The Air Resources Board has primary responsibility for protecting air quality in California. This responsibility includes establishing ambient air quality standards for specific pollutants, maintaining a statewide ambient air-monitoring network in conjunction with local air districts, administering air pollution research studies, evaluating standards adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and developing and implementing plans to attain and maintain these standards. These plans include emission limitations for vehicular and other mobile sources and industrial sources established by the Board and local air pollution control districts. The Air Resources Board also has the responsibility, in coordination with the Secretary for Environmental Protection, to develop measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, pursuant to Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006 (AB 32).

Since department programs drive the need for infrastructure investment, each department has a related capital outlay program to support this need. For the specifics on the Air Resource Board's Capital Outlay Program see "Infrastructure Overview."