AB 2349

AB2349:v98#DOCUMENT

Bill Start

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2349

An act to add Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 39950) to Part 2 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to air pollution.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2349, as amended, Solache. State Air Resources Board: regional air quality incident response program.

Existing law generally designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency with the primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution, and air pollution control districts and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources. Existing law requires the state board to inventory sources of air pollution within the air basins of the state, determine the kinds and quantity of air pollutants, and monitor air pollutants in cooperation with districts and other agencies.

This bill would require the state board to expand its incident air monitoring program, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for those purposes, to provide support for a regional network of air quality incident response centers, including at least one air quality incident response and evaluation center located at the South Coast Air Quality Management District, in order to facilitate emergency air monitoring response at the local and regional level. The bill would require each air quality incident response center to be operated by the state board or an air district and would require the state board and each district that operates an air quality incident response center to coordinate to provide emergency air monitoring response for disasters or other crises impacting air quality and public health in the state. The bill would provide that funding made available by the Legislature for purposes of these provisions may be used for various purposes, including program funding to plan, create, equip, and maintain air quality incident response centers.

To the extent that the bill would expand the duties of an air district, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 39950) is added to Part 2 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:

CHAPTER 9. Regional Air Quality Incident Response Program

39950.

For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Air contaminant” includes any toxic air contaminant designated or identified pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 39650), and as defined in Section 39013, and any substance as listed in the Table of Standards pursuant to Section 70200 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.

(b) “Air quality incident response center” means an air quality incident response center established pursuant to this chapter to facilitate emergency air monitoring.

39951.

Subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for purposes of this chapter, the state board shall expand its incident air monitoring program to provide support in accordance with this chapter for a regional network of air quality incident response centers in order to facilitate emergency air monitoring response at the local and regional level.

39952.

(a) (1) The state board and the districts shall jointly select each location throughout the state where an air quality incident response center will be established by the state board or a district for purposes of this chapter, including at least one air quality incident response and evaluation center located at the south coast district.

(2) Before establishing an air quality incident response center within its jurisdiction, a district shall coordinate with the state board and any other relevant district to develop operational plans for the air quality incident response center.

(3) Each entity shall be responsible for operating the air quality incident response center that it establishes pursuant to paragraph (1).

(b) The state board and each district that operates an air quality incident response center shall coordinate to provide emergency air monitoring response for disasters or other crises impacting air quality and public health in the state, as determined by the state board and those districts.

(c) The state board and each district that operates an air quality incident response center shall only be responsible for performing the duties set forth in this chapter to the extent that funding is provided by the Legislature for those purposes.

39953.

Funding made available by the Legislature for purposes of this chapter may be used, but is not limited to being used, for any of the following purposes:

(a) Program funding to plan, create, equip, and maintain air quality incident response centers, including for the acquisition of monitoring equipment and systems, vehicles, and other necessary equipment, and facilities, needed to support air quality incident response centers, and to plan, develop, conduct training on, and implement implement, and conduct training on incident response protocols.

(b) Air quality data collection, maintenance, analysis, presentation, dissemination, modeling, and publishing, and the integration of that data into a unified command or joint information center, and other related activities.

(c) The funding of staffing resources, including regional emergency response coordinators and technical staff at districts that operate air quality incident response centers, develop plans, prepare for, and respond during, incidents and as needed for investigation and recovery efforts.

(d) Training and preparedness exercises for state board staff and the staff of districts that operate air quality incident response centers to facilitate expeditious, efficient, and effective emergency air monitoring responses to provide air quality information to the public and protect public health.

(e) Providing expertise to translate air monitoring data collection, analyses, and modeling results in terms of impacts on public health.

(f) Coordinating with relevant state and local agencies, local governments, and public health departments, including districts, to provide unified command and joint information centers, and other organizations with air quality data and analysis to inform the public and local response and recovery efforts.

39954.

As part of the operation of an air quality incident response center, air quality monitoring may be conducted for targeted air contaminants of concern, as identified by the state board or the district operating that air quality incident response center, during disaster or emergency situations and during the recovery period from a disaster or emergency to aid impacted communities, and may be conducted, as needed, in coordination with unified command centers, joint information centers, other state agencies, local public health agencies, and other entities, as appropriate.

SEC. 2.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.