AB 126 — Vehicular air pollution: Clean Transportation Program: vehicle registration and identification plate service fees: smog abatement fee: extension.

Summary

Existing law, until January 1, 2024, increases the smog abatement fee on certain vehicles by a specified amount and requires the revenues generated by the increase to be deposited in the Air Quality Improvement Fund and the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund. Existing law, until January 1, 2024, increases vehicle registration fees and certain service fees for identification plates by specified amounts. Existing law requires the revenue generated by the increase in those fees to be deposited in the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund and either the Air Quality Improvement Fund or the Enhanced Fleet Modernization Subaccount, as provided. This bill would extend the increases in those charges to July 1, 2035. Existing law, until January 1, 2024, prohibits the State Air Resources Board from enforcing any element of its clean fuels outlet regulations or other regulation that requires or has the effect of requiring suppliers, as defined, to construct, operate, or provide funding for the construction or operation of publicly available hydrogen-fueling stations. Existing law, until January 1, 2024, requires the state board to aggregate and make available certain information regarding projected leases and sales of, and the registration of, hydrogen-fueled vehicles, to evaluate, based on that information, the need for additional publicly available hydrogen-fueling stations for the actual and projected number of hydrogen-fueled vehicles, the geographic areas where fuel will be needed, and station coverage, and to report the finding of the evaluation to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) . Existing law, until January 1, 2024, requires the Energy Commission to annually allocate $20,000,000 to fund the number of publicly available hydrogen-fueling stations identified by the state board, not to exceed 20% of the moneys appropriated by the Legislature from the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund, until at least 100 publicly available hydrogen-fueling stations are operating in the state. This bill would extend the above-described provisions to July 1, 2035, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2036. The bill would require the annual allocation described above to instead be no less than 15% of the moneys appropriated by the Legislature from the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund from revenues attributable to specified sources, would require the commission to make that allocation only until July 1, 2030, and would impose other specified requirements. The bill would also delete the requirements that the hydrogen-fueling stations be publicly available and that there be at least 100 hydrogen-fueling stations operating in the state. Existing law creates the Enhanced Fleet Modernization Program to provide compensation for the retirement and replacement of passenger vehicles and light-duty and medium-duty trucks that are high polluters. Existing law requires the Bureau of Automotive Repair to administer the program and the state board to adopt the guidelines for the program. Existing law requires the guidelines to ensure vehicle replacement or a mobility option be an option for all motor vehicle owners and may be in addition to compensation for vehicles retired. This bill would require the guidelines to ensure each replacement vehicle in the program be either a plug-in hybrid or zero-emission vehicle unless the state board makes a specified determination regarding either the availability of vehicles or the availability of charging and refueling capabilities in consultation with the Energy Commission, as specified. Existing law establishes the Air Quality Improvement Program under the administration of the State Air Resources Board for the purpose of funding air quality improvement projects relating to fuel and vehicle technologies. The primary purpose of the program is to fund projects to reduce criteria air pollutants, improve air quality, and provide funding for research to determine and improve the air quality impacts of alternative transportation fuels and vehicles, vessels, and equipment technologies. This bill would instead provide that the purpose of the program is to fund air quality improvement projects relating to zero-emission fuel and vehicle technologies and that the primary purpose of the program is to fund projects to reduce criteria air pollutants in the logistics, goods movement, off-road, warehouse, and port sectors, improve air quality in nonattainment basins, with a priority for projects located in the areas of extreme nonattainment, and improve the air quality impacts of zero-emission transportation fuels and vehicles, vessels, and equipment technologies. The bill would also revise the list of the types of projects eligible for funding under the program. Existing law establishes the Clean Transportation Program that is administered by the Energy Commission to provide financial assistance to develop and deploy innovative technologies that transform California's fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state's climate change policies with an emphasis on the development and deployment of technology and alternative and renewable fuels in the marketplace. Existing law authorizes the Energy Commission to make a single source or sole source award for applied research. This bill would revise and recast the Clean Transportation Program to, among other things, change the emphasis of the program to the development and deployment of zero-emission technology and fuels in the marketplace where feasible and near-zero-emission technology and fuels elsewhere. The bill would require certain information regarding electric vehicle charging infrastructure and hydrogen-fueling infrastructure funded by the program to be reported to the Energy Commission. The bill would additionally authorize the Energy Commission to make a single source or sole source award to public or nonpublic entities that manage a United States Department of Energy national laboratory. The bill would require the Energy Commission, on and after January 1, 2025, to expend at least 50% of the moneys appropriated to the program on programs and projects that directly benefit or serve residents of disadvantaged and low-income communities and low-income Californians. The bill would require the Energy Commission, for any hydrogen application scoring under the program, to provide preference to applicants with the least carbon-intensive proposed fuel, as specified. The bill would also require the Energy Commission, by January 1, 2026, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board and the Department of Motor Vehicles, to propose to the Legislature alternative funding methodologies or fee structures for funding zero-emission vehicle infrastructure for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles. The bill would require the proposal to include an assessment of the economic equity of the alternatives. Existing law requires the Energy Commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission, to develop uptime recordkeeping and reporting standards for electric vehicle chargers and charging stations by January 1, 2024, that only apply to electric vehicle chargers and charging stations installed on or after January 1, 2024, and that received an incentive from a state agency or through a charge on ratepayers. Existing law authorizes the Energy Commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission, to adopt tools to increase charging station uptime and to include incentives, as specified. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2035. This bill would require the Energy Commission, by January 1, 2025, to set standards for how these stations shall notify customers about the availability and accessibility of publicly available charging infrastructure. This bill also would require, rather than authorize, the Energy Commission to adopt tools to increase charging station uptime. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 10/07/23 - Chaptered Current pdf October 07, 2023
• Enrolled 09/18/23 - Enrolled pdf September 18, 2023
• Amended 09/11/23 - Amended Senate pdf September 11, 2023
• Amended 06/24/23 - Amended Senate pdf June 24, 2023
• Amended 02/01/23 - Amended Assembly pdf February 01, 2023
• Introduced 01/09/23 - Introduced pdf January 09, 2023
• AB126 View text html

Action History

1. October 07, 2023

   Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 319, Statutes of 2023.

2. October 07, 2023

   Approved by the Governor.

3. September 21, 2023

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.

4. September 14, 2023

   Urgency clause adopted. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 61. Noes 12. Page 3616.).

5. September 14, 2023

   Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Page 3616.)

6. September 14, 2023

   In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

7. September 14, 2023

   Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 8. Page 2821.).

8. September 14, 2023

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

9. September 13, 2023

   From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 10. Noes 5.) (September 13).

10. September 11, 2023

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. & F.R.

11. September 11, 2023

    Senate Rules Suspended (Ayes 30. Noes 8.)

12. September 11, 2023

    Joint Rules 61 and 62(a) suspended. (Ayes 30. Noes 8. Page 2584.)

13. August 14, 2023

    Re-referred to Com. on B. & F.R.

14. June 27, 2023

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

15. June 26, 2023

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 13. Noes 4.) (June 26).

16. June 24, 2023

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. & F.R.

17. April 12, 2023

    Referred to Com. on B. & F.R.

18. March 23, 2023

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

19. March 23, 2023

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 60. Noes 14. Page 841.)

20. March 21, 2023

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

21. March 20, 2023

    Ordered to second reading.

22. March 20, 2023

    Withdrawn from committee.

23. March 20, 2023

    Assembly Rule 96 suspended. (Ayes 61. Noes 17. Page 732.)

24. February 02, 2023

    Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.

25. February 01, 2023

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on BUDGET. Read second time and amended.

26. January 26, 2023

    Referred to Com. on BUDGET.

27. January 10, 2023

    From printer. May be heard in committee February 9.

28. January 09, 2023

    Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

• Eloise Gómez Reyes · Primary
• Lena A. Gonzalez · Cosponsor
• David Alvarez · Cosponsor
• Friedman · Cosponsor
• Skinner · Cosponsor
• Juan Carrillo · Cosponsor
• Holden · Cosponsor
• Jacqui Irwin · Cosponsor
• Corey A. Jackson · Cosponsor
• Ash Kalra · Cosponsor
• Josh Lowenthal · Cosponsor
• Liz Ortega · Cosponsor
• Rick Chavez Zbur · Cosponsor
• Bob Archuleta · Cosponsor
• Newman · Cosponsor
• Robert Rivas · Cosponsor

Votes

Subjects