Amended  IN  Assembly  April 04, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill No. 2470

Introduced by Assembly Member Grayson

February 14, 2018

An act to add Division 37.5 (commencing with Section 72000) to the Public Resources Code, relating to invasive species, and making an appropriation therefor. species.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2470, as amended, Grayson. Invasive species: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. species.

Existing law, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation. Existing law continuously appropriates 35% of the annual proceeds of the fund for transit, affordable housing, and sustainable communities programs and 25% of the annual proceeds of the fund for certain components of a specified high-speed rail project.

Existing law regulates the discharge of nonindigenous species into the waters of the state or into waters that may impact waters of the state, through ballast water management requirements.
This bill would establish the Invasive Species Council of California, composed as prescribed, to help coordinate a comprehensive effort to exclude invasive species already established in the state. The bill would establish a California Invasive Species Advisory Committee to advise the council on a broad array of issues related to preventing the introduction of invasive species and providing for their control or eradication, as well as minimizing the economic, ecological, and human health impacts that invasive species cause. The bill would transfer $10,000,000 from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the Invasive Species Fund this bill would establish in the State Treasury. The money in the Invasive Species Fund would be continuously appropriated to the council for the purposes of funding invasive species projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thereby making an appropriation. The bill would appropriate from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund $2,000,000 to be available to the University of California for invasive species research and outreach that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is coordinated with the council and recommended by the committee.

Existing law designates the Department of Food and Agriculture as the lead department in noxious weed management and provides for the formation of a weed management area. Under existing law, a weed management area is a local organization that brings together all interested landowners, land managers, special districts, and the public in a county or other geographical area for the purpose of coordinating and combining their action and expertise to deal with their common weed control problems.

The bill would appropriate from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund $2,500,000 to the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to be allocated to weed management areas for projects for the control and abatement of noxious and invasive weeds that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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

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


SECTION 1.

 Division 37.5 (commencing with Section 72000) is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

DIVISION 37.5.  Invasive Species Council of California

72000.
 (a) There is in state government the Invasive Species Council of California. The purpose of the council is to help coordinate a comprehensive effort to exclude invasive species already established in the state. The council shall address nonnative organisms that cause economic or environmental harm. Invasive species within the scope of the council’s duties do not include humans, domestic livestock, or nonharmful exotic organisms.
(b) The council shall consist of the following six members:
(1) The Secretary of Food and Agriculture or his or her designated representative.
(2) The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency or his or her designated representative.
(3) The Secretary for Environmental Protection or his or her designated representative.
(4) The Secretary of Transportation or his or her designated representative.
(5) The Secretary of California Health and Human Services or his or her designated representative.
(6) The Director of Emergency Services or his or her designated representative.
(c) The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, or his or her designated representative, and the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, or his or her designee, shall serve as cochairpersons of the council.
(d) The council shall meet annually and as needed as determined by the cochairpersons.
(e) The council shall select an executive director and a liaison to further the purposes of this division.
(f) (1) The council shall review and approve a yearly progress report submitted by the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee. The council shall develop a final approved report in coordination with the committee through a public process. Once approved by the council, the final report shall be sent to the Legislature and available for public review.
(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

72005.
 (a) There is in state government the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee. The purpose of the committee is to advise the Invasive Species Council of California on a broad array of issues related to preventing the introduction of invasive species and providing for their control or eradication, as well as minimizing the economic, ecological, and human health impacts that invasive species cause.
(b) The committee shall consist of the following 11 12 members:
(1) One appointee designated by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture.
(2) One appointee designated by the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency.
(3) One appointee designated by the Secretary for Environmental Protection.
(4) One appointee designated by the Secretary of Transportation or his or her designated representative.
(5) One appointee designated by the Secretary of California Health and Human Services or his or her designated representative.
(6) One appointee designated by the Director of Emergency Services or his or her designated representative.
(7) Five appointees selected by the Invasive Species Council of California cochairpersons to create a diverse makeup of federal, nonprofit organization, tribal, industry, and other representatives.
(8) One appointee designated by the California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association.
(c) The committee shall meet quarterly and as needed as determined by the cochairpersons of the Invasive Species Council of California. The committee shall submit a yearly progress report to the council for review and approval.

(d)The committee shall recommend expenditures from the Invasive Species Fund to the Invasive Species Council of California.

(e)

(d) The committee may hold an annual California Invasive Species Summit to develop new recommendations and to coordinate invasive species activities.

72010.

The Invasive Species Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated without regard to fiscal years to the Invasive Species Council of California for the purposes of funding invasive species projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and may include, but are not limited to, the following projects if those projects reduce greenhouse gas emissions:

(a)Emergency and nonemergency rapid response and dedication activities, including, but not limited to, activities relating to invasive shot hole borer activity.

(b)Conducting comprehensive reports on the ecological, agricultural, and economic impacts of invasive species.

(c)Developing and maintaining statewide surveys and mapping of high-risk areas.

(d)Developing statewide education, outreach, and branding of invasive species.

(e)Increasing border inspections.

(f)Increasing coordination and collaboration amongst invasive species partners.

(g)Other invasive species activities recommended by the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee.

SEC. 2.

(a)The sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) is hereby transferred from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section 16428.8 of the Government Code, to the Invasive Species Fund established in Section 72010 of the Public Resources Code.

(b)The sum of four million five hundred thousand dollars ($4,500,000) is hereby appropriated from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund as follows:

(1)Two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) shall be available to the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to be allocated to weed management areas for projects for the control and abatement of noxious and invasive weeds that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

(2)Two million dollars ($2,000,000) shall be available to the University of California for invasive species research and outreach activities that are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are coordinated with the Invasive Species Council of California and recommended by the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee. These funds shall be used to complement the research and outreach needs of the council and committee. Of the funds available pursuant to this paragraph, one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,250,000) shall be available for research, and seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) shall be available for outreach.