Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Participation (language only)

Item 366 #1c

Language

Page 425, after line 16, insert:

"C. Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, or any other law, no expenditures from general, special, or other nongeneral fund sources shall be used to take any action that impedes or otherwise interferes with Virginia's rejoining of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative or continued participation therein. Further notwithstanding any other provision of this act, or any other law, any state agency or authority with responsibilities identified in Code § 10.1-1330 must immediately take all actions necessary to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and continue participating therein, and any auction proceeds received from allowance sales are hereby appropriated for the purposes set forth in Code § 10.1-1330(C). Such required actions include, but are not limited to, repealing the final regulation titled 9VAC5-140, Regulation for Emissions Trading Programs published in the Virginia Register on July 31, 2023, reissuing the final regulation titled 9VAC5-140, Regulation for Emissions Trading Programs published in the Virginia Register on August 3, 2020, selling the allowances generated by the reissued regulatory program through auctions run by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, distributing auction proceeds in accordance with Code § 10.1-1330(C) and appropriations included herein, and providing annual reporting in accordance with Code § 10.1-1330(D). Any regulatory action necessary to effectuate the requirements of this provision is hereby exempted from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.); the Department of Environmental Quality must complete such regulatory action without further action by the Air Pollution Control Board and the reissued regulatory program must take effect no later than 90 days from the effective date of this act.”