Fiscal Impact
The bill requires CARB to establish a schedule of fees on facilities and mobile sources to cover the reasonable costs of implementing and enforcing the regulations. These fees would be deposited into the Air Pollution Control Fund and made available upon appropriation. Therefore, the direct state cost for CARB's regulatory development, enforcement, and annual reporting would be offset by these fees. However, there will be compliance costs for regulated entities (facilities and mobile sources) and potential administrative costs for local air districts if they choose to implement and enforce the regulations. The estimated range reflects the costs for CARB to develop and implement a new, complex regulatory program, including staffing, technical analysis, and enforcement activities, which would be recovered through fees. The Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) typically estimates similar regulatory program costs in the multi-million dollar range annually, depending on scope and complexity. The bill also creates a state-mandated local program due to potential new crimes/infractions, but explicitly states no reimbursement is required for this reason.; The bill requires CARB to establish a schedule of fees on facilities and mobile sources to cover the reasonable costs of implementing and enforcing the regulations. These fees are to be deposited in the Air Pollution Control Fund and made available upon appropriation. The fiscal impact would primarily be for CARB's increased staffing, regulatory development, enforcement, and the statewide reporting program. Based on similar regulatory programs, the annual costs could range from several million to tens of millions of dollars, largely offset by fees. Local air districts may also incur costs if they choose to implement and enforce the regulations, though the bill states no reimbursement is required for costs related to new crimes/infractions.; The bill requires CARB to establish a schedule of fees on facilities and mobile sources to cover the reasonable costs of implementing and enforcing the regulations. These fees would be deposited into the Air Pollution Control Fund and made available upon appropriation. The fiscal impact would primarily be for CARB's regulatory development, enforcement, and annual reporting activities. Based on the scope of new regulatory authority and the need for staffing, modeling, and enforcement, costs could range from several million to tens of millions annually. This estimate is based on the costs associated with similar regulatory programs at CARB, such as the implementation of AB 617, which has an annual budget in the tens of millions. The intent is for these costs to be offset by fees, making the net state general fund impact potentially neutral, but the gross cost of implementation is significant.; The bill requires CARB to establish a schedule of fees on facilities and mobile sources to cover the reasonable costs of implementing and enforcing the regulations. These fees would be deposited into the Air Pollution Control Fund and made available upon appropriation. Therefore, the direct state cost is intended to be offset by fees. However, there will be initial setup costs for CARB to develop regulations, conduct outreach, and establish enforcement mechanisms. The range reflects the complexity of developing and enforcing new statewide regulations for a broad category of sources, including potential legal challenges and the need for new staff. Local air districts may also incur costs if they choose to implement and enforce the regulations, though the bill states no reimbursement is required for costs related to new crimes/infractions.