BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2175|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2175
Author: Laird (D), et al
Amended: 8/27/08 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE : 5-3, 8/22/08
AYES: Steinberg, Kehoe, Kuehl, Margett, Migden
NOES: Hollingsworth, Cogdill, Machado
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 9-6, 8/7/08
AYES: Torlakson, Cedillo, Corbett, Florez, Kuehl, Oropeza,
Ridley-Thomas, Simitian, Yee
NOES: Cox, Aanestad, Ashburn, Dutton, Runner, Wyland
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 48-30, 5/28/08 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Water conservation
SOURCE : Natural Resources Defense Council
DIGEST : This bill requires the state to achieve a 20
percent reduction in urban per capita water use by December
31, 2020 and also requires agricultural water suppliers to
implement water use efficiency best management practices by
July 31, 2012.
Senate Floor Amendments of 8/22/08 delete the definition of
agricultural water supplier of 10,000 acre feet or acres,
require the Department of Water Resources to determine the
appropriate size of a agricultural water supplier required
CONTINUED
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to prepare a agricultural water management plan and
implement the water use efficiency requirements of the
bill, add definitions for commercial, industrial,
commercial, and process water use and make other revisions.
Senate Floor Amendments of 8/18/08 (1) require the state to
achieve a 20 percent reduction in urban per capita water
use by December 31, 2020, (2) requires agricultural water
suppliers to implement water use efficiency best management
practices by July 31, 2012, (3) requires the Department of
Water Resources to develop a methodology to quantify
on-farm water use efficiency and report to the Legislature
on the methodology and an implementation plan by December
31, 2010, (4) requires agricultural water suppliers to
develop and implement agricultural water management plans
every five years, (5) makes a number of declarations and
statements of policy regarding water conservation and the
implementation of this bill; and (6) exempts the Department
of Water Resource from presenting its draft regulations
updating the model landscape ordinance to the California
Water Commission.
ANALYSIS :
Existing Law
1.Establishes the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act and
requires the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to
update the model water efficient landscape ordinance by
regulation.
2.Requires all rules and regulations of the department,
except as specified to first be presented to the
California Water Commission and be effective only upon
approval by the commission
3.Requires DWR to convene an independent technical panel to
provide information to the DWR and the Legislature on new
demand management measures, technologies, and approaches.
"Demand management measures" means those water
conservation measures, programs, and incentives that
prevent the waste of water and promote the reasonable and
efficient use and reuse of available supplies.
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4.Makes the terms of, and eligibility for, a water
management grant or loan made to an urban water supplier
and awarded or administered by the DWR, state board, or
California Bay-Delta Authority or its successor agency
conditioned on the implementation of specified water
demand management measures.
5.Establishes the Agricultural Water Management Planning
Act which, among other things, requires each agricultural
water supplier supplying more than 50,000 acre-feet of
water directly to customers to prepare a prescribed
information report and to prepare and adopt an
agricultural water management plan, as specified.
6.Specifies that the act remain operative only until
January 1, 1993, except that if an agricultural water
supplier fails to submit its required information report
or agricultural water management plan prior to January 1,
1993, it remains operative for that supplier until it has
submitted the report, or plan, or both.
This bill:
1.Until December 31, 2009, deletes the requirement that the
California Water Commission be presented with and approve
the DWR's regulations related to the model water
efficient landscape ordinance.
2.Adds a new part to the Water Code pertaining to water
conservation that includes legislative findings and
declarations, definitions, provisions pertaining to urban
water conservation, provisions pertaining to agricultural
water conservation, quantifying agricultural water use
efficiently, and general provisions.
3.Starting January 1, 2016, amends the eligibility for
water management grants or loans made to urban water
suppliers and awarded or administered by DWR, State Water
Resources Control Board (SWRCB), or the California
Bay-Delta Authority, or its successor agency on the
implementation of conservation provisions required in
this bill.
4.Repeals the existing Agricultural Water Management
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Planning Act and establish a new act by the same name.
5.Requires DWR, by regulation, to determine the appropriate
size of a agricultural water supplier required to prepare
a agricultural water management plan and implement the
water use efficiency requirements of the bill.
6.Revises the option for urban water suppliers to
disaggregate their water use for purposes of meeting the
requirements of the bill, by also requiring the process
water be disaggregated from all other CII water which may
include water used for landscaping, sanitation or
cooling.
7.Requires urban retail water suppliers to provide
technical assistance and facilitate financing for CII
customers.
8.Shifts the volumetric pricing agricultural best
management from a requirement to an option for suppliers
if it is not cost -effective or technically feasible.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee analysis:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2008-09 2009-10
2010-11 Fund
DWR implementation $65 $1,300$90General
SWRCB: water rights hearings costs
incurred in 2015-16 Special*
at earliest
*Water Rights Fund
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/28/08)
Natural Resources Defense Council (source)
California Landscape Contractors Assoc.
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California League for Environmental Enforcements Now
California League of Conservation Voters
City of Long Beach Water Dept
City of Los Angeles, Mayors Office
Contra Costa Water District
Defenders of Wildlife
East Bay Municipal Water District
Environmental Entrepreneurs
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2)
Food and Water Watch
Friends of the River
Green Plumbers USA
Heal the Bay
League of Women Voters of California
Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi
Long Beach Water Department, with amendments
Marin Municipal Water District
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Olivenhain Municipal Water District, if amended
Planning and Conservation League
San Diego County Water Agency
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Sierra Club California
Sierra Nevada Alliance
Sonoma County Water Agency
The Bay Area Council
The Bay Institute
TreePeople
Tuolumne River Trust
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/28/08)
Agricultural Council of California
Associations of California Water Agencies
California Agricultural Irrigation Association
California Association of Winegrape Growers
California Bean Shippers Assoc.
California Cattleman's Association
California Chamber of Commerce
California Citrus Mutual
California Cotton Ginners Assoc.
California Farm Bureau Federation
California Grain and Feed Assoc
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California Grape and Tree Fruit League
California League of Food Processors
California Seed Association
California State Floral Assoc.
California Tomato Growers Assoc.
California Warehouse Assoc.
Casitas Municipal Water District
City of Benecia
City of Fairfield
City of Fountain Valley
City of Vacaville
Coachella Valley WD
Desert Water Agency
El Dorado Irrigation District
Friant Water Authority
Hi-Desert Water District
Imperial Irrigation District
Kern County Water Agency
Kings River Conservation District
Kings River Water Association
Modesto Irrigation District
Municipal Water Dist. of Organ County
Nisei Farmers League
Pacific Egg and Poultry Association
San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority
Solano County Water Agency
Solano Irrigation District
Valley Ag Water Coalition
Western Growers
Western States Petroleum Assoc
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Beall, Berg, Blakeslee, Brownley, Caballero, Charles
Calderon, Carter, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,
DeSaulnier, Dymally, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fuentes,
Furutani, Hancock, Hayashi, Hernandez, Horton, Huffman,
Jones, Karnette, Krekorian, Laird, Leno, Levine, Lieber,
Lieu, Ma, Mendoza, Mullin, Nava, Nunez, Plescia,
Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Smyth,
Solorio, Swanson, Torrico, Wolk, Bass
NOES: Adams, Aghazarian, Anderson, Arambula, Benoit, Cook,
DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson, Fuller, Gaines, Galgiani,
Garcia, Garrick, Houston, Huff, Jeffries, Keene, La
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Malfa, Maze, Nakanishi, Niello, Parra, Sharon Runner,
Silva, Spitzer, Strickland, Tran, Villines, Walters
NO VOTE RECORDED: Berryhill, Soto
CTW:do 8/28/08 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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