(a) After deducting all administrative costs it incurs through collection of fees pursuant to Section 44227, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall distribute the revenues to districts, which shall use the revenues resulting from the first four dollars ($4) of each fee imposed to reduce air pollution from motor vehicles and to carry out related planning, monitoring, enforcement, and technical studies necessary for implementation of the California Clean Air Act of 1988 (Chapter 1568 of the Statutes of 1988). Fees collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles pursuant to this chapter shall be distributed to districts based upon the amount of fees collected from motor vehicles registered within each district.
(b) Notwithstanding Sections 44241 and 44243, a district shall use the revenues resulting from the next two dollars ($2) of each fee imposed pursuant to Section 44227 to implement the following programs that the district determines remediate air pollution harms created by motor vehicles on which the surcharge is imposed:
(1) Projects eligible for grants under the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 44275) of Part 5).
(2) The new purchase, retrofit, repower, or add-on equipment for previously unregulated agricultural sources of air pollution, as defined in Section 39011.5, for a minimum of three years from the date of adoption of an applicable rule or standard, or until the compliance date of that rule or standard, whichever is later, if the state board has determined that the rule or standard complies with Sections 40913, 40914, and 41503.1, after which period of time, a new purchase, retrofit, repower, or add-on of equipment shall not be funded pursuant to this chapter. The districts shall follow any guidelines developed under subdivision (a) of Section 44287 for awarding grants under this program.
(3) The purchase of new schoolbuses or the repower or retrofit of emissions control equipment for existing schoolbuses pursuant to the Lower-Emission School Bus Program adopted by the state board.
(4) An accelerated vehicle retirement or repair program that is adopted by the state board pursuant to authority granted hereafter by the Legislature by statute.
(5) The replacement of onboard natural gas fuel tanks on schoolbuses that are 14 years or older or the enhancement of deteriorating natural gas fueling dispensers of fueling infrastructure, pursuant to the Lower-Emission School Bus Program adopted by the state board.
(6) The funding of alternative fuel and electric infrastructure projects solicited and selected through a competitive bid process.
(c) The Department of Motor Vehicles may annually expend not more than 1 percent of the fees collected pursuant to Section 44227 on administrative costs.
(d) A project funded by the program shall not be used for credit under any state or federal emissions averaging, banking, or trading program. An emission reduction generated by the program shall not be used as marketable emission reduction credits or to offset any emission reduction obligation of any person or entity. Projects involving new engines that would otherwise generate marketable credits under state or federal averaging, banking, and trading programs shall include transfer of credits to the engine end user and retirement of those credits toward reducing air emissions in order to qualify for funding under the program. A purchase of a low-emission vehicle or of equipment pursuant to a corporate or a controlling board’s policy, but not otherwise required by law, shall generate surplus emissions reductions and may be funded by the program.
(e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2034, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2034, deletes or extends that date.
(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 610, Sec. 4) by Stats. 2022, Ch. 355, Sec. 7. (AB 2836) Effective January 1, 2023. Repealed as of January 1, 2034, by its own provisions. See later operative version, as amended by Sec. 6 of Stats. 2022, Ch. 355.)