(a) There is hereby established in the agency, a program of financial assistance to do all of the following:

(1) Provide for statewide education and training programs in the enforcement of environmental laws for peace officers, investigators, state and local environmental regulators, public prosecutors, and community-based organizations.

(2) Establish enhanced local environmental enforcement efforts.

(3) Provide that disadvantaged communities, low-income residents, and other populations that are disproportionately burdened by pollution receive the benefit of enforcement of local, state, and federal environmental laws.

(4) All funds made available to the agency for the purposes of this title shall be administered and distributed by the secretary.

(b) Not later than 12 months after the date when this title may be implemented, as specified in Section 14314, the secretary shall prepare and issue regulations, which shall, at a minimum, describe how grants are to be allocated or awarded pursuant to this title, the procedures for applying for these grants, the criteria to be used in determining which applications will be funded, and the administrative and fiscal requirements governing the receipt and expenditure of these grants.

(c) The secretary shall periodically, and at least annually, subject to a sufficient balance in the Environmental Enforcement and Training Account, issue requests for proposals for the allocation and award of funds to public agencies or private nonprofit organizations, except for the California District Attorneys Association, for purposes of supporting environmental enforcement education and training programs for staff of community-based nonprofit organizations, peace officers, investigators, state and local environmental regulators, and public prosecutors pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 14304) and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 14306), which meet the criteria established pursuant to those chapters, and staff of community-based nonprofit organizations. To ensure that these programs are coordinated with existing peace officer training, the commission shall be consulted prior to the allocation of funds to peace officer education and training programs. The environmental enforcement education and training programs will be made available to staff of qualifying community-based nonprofit organizations on a no-cost basis.

(d) The secretary shall allocate and award funds to support the Environmental Circuit Prosecutor Grant Program pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 14309) for the purpose of improving enforcement of environmental laws by enhancing the investigation and prosecution of violations of those laws.

(e) The secretary shall post notices of awards issued and grantee reports received on a designated public internet webpage.

(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 83, Sec. 6. (SB 157) Effective July 16, 2021.)