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AB-1956 Solid waste: woody biomass: collection and conversion.(2021-2022)

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Date Published: 03/23/2022 09:00 PM
AB1956:v98#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 23, 2022

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1956

Introduced by Assembly Member Mathis
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Gallagher and Patterson)
(Coauthor: Senator Nielsen)

February 10, 2022

An act to add and repeal Section 42999.2 of the Public Resources Code, relating to solid waste.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1956, as amended, Mathis. Solid waste: woody biomass: collection and conversion.
Existing law establishes the CalRecycle Greenhouse Gas Reduction Revolving Loan Program, administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, to provide loans to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases by promoting in-state development of infrastructure or other projects to reduce organic waste or process organic and other recyclable materials into new value-added products.
This bill would create a 5-year woody biomass rural county collection and disposal pilot program, to be administered by the department. The bill would require the department, pursuant to the program, to award funding to participating counties with a total population of less than 250,000 for the purpose of conducting community collection days on which individuals could dispose of woody biomass and other source-separated biomass free of charge. The bill would require a county awarded funding under the program to contract with a local compost facility, mulch production facility, or biomass conversion facility to collect and to process or convert the biomass in a way that results in less greenhouse gas emitted than if the biomass had been disposed of. The bill would require the department to report specified program information to the Legislature after the conclusion of the 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 42999.2 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

42999.2.
 (a) The department shall administer, until January 1, 2028, a woody biomass rural county collection and disposal pilot program. Pursuant to the program, the department shall award funding to rural counties for the purpose of conducting community collection days on which individuals can dispose of woody biomass free of charge.
(b) A rural county may apply to the department for funding to conduct community collection days pursuant to the program. If a rural county is awarded funding under the program, it shall contract with a local compost facility, mulch production facility, or biomass conversion facility to collect biomass at a specific location in the county on those community collection days and to process or convert the collected biomass in a way that results in less greenhouse gas emitted than if the biomass had been disposed of.
(c) Woody biomass shall be the focus of community collection days, however all source-separated biomass shall be accepted for collection. A participating rural county shall not charge or pass on any costs to an individual for the collection and conversion of biomass, including woody biomass, at a community collection day event.
(d) (1)  When awarding funding under the program, the department shall give priority to projects with the highest greenhouse gas emissions reductions and ensure that funding is available for each of the five years of the program.
(2) The department may use up to 5 percent of the program moneys for administration of the program, including fulfilling the reporting requirement pursuant to subdivision (e).
(e) The department shall, by March 1, 2028, report to the Legislature in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code all of the following program information:
(1) The number of rural counties awarded funding.
(2) The amount of funding awarded to each participating rural county.
(3) The amount of biomass collected for conversion at community collection days.
(4) The estimated amount of greenhouse gas emissions avoided by the program.
(f) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1)“Biomass conversion” has the same meaning as defined in Section 40106.

(2)

(1) “Participating rural county” means a rural county that has been awarded funding under the program by the department.

(3)

(2) “Rural county” means a county with a total population of less than 250,000.
(g) On or before July 1, 2023, the department shall adopt criteria to determine how to give priority to projects with the highest greenhouse gas emissions reductions, as specified in subdivision (d).
(h)  This section shall become inoperative on March 1, 2029, and, as of January 1, 2030, is repealed.