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SB-1251 Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development: Zero-Emission Vehicle Market Development Office: Zero-Emission Vehicle Equity Advocate.(2021-2022)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.
 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) California is the national leader in the adoption of zero-emission vehicles, recently surpassing one million electric vehicles sold in the state, more than the total sales in the next 10 states combined. California’s leadership on electric vehicle policy has helped spur a strong and growing transportation electrification and zero-emissions goods movement industry, with electric vehicles becoming the state’s number one export in 2020.
(b) On September 23, 2020, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order No. N-79-20, calling upon the State Air Resources Board to develop passenger vehicle and truck regulations requiring increasing volumes of new zero-emission vehicles sold in the state towards the target of 100 percent of instate sales by 2035, and also to develop regulations requiring increasing volumes of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, such as zero-emission trucks and buses, to be sold and operated in the state by 2045.
(c) Executive Order No. N-79-20 also calls upon the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the Public Utilities Commission, the Transportation Agency, the Department of Finance, other state agencies, local agencies, and the private sector, to develop a Zero-Emissions Vehicle Market Development Strategy by January 31, 2021, and to update the strategy every three years thereafter.
(d) Senate Bill 1275 (Chapter 530 of the Statutes of 2014) established the Charge Ahead California Initiative, which created various goals, including to increase access and benefits for disadvantaged, low-income, and moderate-income communities to zero-emission vehicles.
(e) In advancing the executive order and the goals created by the Charge Ahead California Initiative, the state must prioritize clean transportation solutions that are accessible to all Californians, particularly those who are low-income, experience a disproportionate share of pollution, lack access to adequate transportation solutions, or are otherwise underserved.

SEC. 2.

 Article 14 (commencing with Section 12100.150) is added to Chapter 1.6 of Part 2 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to read:

Article  14. Zero-Emission Vehicle Market Development Office
12100.150.
 For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:
(a) “Office,” notwithstanding Section 12096.1, means the Zero-Emission Vehicle Market Development Office continued in existence pursuant to Section 12100.151.
(b) “ZEV Market Development Strategy” means the Zero-Emissions Vehicle Market Development Strategy developed pursuant to Executive Order No. N-79-20.
12100.151.
 (a) (1) The zero-emission vehicle division within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development is hereby continued in existence within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development as the Zero-Emission Vehicle Market Development Office. The office shall continue to be administered by a deputy director appointed by, and serving at the pleasure of, the Governor.
(2) The office shall steer the development of a shared, cross-agency definition of equity, and set an equity agenda for the deployment of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles, the supporting infrastructure, and workforce development.
(3) Until January 1, 2028, the Zero-Emission Vehicle Equity Advocate is hereby established within the office. The advocate shall be appointed by, and shall serve at the pleasure of, the Governor.
(4) The office shall serve as a point of contact for stakeholders to provide concerns and suggestions related to the state’s progress in equitably achieving the state’s zero-emission vehicle deployment goals.
(5) The office shall provide information and coordinate policy and procedural changes with relevant state entities, including, but not limited to, the State Air Resources Board, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the Transportation Agency, and the California Transportation Commission, as needed, to ensure consistency among equity definitions, criteria, and targets used in the state’s zero-emission vehicle and infrastructure programs and to ensure best practices related to equity are incorporated into state planning for zero-emission vehicle deployment, funding, and program design.
(6) In order to facilitate alignment of equity goals, the office may convene meetings or task forces that include state agencies, local government, utilities, labor, community-based organizations, air pollution control districts, air quality management districts, or private sector actors key to advancing zero-emission transportation goals.
(b) (1) The office shall develop and adopt an equity action plan as part of the ZEV Market Development Strategy that considers optimizing for equity benefits in zero-emission vehicle deployment.
(2) The equity action plan shall include both of the following:
(A) Recommendations on actionable steps and metrics to measure and improve access to zero-emission vehicles, infrastructure, and zero-emission vehicle transportation options in low-income, disadvantaged, and historically underserved communities.
(B) Recommendations to advance equity by reducing pollution driven by the transportation sector and related industries in low-income, disadvantaged, and historically underserved communities, including emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, and by supporting an equitable zero-emission vehicle industry and workforce.
(3) The office shall assess progress towards the equity action plan as part of the update to the ZEV Market Development Strategy and notify the relevant policy committees of the Legislature of the information provided in that update. This assessment shall include, but is not limited to, metrics tracking both of the following:
(A) State funding spent toward the deployment of zero-emission vehicle ownership and supporting infrastructure in disadvantaged and low-income communities, and the number and type of vehicles, including light-, medium-, and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles, or charging infrastructure deployed with this funding.
(B) State funding for multiyear projects that advance deployment of zero-emission vehicles in communities identified as disadvantaged communities prioritized by severity of air pollution from mobile sources, lack of charging infrastructure and electric vehicles, and transportation or transit deserts.
(4) In developing the equity action plan, the office shall coordinate and partner with community organizations, local entities, state agencies, and other private and public stakeholders to steer an equitable zero-emission vehicle deployment.