Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 70.92
Liaison Katie Maynard
Submission Date Aug. 19, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of California, Santa Barbara
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Mo Lovegreen
Director
Campus Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution advocate for national, state/provincial, or local public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:

The University of California works on a systemwide level (all 10 campuses plus the Office of the President) in this area. UC Santa Barbara has a Government Relations Office that coordinates closely with our State Governmental Relations at The University of California, Office of the President (UCOP) - http://www.ucop.edu/state-governmental-relations/ - as well as our Federal Governmental Relations Office located in Washington, D.C. - http://www.ucop.edu/federal-governmental-relations/ .

The Office of Governmental Relations serves as UC Santa Barbara's liaison to federal, state, and local elected officials and public agencies. They work closely with the University of California's Office of the President, the State Governmental Relations office in Sacramento, and the Federal Governmental Relations office in Washington, D.C. to establish public understanding and support for the University's teaching, research, and public service missions.

State Governmental Relations (SGR) serves to advance understanding and support for UC's tripartite mission of teaching, research, and public service. As UC's principal representative to state elected officials and state agencies in Sacramento, they represent university positions on legislative, budgetary, and policy matters.

The University of California's Office of Federal Governmental Relations is located at the UC Washington Center in Washington, DC. As the largest public research institution in the world, the university engages in numerous partnerships with federal education, health care, and research agencies. Working with Congress, the administration, federal agencies, and national organizations, we advocate for the university and its missions in education, research, and public service.

Below is a list of items the University of California has advocated over the last year:

AB 39 Skinner (D) Senate Inactive File - File No. A-49 Extends the operation of the Energy Conservation Assistance Act of 1979 that requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to administer the State Energy Conservation Assistance Account, a continuously appropriated account to provide grants and loans to local governments and public institutions to maximize energy use savings.

AB 78 Budget Cmt Senate Inactive File - File No. A-8 Appropriates funds from the Job Creation Fund to the Workforce Investment Board for grants to eligible organizations preparing disadvantaged youth and veterans for specified employment. Transfers moneys from the fund to the Education Subaccount to the Energy Commission for loans for eligible projects and technical assistance and to local education entities and community colleges. Requires entities receiving moneys from the fund to submit reports on projects, training, and jobs.

AB 489 Skinner (D) Senate Appropriations Committee Repeals the provision requiring the Energy Commission to fund activities from the Federal Trust Fund consistent with the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 or other sources of nonstate funds available to the commission.

AB 2045 Rendon (D) Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee Enacts the Non-Residential Real Property Energy Retrofit Financing Act of 2014. Provides financial assistance through the issuance of revenue bonds, to owners of eligible real properties. Requires that the bonds be secured by the recording of an energy remittance repayment agreement lien.

AB 2415 Ting (D) ASSEMBLY Requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop and administer an electric vehicle charging station matching grant program to provide financial assistance to cities, counties, and a city and county for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at public on-street parking locations.

AB 2434 Gomez (D) ASSEMBLY Provides an exclusion from gross income any amount received as a rebate, voucher, or other financial incentive issued by a local water or energy agency or supplier for expenses incurred to participate in a water or energy conservation program.

SB 267 Pavley (D) Assembly Natural Resources Committee Requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop and administer a financial assistance program to assist the California Community Colleges, the California State University and the University of California with energy efficiency and clean energy onsite generation projects. Requires the commission to develop and adopt specific guidelines for the program. Appropriates funds from the Clean Energy Job Creation Fund to the commission therefor.

SB 628 Beall (D) Senate Inactive File - File No. A-56 Eliminates the requirement of voter approval for the adoption of an infrastructure financing plan, the creation of an infrastructure financing district, and the issuance of bonds with respect to a transit priority project. Requires a specified percentage of the revenue for increasing, improving, and preserving the supply of lower and moderate-income housing. Requires a low-income housing replacement ordinance.
SB 1156 Steinberg (D) Senate Governance and Finance Committee Imposes a carbon tax of an unspecified amount per ton of carbon-dioxide-equivalent emission on suppliers of fossil fuels.

SB 1195 Padilla (D) Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee Amends existing law that requires the Independent System Operator, within 6 months after receiving approval for its operation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to provide a report to the legislature and the Electricity Oversight Board containing specified matter. Repeals this reporting requirement.

SB 1204 Lara (D) Senate Transportation and Housing Committee - 04/08/2014 1:30 pm - John L. Burton Hearing Room (4203) Creates the California Clean Truck and Bus Program, to be funded from cap and trade revenues, to fund zero- and near-zero emission truck and zero-emission bus technology and related projects, with preference to be given to projects in disadvantaged communities.


A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years:

Below is a list of items the University of California has advocated over the last year:

AB 39 Skinner (D) Senate Inactive File - File No. A-49 Extends the operation of the Energy Conservation Assistance Act of 1979 that requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to administer the State Energy Conservation Assistance Account, a continuously appropriated account to provide grants and loans to local governments and public institutions to maximize energy use savings.

AB 78 Budget Cmt Senate Inactive File - File No. A-8 Appropriates funds from the Job Creation Fund to the Workforce Investment Board for grants to eligible organizations preparing disadvantaged youth and veterans for specified employment. Transfers moneys from the fund to the Education Subaccount to the Energy Commission for loans for eligible projects and technical assistance and to local education entities and community colleges. Requires entities receiving moneys from the fund to submit reports on projects, training, and jobs.

AB 489 Skinner (D) Senate Appropriations Committee Repeals the provision requiring the Energy Commission to fund activities from the Federal Trust Fund consistent with the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 or other sources of nonstate funds available to the commission.

AB 2045 Rendon (D) Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee Enacts the Non-Residential Real Property Energy Retrofit Financing Act of 2014. Provides financial assistance through the issuance of revenue bonds, to owners of eligible real properties. Requires that the bonds be secured by the recording of an energy remittance repayment agreement lien.

AB 2415 Ting (D) ASSEMBLY Requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop and administer an electric vehicle charging station matching grant program to provide financial assistance to cities, counties, and a city and county for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at public on-street parking locations.

AB 2434 Gomez (D) ASSEMBLY Provides an exclusion from gross income any amount received as a rebate, voucher, or other financial incentive issued by a local water or energy agency or supplier for expenses incurred to participate in a water or energy conservation program.

SB 267 Pavley (D) Assembly Natural Resources Committee Requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop and administer a financial assistance program to assist the California Community Colleges, the California State University and the University of California with energy efficiency and clean energy onsite generation projects. Requires the commission to develop and adopt specific guidelines for the program. Appropriates funds from the Clean Energy Job Creation Fund to the commission therefor.

SB 628 Beall (D) Senate Inactive File - File No. A-56 Eliminates the requirement of voter approval for the adoption of an infrastructure financing plan, the creation of an infrastructure financing district, and the issuance of bonds with respect to a transit priority project. Requires a specified percentage of the revenue for increasing, improving, and preserving the supply of lower and moderate-income housing. Requires a low-income housing replacement ordinance.

SB 1156 Steinberg (D) Senate Governance and Finance Committee Imposes a carbon tax of an unspecified amount per ton of carbon-dioxide-equivalent emission on suppliers of fossil fuels.

SB 1195 Padilla (D) Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee Amends existing law that requires the Independent System Operator, within 6 months after receiving approval for its operation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to provide a report to the legislature and the Electricity Oversight Board containing specified matter. Repeals this reporting requirement.

SB 1204 Lara (D) Senate Transportation and Housing Committee - 04/08/2014 1:30 pm - John L. Burton Hearing Room (4203) Creates the California Clean Truck and Bus Program, to be funded from cap and trade revenues, to fund zero- and near-zero emission truck and zero-emission bus technology and related projects, with preference to be given to projects in disadvantaged communities.


A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):

N/A


The website URL where information about the institution’s advocacy efforts is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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