(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, and public prosecutors.

(2) Establish enhanced local environmental enforcement efforts.

(3) 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 allocate and award funds to public agencies or private nonprofit organizations for purposes of supporting statewide environmental enforcement education and training programs for 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. 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.

(d) The secretary shall allocate and award funds to support the Environmental Circuit Prosecutor Project 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.

(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 1000, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 2003.)