Bill author: Assembly Member Juan Arambula (D-31)

SUMMARY
This bill allows the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to increase the motor vehicle registration surcharges up to $30 per vehicle per year according to specified conditions. This bill also permits the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to adopt rules and regulations to reduce vehicle trips.

WHY IT MATTERS
There are currently 2.6 million cars, trucks and motorcycles registered in the eight county area that comprises the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District.

The San Joaquin Valley is one of the worst air quality regions in the United States and a substantial portion of air pollutants emitted in the valley, including oxides of nitrogen (NOX), which act as a precursor to ozone, emanate from gas and diesel-powered motor vehicles.

The fee is used for the purposes of establishing and implementing incentive-based programs to achieve surplus emission reductions (i.e., reductions not otherwise required by law or regulation for a particular source category) to remediate air pollution harms created by vehicles on which the fee is imposed.

At least $10 million of the revenues are used to mitigate the impacts of air pollution in disproportionately impacted environmental justice communities. The district is also required to convene an environmental justice advisory committee.

THE GOALS OF AB 2522 INCLUDE:
• Enhancing the district's share of the total costs needed to ultimately attain state and • federal air quality standards.

• Using the revenue from the increased annual DMV fee for reducing greenhouse gas emissions created by motor vehicles.

DRAWBACKS OF AB 2522 INCLUDE:
• The resulting fees can increase the cost of vehicle ownership. This also leads to higher costs for Valley residents because they will be charged for a pollution problem caused in some measure by vehicles originating outside of the Valley and simply passing through.