Inventory of the California State Senate Environmental Quality Committee Records
Processed by Sven Kennedy and Jason Baker
California State Archives
© 2013
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, California 95814
Phone: (916) 653-2246
Fax: (916) 653-7363
Email: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov
URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/
California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
Inventory of the California State Senate Environmental Quality Committee Records
Collection number: LP362
California State ArchivesOffice of the Secretary of State
Sacramento, California
- Processed by:
- Sven Kennedy and Jason Baker
- Date Completed:
- 1 June 2013
- Encoded by:
- Brent M. Rogers
© 2013 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
Title: California State Senate Environmental Quality Committee Records
Dates: 1992-2008
Collection number: LP362
Creator:
Senate Environmental Quality Committee
Collection Size:
35 cubic feet
Repository:
California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Abstract: The Senate Environmental Quality Committee Records consists of 35 cubic feet of textual and audiovisual records reflecting
the legislative activities of the California State Senate that were deemed to fall under the jurisdictions of this standing
committee for review and/or revision. These records consist of two records series: Bill Files, covering the years 1997-2008,
and Hearing Files, covering the years of 1992-2008.
Physical location: California State Archives
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
[Identification of item], Senate Environmental Quality Committee Records, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives,
Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.
The California State Archives acquired the Senate Environmental Quality Committee records according to state law.
The Senate Environmental Quality Committee was created in 1997, replacing and assuming the responsibilities of the Senate
Toxics and Public Safety Management Committee. During the 1997-1998 legislative session Senate Resolution 7 (Lockyer) made
changes to certain Senate standing committees relating to their member composition and subject jurisdiction. Additionally,
this resolution created a new standing committee: the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. The primary focus of this committee
is to provide oversight of legislative bills related to environmental quality, air quality, toxics, and hazardous waste. At
inception, the Environmental Quality Committee also had policy jurisdiction over bills relating to integrated waste management
that was previously overseen by the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization. In the 1999-2000 legislative session, the
Environmental Quality Committee was charged with policy jurisdiction over legislation relating to water quality.
During the 1997-1998 legislative session, this standing committee consisted of nine members; however, it was increased to
ten members in the 1999-2000 legislative session and then was reduced to nine members in the 2001-2002 session. This committee
has since been reduced to seven members and remains active in reviewing legislation related to the areas of legislative oversight
mentioned above. The state senators to have held the position of Environmental Quality Committee Chair are as follows: Byron
D. Sher, (Dem.) 1997-2004, Alan Lowenthal, (Dem.) 2005, and Joe Simitian, (Dem.) 2006-2008.
The Senate Environmental Quality Committee Records consists of 35 cubic feet of textual and audiovisual records reflecting
the legislative activities of the California State Senate that were deemed to fall under the jurisdictions of this standing
committee for review and/or revision. These records consist of two records series: Bill Files, covering the years 1997-2008,
and Hearing Files, covering the years of 1992-2008.
This committee oversees various types of pollution and associated legislative regulations. More specifically, the Environmental
Quality Committee assesses specific applications of environmental mandates, proposed legislation that may effect previous
legislation such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), or the nuances of Environmental Impact Report (EIR) requirements
or exemptions. Much of the proposed legislation brought before this committee deals with issues involving hazardous waste,
solid waste, air pollution, or water pollution.
Further accruals are expected.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
California State Senate Environmental Quality Committee
Air Pollution California
Water Pollution California
Butyl methyl ether Environmental aspects California
Related Collections at the California State Archives
Lowenthal, Alan (Restricted)
Related Collections at other Repositories
Records for Byron D. Sher, first chair of this committee, may be found at the Cecil H. Green Library, Special Collections
and University Archives; Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305
LP362:1-718
Series 1 Bill Files 1997-2008
Physical Description: 718 file folders
Arrangement
Bill files are arranged chronologically by legislative session then numerically by bill number.
Scope and Content Note
Bill files of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee may include bill analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements,
testimony, press releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, roll calls, records of votes, and committee statements. Of
particular interest are those bills relating to air pollution as well as legislation relating to Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether
(MTBE) groundwater contamination. Additionally, those bills relating to leaf blowers are of substantive interest.
1997-1998: SB14-SB2241 (70ff) LP362:1-70
1997-1998: AB44-AB2239 (25ff) LP362:71-95
1999-2000: SB25-SB2203, SCR19, SJR8-SJR39 (67ff) LP362:96-162
1999-2000: AB50-AB2939, AJR21-AJR58 (48ff) LP362:163-210
2001-2002: SB21-SB2096, SJR20, SB21X-SB74X, SB24XX-SB79XX (51ff) LP362:211-261
2001-2002: AB13-AB3053 (39ff) LP362:262-300
2003-2004: SB13-SB1906, SJR28 (55ff) LP362:301-355
2003-2004: AB13-AB3090, AJR50-AJR72 (67ff) LP362:356-422
2005-2006: SB4-SB1835, SR23, SCR34 (78ff) LP362:423-500
2005-2006: AB17-AB3056, AJR8 (60ff) LP362:501-560
2007-2008: SB23-SB1781, SCR87 (78ff) LP362:561-638
2007-2008: AB15-AB3077, ACR117, AJR40 (80ff) LP362:639-718
LP362:719-780
Series 2 Hearing Files 1992-2008
Physical Description: 50 file folders, 5 VHS tapes, 31 audio cassettes, and 37 compact disks
Access Information
Access to audiovisual material requires the production of use copies.
Arrangement
Hearing Files are arranged chronologically by hearing date.
Scope and Content Note
Hearing files may contain agendas, audiocassette tape recordings of hearings, transcripts, testimony, background reports,
and working files for regular session hearings, interim hearings, and some joint hearings. Audiocassette tapes have been moved
to a cold-storage vault for preservation purposes and separation sheets are in the appropriate files to alert the researcher
to the existence of such tapes.
When complete, hearings files can provide in-depth analysis of issues of concern to the committee and California's human services
issues. Many hearings were on various bills pertaining to the committee. The hearings with specific subjects encompassed
numerous topics including water pollution, invasive species, environmental site assessment standards, and the acquisition
of the Headwaters Forest (Hearing Dates: 01/07/1997 to 01/06/1998).
For a list of hearing dates and topics, see Appendix A at the State Archives.