BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 732|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 732
Author: Steinberg (D), et al
Amended: 6/4/07
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE : 5-2, 04/24/07
AYES: Steinberg, Kehoe, Kuehl, Machado, Migden
NOES: Margett, Hollingsworth
NO VOTE RECORDED: Cogdill
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 10-6, 5/31/07
AYES: Torlakson, Cedillo, Corbett, Florez, Kuehl, Oropeza,
Ridley-Thomas, Simitian, Steinberg, Yee
NOES: Cox, Aanestad, Ashburn, Dutton, Runner, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Battin
SUBJECT : Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply,
Flood
Control, River and Coastal Protection Board Act
of 2006
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill provides statutory direction and
requirements with regard to the implementation of the Safe
Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Food Control,
River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006.
ANALYSIS :
CONTINUED
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Existing law:
On November 7, 2006, the voters approved the voter
initiative titled The Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality
and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection
Bond Act of 2006 (Proposition 84). Proposition 84
authorizes the state to sell about $5.4 billion in general
obligation bonds for safe drinking water, water quality,
and water supply; flood control; natural resource
protection; and park improvements, as follows:
$1,525 M Safe Drinking Water and Water Quality Projects
$1,000 M Integrated regional water management
380 MSafe drinking water
145 MDelta and agriculture water quality
$928 MProtection of Rivers, Lakes, and Streams
$279 MRegional conservancies
189 MPublic access, river parkways, urban
streams, &
other projects
180 MDelta and coastal fisheries restoration
100 MRestoration of the San Joaquin River
90 MRestoration projects related to the
Colorado River
90 MStormwater pollution prevention
$800 MFlood Control
$315 MState flood control projects
275 MFlood control projects in the Delta
180 MLocal flood control subventions
30 MFloodplain mapping and assistance for
local land
use planning
$580 MSustainable Communities and Climate Change Reduction
$400 MLocal and regional parks
90 MUrban water and energy conservation
projects
90 MIncentives for conservation in local
planning
$540 MProtection of Beaches, Bays, and Coastal Waters
$360 MProtection of various coastal areas and
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watersheds
90 MClean Beaches Program
90 MMarine resources, sustainable
fisheries, & marine
wildlife conservation
$500 MParks and Natural Education Facilities
$400 MState park system acquisition,
development, and
restoration
100 MNature education and research
facilities
$450 MForest and Wildlife Conservation
$225 MWildlife habitat protection
180 MForest conservation
45 MProtection of ranches, farms, and oak
woodlands
$65 MStatewide Water Planning
$65 MPlanning for future water needs
$5,388 M Total
Some of the funding authorized in Proposition 84 can be
allocated through existing programs. However, there are a
number of funding categories that require new programs.
This bill provides a comprehensive statutory framework to
implement the new programs under Proposition 84 and will
address several issues raised by the Legislative Analyst's
Office (LAO). Specifically, this bill establishes the
following elements:
1.General provisions:
Each state agency distributing a grant or loan from
Proposition 84 fund must develop project solicitation and
evaluation guidelines by March 15, 2008. The guidelines
must be developed with public participation through at
least one geographically appropriate meeting. The
guidelines may include a limitation on grant or loan
award amount. Alternatively to creating new guidelines,
agencies may use applicable guidelines that were in
existence on January 1, 2007.
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2.Reporting requirements:
Each state agency responsible for allocating a portion of
Proposition 84 monies will be required to submit to the
Legislature an annual report that will include the
recipient, purpose, and amount of each project, grant, or
loan awarded during the previous fiscal year. The
information shall also include data on the balance of the
fund available for expenditures in future fiscal years.
3.Eligibility of investor-owned utilities:
Investor-owned utilities will be eligible for public funds
under Proposition 84 if the funds benefit the ratepayers
and not the investors.
4.Statewide Water Planning and Design:
This bill requires the Department of Water Resources, in
collaboration with others, to conduct a study to reduce
flood risks and increase water supply reliability by
reoperating the existing flood management and water
supply facilities.
5.Integrated Regional Water Management:
This bill establishes statewide priorities for integrated
regional water management plans and clarifies that
investor-owned utilities may participate in the
development of such plans.
6.Nature Education and Natural History Museums:
This bill directs the Department of Parks and Recreation
(DPR) to develop guidelines for a multi-year competitive
grant program for natural history museums, aquariums, and
nature education facilities.
Grants shall not be awarded for interpretation or ongoing
activities. Additional consideration to projects that:
A. Serve underserved communities such as those with
high rates of poverty and limited park access.
B. Cooperate with public education institutions.
C. Provide matching funds from non-state sources, and
D. Utilize the US Green Council's building standards.
7.Local Park Assistance Program:
This bill directs DPR to develop guidelines to implement a
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new competitive local parks program that will fund both
new parks and new park opportunities and a balance of
passive and active recreation. This program will also
serve as the framework for the administration of park
funds made available by Proposition 1C in the
Urban-Suburban-Rural Account (Section 53545(d) of the
Health and Safety Code).
The guidelines must allow departmental oversight and
require applicants to illustrate how they are meeting the
intent of the bond. Cities, counties, special districts,
and nonprofits are eligible applicants.
Projects will compete against projects in similar-sized
counties. Preference and additional consideration will
be given to projects that:
A. Create parks in neighborhoods where none currently
exist or that expand overused parks.
B. Satisfy the most urgent recreation needs, with an
emphasis on unmet needs in the most heavily populated
and economically disadvantaged communities.
C. Projects that facilitate partnerships of public
resources and investment.
D. Actively involve community based groups.
E. Facilitate joint use of public resources and
investment.
F. Provide efficient uses of natural resources, and
G. Comply with existing local plans.
8.Sustainable Communities Council (SCC):
This bill creates the Sustainable Communities Council to
coordinate the activities of various state agencies that
aim to improve air and water quality, natural resource
protection, affordable housing, and transportation
through land use planning. The Council will consist of
the Secretary of Resources (chair), the Secretary of
Environmental Protection, the Secretary of Business,
Transportation, and Housing, and two members of the
public appointed by the Governor.
The SCC will develop the following five types of programs
for various grants and loans:
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A. Grants and loans to cities and counties for
preparing and adopting or implementing general plans.
B. Grants and loans to councils of governments,
countywide authorities, and metropolitan planning
organizations to support the preparation, adoption,
and implementation of regional blueprint planning
programs or regional growth plans that will serve as
the preferred growth strategy for the region and the
basis for all land use allocation and regional
transportation plans.
C. Grants and loans to counties and the cities in
those counties, if any, to prepare collaborative
strategic growth plans, which align general plans with
regional plans.
D. Grant programs for urban greening projects, which
are defined to be projects that provide multiple
community benefits.
E. A local assistance grant program for the
development of parks associated with housing for the
purpose of distributing funds made available by
Proposition 1C. This program shall build on the
guidelines and structure established in the Statewide
Parks Act.
9.Declares the Legislative intent to provide grants or
loans to help local agencies complete or update local
coastal programs.
San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy
Allows the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy to use
conservancy funds to restore and develop the salt ponds in
the San Francisco Bay.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2007-08 2008-09
2009-10 Fund
Bonuses for early projects Unknown, potentially
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significant BF*
Sustainable Communities $4 $8 $8 BF*
Council
Administrative costs $270,000
over life of bond BF*
*Proposition 84
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/5/07)
Aquarium of the Pacific
California Park and Recreation Society
California ReLeaf
City of Claremont
City of Glendale
City of San Carlos
City of Vista
Peninsula Open Space Trust
Sacramento Tree Foundation
The Nature Conservancy
TreePeople
OPPOSITION : (Verified 6/5/07)
Department of Finance
East Bay Municipal Utility District
Friant Water Authority
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : Supporters claim the bill benefits
urban forestry and other urban greening activities, and
that the bill is important to ensure the administration of
Proposition 84 funds, such as direct funding to areas in
the state with the greatest deficiencies in park land.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : The Friant Water Authority is
opposed unless amended to this bill because they are
concerned that the definition of 'statewide priorities'
would, "not allow projects developed by the Authority or
its Member Districts for the purpose of mitigating water
supply losses associated with implementation of the San
Joaquin River settlement."
CTW:nl 6/5/07 Senate Floor Analyses
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SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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