CSAC Bulletin Article

CSAC AENR Active Position Bills

June 11, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic shortened legislative timelines and significantly reduced the number bills moving this year’s legislative session. The CSAC AENR team has continued to track bills as they move through the process, including measures relating to wildfire, PSPS, water, and resource recovery. Currently, we are roughly half way through the first phase of the legislative session where bills are passed from their house of origin. The Assembly Appropriations Committee heard its suspense file last week, and the Senate will hear its Suspense File on June 18th. The CSAC AENR team has taken positions on several measures and plans to make more active positions as bills are passed out of their house of origin and over to the second legislative house. We are also requesting feedback on a number of bills related to PSPS, wildfire, and hazardous waste. 

The CSAC AENR Team has taken an active position on the following measures:

AB 2296 (Quirk): Support. This bill would help improve the condition of California’s small drinking water systems by providing more state resources to help local government run Local Primacy Agencies (LPAs) that are tasked with oversight, administration and enforcement duties by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). Specifically, this bill would allow for LPAs, which are run by county health officials, to participate in funding stabilization program, administered by the SWRCB, to help with LPA program administration costs. CSAC supports efforts to provide more tools to local governments that can help improve drinking water conditions for Californians across the state.

SB 862 (Dodd): Support. This bill would include a planned PSPS event within allowable conditions constituting a state of emergency and a local emergency. In addition, the bill would require electrical corporations to include protocols that specifically address the needs of medical baseline customers, including those enrolled in the California Alternative Rates for Energy program, in public safety power shutdown mitigation measures. Specifically, the bill would allow electrical corporations to deploy backup generators or provide financial assistance to medical baselines customers provided they meet specified requirements. Finally, the bill also requires electrical corporations to work with local governments on community resource hours of operation and with local governments and the access and functional needs population to prepare for PSPS events. CSAC has a support position on this bill because counties have been significantly impacted by PSPS events and support efforts to mitigate harm to medically power dependent communities.

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