Today's Law As Amended


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AB-2371 Climate change: Office of Planning and Research: science advisory team: climate adaptation and hazard mitigation.(2019-2020)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.
 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) California’s changing climate increases the risk of catastrophic wildfires, droughts, floods, extreme heat events, intense rain events, and sea level rise. These changes will impact California’s residents, economy, agriculture, water quality and supply, and the health of the state’s forests, watersheds, and native biodiversity.
(b) Extreme heat events, destructive fires, higher sea levels, and more severe droughts and floods put state residents in danger. Already, many lives and even whole communities have been lost or destroyed.
(c) The risks associated with a changing climate vary by region and may disproportionately harm vulnerable communities. Local and regional governments may not have the resources or technical expertise to prepare for and cope with changing conditions and to respond to or recover from severe climate change-related events.
(d) The state has taken bold leadership to create the Safeguarding California Plan and other climate adaptation frameworks. The state must now translate these plans into action to prepare our built and natural infrastructure, communities, and economy to withstand the forecasted impacts of climate change.
(e) Hazard mitigation provides the context for many effective climate adaptation strategies by preparing communities to be resilient to more frequent and intense natural disasters. The federal Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 places a greater emphasis on proactive investment before disasters occur, including significantly increasing the amount of funding available annually for predisaster mitigation nationwide. California is expected to receive a large portion of those funds, so the state has a unique opportunity to leverage available federal funds to prepare for the impacts of climate change.
(f) Climate adaptation and climate-related hazard mitigation efforts must be guided by the best available science, which is evolving at a rapid rate. The direct involvement of the state’s distinguished scientists, informed by experienced adaptation practitioners, will help ensure that state and federal resources are invested in transformative and evidence-based adaptation measures that will advance California’s climate resilience in the long term.

SEC. 2.

 Section 71359 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

71359.
 (a) (1) On or before July 1, 2021, the office shall establish a climate science advisory team to provide independent, timely, and science-based advice on the state’s climate adaptation and climate-related hazard mitigation efforts.
(2) For purposes of this section, “team” means the climate science advisory team established pursuant to this subdivision.
(b) The team shall include all of the following:
(1) Scientists from geographically diverse institutions in California with expertise in physical, natural, and social science disciplines related to the study of climate change, resilience, and adaptation. Scientists from institutions outside of California may be selected to participate on the team if they have relevant expertise that is not available within the state.
(2) At least one representative from an organization with experience carrying out projects in California that advance climate adaptation and resilience.
(3) Other members, if deemed appropriate by the office.
(c) Except for reimbursement of expenses individuals serving on the team shall serve without compensation.
(d) The team shall serve as a working group of the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program technical advisory council established pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 71358. The team shall consult with the rest of the advisory council where appropriate to ensure that the team’s recommendations are relevant and actionable for adaptation practitioners, local governments, and regional entities.
(e) Based on the best available science and relevant policy, and by drawing on local, state, national, and international experts, the team shall do all of the following:
(1) Provide input to improve climate adaptation and climate-related hazard mitigation planning across state agencies, including the plan developed pursuant to Section 71153.
(2) Make actionable, evidence-based recommendations regarding state priorities for climate adaptation and hazard mitigation as it relates to climate change-driven disasters.
(3) Identify gaps in the existing body of knowledge related to climate adaptation and climate-related hazard mitigation and recommend, if appropriate, new scientific studies and improvements to state models for purposes of predicting climate impacts on statewide, regional, and local scales.
(4) Make recommendations to enhance collaboration and communication between scientific experts and on-the-ground climate practitioners to enhance alignment between science and adaptation decisionmaking.
(5) Undertake other related tasks and activities as deemed necessary by the office.
(f) To the extent authorized by law, the team shall do both of the following:
(1) Review and comment on guidelines of state agencies related to the allocation and administration of state-funded programs and projects related to climate resilience or climate-related hazard mitigation. At a minimum, the team shall make recommendations to state agencies to assist them in soliciting projects that will be strategically deployed, science-based, and likely to advance the state’s resiliency to climate change and climate change driven natural disasters.
(2) Assist state agencies in developing metrics for measuring the success of state-funded programs and projects related to climate resilience, climate adaptation, and climate-related hazard mitigation. This includes advising on the development of standards and metrics for measuring progress toward advancing regional and statewide climate resilience and for monitoring and adaptive management of individual programs and projects.
(g) (1) By January 1, 2022, the office shall, in consultation with the team and relevant state agencies, regional entities, and local governments, produce an evidence-based list of recommended projects and potential projects of statewide significance and urgency that should be prioritized in order to advance the state’s climate resilience. These projects shall address climate change impacts, including, but not limited to, extreme heat, wildfire, sea level rise, drought, and flooding. These recommendations shall include projects that improve community resilience and climate-related hazard mitigation through natural infrastructure.
(2) The office shall, in consultation with the team and relevant state agencies, regional entities, and local governments, update the list of projects produced pursuant to paragraph (1) within six months of an update to the plan developed pursuant to Section 71153.
(h) The team shall provide recommendations to the Strategic Growth Council to inform activities carried out by the council pursuant to Section 75125, including evaluation of projects and investments for consistency with the state’s strategy to mitigate climate change impacts and climate change driven natural disasters.
(i) (1) On or before July 1, 2024, the office shall submit to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature a report, consistent with Section 9795 of the Government Code, that summarizes the actions of the team, the team’s contributions to climate resiliency and adaptation planning, and the office’s recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the team.
(2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this subdivision shall become inoperative on July 1, 2028.