South Coast AQMD’s State and Federal Relations team works with all levels of elected officials and their staff, agencies, and stakeholders to support our clean air mission. The team focuses on policy and funding issues that support the attainment of state and federal clean air standards.

In recent years, examples of the State and Federal Relations team’s efforts include helping to secure $294 million in annual statewide funding for clean technology incentives and implementation of the Assembly Bill (AB) 617 Program, which focuses on addressing the needs of communities that are disproportionately impacted by air pollution and toxics. They also worked with multiple stakeholders to successfully get the Carl Moyer and AB 923 programs reauthorized until January 1, 2034, to provide statewide incentive funding for cleaner vehicles and equipment.

Additionally, the team recently secured a $500,000 Congressional Directed Spending request for a zero-emission line haul locomotive project as well as supported efforts to increase and secure tens of millions of federal dollars for Targeted Airshed Grants (TAG), the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Program, and air quality funding for U.S. EPA programs that support state and local air agencies. Finally, they supported efforts to increase clean air funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, including two new programs for areas that do not meet federal air quality standards.

The State and Federal Relations team continues its efforts through the end of both the State and federal legislative sessions.