BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 752
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 29, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                AB 752 (Arambula) - As Introduced:  February 26, 2009

          Policy Committee:                              Environmental  
          Safety       Vote:                            7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill defines "severely disadvantaged community," as that  
          term is used in relation to Chapter 6.5 of the Water Code, as  
          one with a median household income that is less than 60 % of the  
          statewide average.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible fiscal effect as this bill simply provides technical  
          clarification to help implement previously enacted legislation. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale.   The author contends this bill will provide  
            clarification to the State Water Resources Control Board in  
            implementing past legislation according to legislative intent.  

           2)Background.  Chapter 609, Statutes of 2008 (AB 2356, Arambula)  
            created the Small Community Grant Fund from which the water  
            board is to make grants for small community wastewater  
            projects. The statute specifies that, in awarding the grants,  
            the water board is to give preference to projects that serve  
            "severely disadvantaged communities."  

             AB 2356 did not define such communities, however, leaving it  
            to the water board to   interpret the term's meaning in  
            awarding grants.  
           
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081