Groundwater Legislation Update

Several bills were introduced at the beginning of the year that proposed amendments to the State Groundwater Sustainability Act of 2014 (SGMA). Other bills addressing groundwater in general were also introduced. Quite a few of these measures failed passage in fiscal committee or were designated as two-year bills. The following is an update on the groundwater bills that are still under active consideration this year:

AB 453, by Assembly Member Frank Bigelow, would allow existing groundwater management plans to be renewed and amended until a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) is adopted pursuant to SGMA. AB 453 is scheduled to be heard before the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee on Tuesday, July 14. CSAC has a support position on this bill.

AB 617, by Assembly Member Henry Perea, would make numerous changes throughout SGMA, from minor to substantive. Some of the substantive provisions included would: allow a private mutual water company to join GSAs pursuant to a Joint Powers Agreement; allow GSAs to enter into public/private partnerships to facilitate the implementation of GSPs; and would exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) the formation or election of a GSA. AB 617 is scheduled to be heard before the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee on Tuesday, July 14. CSAC has a watch position on AB 617.

AB 647, by Assembly Member Susan Eggman, would declare that the diversion of water to underground storage constitutes a beneficial use of water if specified conditions are met which includes a requirement that the water is so stored consistent with a GSP. AB 647 is scheduled to be heard before the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee on Tuesday, July 14. CSAC has a watch position on this bill.

AB 938, by Assembly Member Rudy Salas, would make a minor technical change to SGMA to clarify that “a combination of local agencies” can also receive additional time to become SGMA compliant following a reprioritization of groundwater basins. AB 938 is scheduled to be heard before the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee on Tuesday, July 14. CSAC has a support position on this bill.

AB 939, by Assembly Member Rudy Salas, would increase the amount of time that the public has to review data which a GSA will use for setting fees from ten days to twenty. This bill is scheduled to be heard before the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee on Tuesday, July 14. CSAC has a watch position on AB 939.

AB 1242, by Assembly Member Adam Gray, would require the State Water Resources Control Board, when setting flow requirements for a Water Quality Control Plan (WQCP), to take into consideration any applicable groundwater sustainability plans and to identify projects for fish recovery that may be undertaken in lieu of instream flows. This bill is scheduled to be heard before the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on Wednesday, July 15. CSAC has a watch position on AB 1242.

AB 1390, by Assembly Member Luis Alejo, would make changes to the legal processes used during a legal action to assign rights in a groundwater basin. This bill is expected to be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, July 14. As previously reported CSAC has an opposed unless amended position on AB 1390.

SB 13, by Senator Fran Pavley, would also make numerous technical and clarifying changes to SGMA, including changes to the noticing process for becoming a GSA and provisions affecting participation of investor owned water companies and mutual water companies on GSAs. SB 13 is scheduled to be heard by the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee on Tuesday, June 30. CSAC has a watch position on this bill.

SB 226, by Senator Fran Pavley, would make changes to the legal processes used to assign water rights in a groundwater basin. SB 226 is scheduled to be heard by the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee on Tuesday, June 30. CSAC has a watch position on this bill.

Weights & Measures

AB 296 (Dodd) – Support
As Introduced February 12, 2015

AB 296, by Assembly Member Dodd, would extend the sunset from January 2016 to January 2019 of a provision of current law that requires the county sealer to inspect and test weighing, measuring or counting devices that are used or sold in the county. This provision protects both the buyer and seller by the testing of weighing and measuring devices to ensure their accuracy. This provision also provides for uniform standards of weight and measure when the price of goods depends on the accuracy of these devices. Current law also allows a county board of supervisors the authority to charge fees to recover the costs associated with the duties of the county sealers. This bill will be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 29, 2015. 

Solid Waste

AB 876 (McCarty) – Oppose
As Amended June 1, 2015

AB 876, by Assembly Member McCarty would require local jurisdictions to report an estimate of the total organics processing capacity that will be needed over a fifteen-year period. While we understand the intent of the AB 876, we have strong objections to the approach outlined in this bill. Counties are currently required to include this type of information about total organics processing capacity within their organic waste recycling programs. CSAC believes that requiring jurisdictions to estimate capacity for a 15-year period is premature as the state and local jurisdictions are in the process of implementing last year’s AB 1826, the law that established the commercial organics recycling program. This bill will be heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on July 1, 2015. 

Climate Change

AB 590 (Dahle) – Support
As Amended June 16, 2015

AB 590, by Assembly Member Brian Dahle, would allow the use of cap and trade funds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), upon appropriation, to be used for purposes of maintaining the current level of biomass power generation in the state and revitalizing currently idle facilities. Using biomass to produce electricity reduces our reliance on fossil fuels, the nation’s primary energy sources for electricity, and the largest contributors to air pollution and greenhouse gases. Biomass energy is also an on-demand renewable source of energy not reliant on the sun or wind. CSAC supports this bill because it would enable the use GGRF funds to help support and maintain biomass energy in California. This bill will be heard in the Senate Energy Committee on June 30, 2015.