Forestry

AB 301 (Bigelow) – Chaptered

AB 301, by Assembly Member Frank Bigelow, was signed by the Governor this week. This bill requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to notify owners of habitable structures subject to the state responsibility area fire prevention fee (fee) that when selling the property, they may negotiate the apportionment of the annual fee with the buyer as one of the terms of the sale.

Weights & Measures

AB 296 (Dodd) – Support 
To Enrollment 

AB 296, by Assembly Member Bill Dodd, is awaiting action by the Governor. This bill would extend the sunset from January 2016, to January 2019 of the provision of law that allows a county board of supervisors the authority to charge fees to recover the costs associated with the inspection of weighing and measuring devices. 

Solid Waste

AB 901 (Gordon) – Support
As Proposed to be amended

AB 901, by Assembly Member Rich Gordon, would make changes to the reporting framework for solid waste and recycling facilities, providing local governments with access to hauler information from disposal facilities as well as giving the Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery (Cal Recycle) enforcement mechanisms and greater access to information. This bill has been negotiated between local government interests, Cal Recycle and the waste hauling sector. Compromise amendments will be in print soon, but they respect confidentially issues, while providing local governments and the Department the information they need as well as enforcement mechanisms in the case that information is not provided as required. This bill passed out of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee this week and has been referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

Fireworks

SB 522 (Mendoza) – Request for Comments
As Amended July 13, 2015

SB 522, by Senator Mendoza, would apply an extended producer responsibility (EPR) model to the ongoing problem of managing seized illegal fireworks to ensure (1) the appropriate and timely removal from local stockpiles, and (2) compliance with the State’s hazardous waste laws. This model seeks to provide a reliable, on-going mechanism for local entities to have their seizure fireworks removed. According to the State Fire Marshal, the seizures of these fireworks have been increasing each year and there is no available funding to local jurisdictions to deal with this increasing problem. 

Medical Marijuana

AB 243 (Wood) – Support if Amended
AB 266 (Bonta) – Support if Amended
SB 643 (McGuire) – Request Amendments

This week the three referenced medical marijuana bills passed out of the second house legislative policy committees and now move to their respective fiscal committees where they will be heard following the Legislature’s Summer recess. 

AB 243, by Assembly Member Jim Wood, would establish a medical marijuana cultivation permit system. It would also require state agencies to address environmental impacts of medical marijuana cultivation; coordinate with cities and counties and their law enforcement agencies in enforcement efforts; and require each regional water quality control board to address discharges of waste resulting from medical marijuana cultivation. CSAC and RCRC are requesting amendments that would address concerns we have with the bill’s proposed licensing scheme; clarify that counties that wish to prohibit cultivation – with or without an ordinance stating so – can continue that practice; addresses timing issues with the proposed unique identifier program; and assure county taxing authority.

AB 266, by Assembly Member Rob Bonta, would create a Governor’s Office of Marijuana regulation which would be the lead agency to oversee cannabis regulation with several state departments having designated responsiblities. This bill would also establish dual-licensing provisions with the state providing the conditional license and local governments issuing the permanent license if allowed under local government ordinances. CSAC, RCRC and UCC have been successful in obtaining numerous amendments to this bill, however a couple of remaining issues need to be addressed including the development of language pertaining to explicit county taxing authority.

SB 643, by Senator Mike McGuire, would enact the Medical Marijuana Public Safety and Environmental Protection Act. This bill would also establish a licensing and regulatory framework for the cultivation, manufacture, transportation, storage, distribution and sale of medical marijuana to be administered by a Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation within the Department of Consumer Affairs and enforced primarily at the local level. CSAC, RCRC and UCC have provided the author with proposed amendments to address a wide range of issues. These have yet to be included in the bill.