Welcome to the webpage dedicated to Assemblymember Lisa Calderon’s “Creating Climate-resilient Communities” bill package.
As announced recently, the bill package aims to provide and improve access to the necessary resources for communities and individuals locally, regionally, and statewide to adapt to the effects of climate change.
The bill package consists of seven pieces of legislation, Assembly Bills 384, 527, 586, 824, 1108, 1172, and 1195, each addressing some aspect of creating climate-resilient communities at the neighborhood-level across California.
On this webpage, you will find links for more information and tracking on all three bills.
Environment
The Cool Schools Bill (Assembly Bill 384) would require the California Department of Education to conduct a study on recommended indoor temperature ranges in public schools and on heating and cooling systems using a representative sample of local educational agencies. The bill also requires the department to develop policy recommendations based on the study findings.
School Greening Grant Program (Assembly Bill 527) would establish a school greening grant program, which would award grants to local education agencies, nonprofit organizations, cities, counties, and special districts that support K-12 school greening efforts.
Climate and Environmental Remediation Devices (Assembly Bill 586) would add climate change and environmental remediation to the list of community supports under the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal initiative, expanding coverage to certain devices necessary to address health-related complications, barriers, or other factors linked to extreme weather, poor air quality, or climate events, including air conditioning units, electric heaters, air filters, or backup power sources, amongst other devices.
Statewide Strategic Plan for Highway Greening (Assembly Bill 824) would require the Department of Transportation to develop a statewide strategic plan to increase highway greening with native plants by at least 10% in urban areas.
The Climate Change Preparedness, Resiliency, and Jobs for Communities Program (Assembly Bill 1195) would establish a grant program under the Strategic Growth Council to award funding to local communities that deploy multi-benefit climate projects at the neighborhood level.
Energy
Integrated Energy Policy Report on Fusion Energy (Assembly Bill 1172) would require the California Energy Commission (CEC), in consultation with the California Energy Commission (CPUC), California Independent System Operator (CAISO), Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC), and other stakeholders, to submit a report to the legislature assessing the use of nuclear fusion as a reliable source of clean energy.
Emergency Preparedness
Periodic Updates to County Emergency Plans (Assembly Bill 1108) would require counties to update their Emergency Operations Plan at least every two years in response to the increase in climate-related disasters, and submit them to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES). CalOES would provide technical assistance and feedback regarding the sufficiency of the county’s emergency plan.