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AB-2211 California Green Business Program.(2017-2018)

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Date Published: 07/02/2018 02:00 PM
AB2211:v95#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Senate  July 02, 2018
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 30, 2018
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 02, 2018
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 15, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2211

Introduced by Assembly Member Limón

February 12, 2018

An act to add Section 12812.7 to the Government Code, and to amend Section 25244.17.2 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to climate change.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2211, as amended, Limón. California Green Business Program.
Existing law creates the California Environmental Protection Agency, consisting of various boards, offices, and departments, including the State Air Resources Board and the Department of Toxic Substances Control.
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 authorizes the state board to include the 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 by the Legislature.
This bill would establish the California Green Business Program within the California Environmental Protection Agency to provide support and assistance to Agency. The bill would require the California Green Business Program to, among other things, develop baseline, beyond compliance environmental standards, as defined, for green business certification programs operated by local governments that governments. The bill would also provide for the establishment of these local programs, which would certify small- and medium-sized businesses that and public agencies as California green businesses, or an equivalent designation of the local program’s choosing, for voluntarily adopt adopting environmentally preferable business practices, including, but not limited to, increased energy efficiency, pollution prevention, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, emissions reduction, water conservation, and waste reduction, as specified. reduction practices. The bill would repeal delete an existing authorization for the Department of Toxic Substances Control to create a similar program.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 12812.7 is added to the Government Code, to read:

12812.7.
 (a) The For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Beyond compliance environmental standards” means environmental standards for a business, including general or industry-specific standards, that are stricter than the environmental standards otherwise applicable to that business under state, federal, and local laws.
(2) “Business” means a business or public agency.
(3) “Environmental standards” means standards requiring the implementation of certain measures, or that place limitations on the use of certain resources or disposal of certain substances, to conserve, protect, restore, or enhance environmental quality.
(4) “California green business” means a business that voluntarily adopts certification standards under a green business certification program established pursuant to subdivision (c).
(5) “Local government” means a city, city and county, county, or a designated entity of a city, city and county, or county.
(6) “Responsible agencies” includes local or regional governmental agencies that are responsible for monitoring or enforcing compliance related to hazardous and toxic materials, stormwater runoff, air and water pollution, and wastewater, and local or regional governmental agencies, designated entities of those agencies, or utilities that are responsible for monitoring or enforcing compliance related to energy and water use, solid waste disposal, and recycling.
(b) The California Green Business Program is hereby established within the California Environmental Protection Agency to be administered by the Secretary for Environmental Protection. The program shall provide support and assistance to do all of the following:
(1) Develop baseline, beyond compliance environmental standards for local green business certification programs operated by local governments that certify established pursuant to subdivision (c), under which a local government may certify small- and medium-sized businesses that voluntarily adopt businesses, as defined by the local program, as California green businesses for voluntarily adopting environmentally preferable business practices, including, but not limited to, increased energy efficiency, pollution prevention, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, emissions reduction, water conservation, and waste reduction. reduction practices.

(b)The California Green Business Program, established pursuant to subdivision (a), may do any of the following:

(1)Assist local governments in the development and implementation of guidelines and structures that establish and promote a level of

(2) Promote consistency among green business certification programs programs that certify California green businesses throughout the state.

(2)

(3) Promote the early adoption of environmental initiatives at participating businesses and provide a publicly recognizable incentive for participating businesses to make their operations more sustainable and profitable in order to gain measurable environmental outcomes.

(3)

(4) Develop technical guidance on pollution prevention and greenhouse gas emissions reduction measures, conduct industry studies and pilot projects, establish metrics, and provide policy coordination for the green business certification programs operated by local governments.

(4)

(5) Develop tools, templates, and outreach campaigns on behalf of the green business certification programs operated by local governments to encourage business participation and public recognition of the certification as a reliable indicator of sustainability.

(5)

(6) Support, through staffing and contacts, the funding for on-the-ground professionals specializing in technical assistance for small- and medium-sized businesses seeking California green business certification and for public involvement to recruit additional participating businesses.

(6)

(7) Provide for collaboration between the green business certification programs operated by local governments and state agencies that operate small business efficiency and economic development programs, including the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and the Department of Community Services and Development, and with the Public Utilities Commission, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the Department of Water Resources, and the boards, offices, and departments within the California Environmental Protection Agency. The nature of the collaboration may include attempting to meet and measure state-mandated conservation efforts at small- and medium-sized businesses; developing methods to collect, measure, and report on environmental outcomes; and using California green businesses as the early adopters of environmental initiatives that lead to greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

(7)

(8) Maintain and enhance a common network database integrating measurable pollution reductions and cost savings to businesses seeking California green business certification through the local government programs and add participating businesses that receive the certification to a directory of certified California green businesses that would be used to promote the certified businesses both to other businesses that are seeking to green their supply chain and to consumers seeking to support sustainable businesses.

(8)

(9) Position certified California green businesses as supply-chain partners for state, national, and international companies seeking green supply-chain partners.

(9)

(10) Solicit the participation of additional local government programs and facilitate the startup of new local programs, including extra support and a specific prioritized focus on assistance for disadvantaged communities that lack local funding and resources to develop a program.

(10)

(11) Provide funding to local government programs for staff support and provide additional resources and funding for direct rebates and grants to certified California green businesses.
(c) A local government may establish a green business certification program by notifying the California Green Business Program and designating a green business coordinator. A local program shall certify businesses as California green businesses, or an equivalent designation of the local program’s choosing, in accordance with the following guidelines:
(1) The local program shall develop certification standards that are at least as restrictive as the baseline standards developed pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b).
(2) (A) The local program may only certify a business as a California green business upon verifying that the business is a small- or medium-sized business and determining, based on an onsite evaluation pursuant to paragraph (3), that the business complies with the standards developed pursuant to paragraph (1).
(B) In the case of a chain, franchise, or other business that has multiple locations, the local program shall certify locations of that business on an individual basis.
(C) Certification shall be subject to renewal after a period of not more than three years.
(3) (A) The local program shall periodically conduct onsite evaluations of certified California green businesses to ensure compliance with the standards developed pursuant to paragraph (1). At a minimum, the local program shall conduct these onsite evaluations before awarding or renewing certification.
(B) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to limit the authority of a responsible agency to conduct its own evaluation of a California green business for compliance with environmental standards within the responsible agency’s jurisdiction.
(4) If a business’s certification lapses or is revoked, the local program shall ensure that all signs of certification are removed from the business’s previously certified premises.
(5) The local program shall not certify any of the following:
(A) A business that manufactures toxic or hazardous materials.
(B) A business that produces substantial quantities of hazardous waste as a byproduct, or uses substantial quantities of toxic materials, if state guidelines, developed pursuant to this section in consultation with local programs, make those businesses ineligible for certification.
(C) Manufactured products.
(D) Professional qualifications.
(E) Quality of service.
(F) Any additional category or aspect of business that the local program, consistent with the purposes of this section, may choose to exempt from certification.

SEC. 2.

 Section 25244.17.2 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

25244.17.2.
 (a) The department may provide pollution prevention training and resources to CUPAs, small business development corporations, business environmental assistance centers, and other regional and local government environmental programs so that they can provide technical assistance to businesses in identifying and applying methods of pollution prevention.
(b) The activities conducted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall emphasize activities necessary to implement Sections 25244.17 and 25244.17.1.