(a) Subject to the availability of funding, the council shall develop and implement a coastal climate change adaptation, infrastructure, and readiness program to do all of the following:

(1) Recommend best practices and strategies to improve the climate change resiliency of the state’s coastal communities, infrastructure, and habitat.

(2) Coordinate with the State Coastal Conservancy, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the San Diego River Conservancy, the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, and other state entities as needed to develop criteria to prioritize the types of projects needed to improve climate change resiliency in the coastal zone.

(3) Collaborate with California State University, Long Beach and other universities, scientists, and nongovernmental organizations involved in climate change activities covering areas along the Pacific Rim to facilitate information sharing regarding coastal climate change adaptation, infrastructure, and readiness, including providing information to the Office of Planning and Research to be considered for inclusion into the clearinghouse established pursuant to Sections 71354 and 71360.

(b) The council shall use existing staff, resources, databases, and information contained in reports and other documents, including, but not limited to, the “Safeguarding California Plan: 2018 Update” and the Office of Planning and Research Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program, to develop and implement the program required under subdivision (a).

(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 374, Sec. 3. (SB 576) Effective January 1, 2020.)