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. Existing law creates the Air Quality Improvement Program, administered by the state board, for the purpose of funding, upon appropriation by the Legislature, air quality improvement projects relating to zero-emission fuel and vehicle technologies. Existing law limits the program to competitive grants, revolving loans, loan guarantees, loans, and other appropriate funding measures that further the purposes of the program, including for projects that provide mitigation for off-road gasoline exhaust and evaporative emissions. As part of the program, the state board administers the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE) to provide vouchers that offset the cost of zero-emission off-road equipment, including agricultural equipment.

This bill would require the state board to include unmanned aerial systems, commonly known as drones, in the meaning of agricultural equipment for purposes of CORE, which the bill would define as the program established by the state board as part of the Air Quality Improvement Program, as provided.