advice. The panel or panels may be composed of, but not limited to, persons with expertise and training in marine biology, fisheries, geology, coastal geomorphology, coastal erosion, geographic information systems, water quality, hydrology, ocean and coastal engineering, economics, and social sciences.

(b) Members of a scientific panel, while performing duties required by this division or by the commission, shall be entitled to the same rights and immunities granted public employees by Article 3 (commencing with Section 820) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 3.6 of Title 1 of the Government Code. Those rights and immunities shall attach to the member as of the date of appointment of the person to the panel.

(c) The commission is encouraged to seek funding from any appropriate public or private source, and may apply for and expend any grant or endowment funds, for the purposes of this section. Any funding made available to the commission for these purposes shall be reported to the fiscal committee of each house of the Legislature at the time the commission’s budget is being formally reviewed.

(d) The commission is encouraged to utilize use innovative techniques to increase effective communication between the commission and the scientific community, including the use of existing grant programs and volunteers, in order to improve and strengthen the technical basis of its planning and regulatory decisions.

SECTION 1.Section 30301 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

30301.

The commission shall consist of the following 15 members:

(a)The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency.

(b)The Secretary of Transportation.

(c)The Chairperson of the State Lands Commission.

(d)Six representatives of the public from the state at large. The Governor, the Senate Committee on Rules, and the Speaker of the Assembly shall each appoint two of these members.

(e)Six representatives selected from six coastal regions. The Governor shall select one member from the north coast region and one member from the south central coast region. The Speaker of the Assembly shall select one member from the central coast region and one member from the San Diego coast region. The Senate Committee on Rules shall select one member from the north central coast region and one member from the south coast region. For purposes of this division, these regions are defined as follows:

(1)The north coast region consists of the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino.

(2)The north central coast region consists of the Counties of Sonoma and Marin and the City and County of San Francisco.

(3)The central coast region consists of the Counties of San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Monterey.

(4)The south central coast region consists of the Counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

(5)The south coast region consists of the Counties of Los Angeles and Orange.

(6)The San Diego coast region consists of the County of San Diego.

(f)(1)Of the representatives appointed by the Governor pursuant to subdivision (d) or (e), one of the representatives shall have either of the following qualifications:

(A)Reside in, and work directly with, communities in the state that are disproportionately burdened by, and vulnerable to, high levels of pollution and issues of environmental justice, including, but not limited to, communities with diverse racial and ethnic populations and communities with low-income populations.

(B)Have a professional background in geology, environmental engineering, or carpentry or building and construction trades.

(2)The Governor shall appoint a representative qualified pursuant to this subdivision to a vacant position from the appointments available pursuant to either subdivision (d) or (e) no later than the fourth appointment available after January 1, 2017.