(a) By July 1, 2024, and every three years thereafter, the agency shall update the state’s climate adaptation strategy, known as the plan. As part of the update, the agency shall coordinate with the office and other state agencies to identify a lead agency or group of agencies to lead adaptation efforts in each sector. The updates to the plan shall include all of the following:

(1) Vulnerabilities to climate change by sector, as identified by the lead agency or group of agencies, and regions, including, at a minimum, the following sectors:

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(A) Water.

(B) Energy.

(C) Transportation.

(D) Public health.

(E) Agriculture.

(F) Emergency services.

(G) Forestry.

(H) Biodiversity and habitat.

(I) Ocean and coastal resources.

(J) Financial resources.

(2) Vulnerabilities to climate change for vulnerable communities, as identified by the office, through the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program.

(3) An operational definition of “climate resilience” for each sector and for vulnerable communities, as identified by the lead agency or group of agencies, so that total costs, funding plans, and other strategies to adequately prepare for disruptions, recover from shocks and stresses, and adapt and grow from various disruptions, especially in the most vulnerable communities, are analyzed and reported.

(4) Priority actions needed to reduce risks and achieve climate resilience in those sectors and vulnerable communities, as identified by the lead agency or group of agencies, with an emphasis on maximizing risk mitigation for the greatest number of people living in vulnerable communities.

(5) Special protections of vulnerable communities and industries that are disproportionately impacted by climate change.

(6) Opportunities to improve policy and budget coordination across jurisdictions, including federal and local jurisdictions.

(7) Timetables for near-term, medium-term, and long-term timescales, and specific metrics to measure and evaluate the state’s progress in implementing the plan, as identified by the agency or the office. Metrics to evaluate progress toward meeting the goals may be modeled for the years 2030, 2050, 2080, 2100, and beyond.

(b) (1) By January 1, 2024, and every three years thereafter, the agency shall release a draft plan. Between the release of the draft plan and the publication of the final update of the plan, the agency shall hold at least three public hearings for the purpose of providing an opportunity for the public to review and provide written and oral comments on the draft plan. The public hearings shall be held in northern California, the central valley of California, and southern California.

(2) In preparing the draft plan, the agency shall engage with local and regional entities, including local agencies and communities, to enhance policy and funding coordination and promote regional solutions and implementation.

(c) In identifying the vulnerabilities pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a), each lead agency or group of agencies shall, at a minimum, be informed by the most recent California Climate Change Assessment, the climate science research programs administered by the council and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Indicators for California as produced by the Climate Change and Health Equity Section of the State Department of Public Health, and other peer-reviewed climate science research relevant to California.

(d) The agency shall annually report to the Legislature, consistent with § 9795 of the Government Code, on actions taken by each applicable agency to implement the plan.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 338, Sec. 5. (AB 1384) Effective January 1, 2023.)