BILL NUMBER: AB 849 AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 31, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Gatto FEBRUARY 17, 2011 An act to repeal Section 18941.7 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to water. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 849, as amended, Gatto. Water: useefficiency.efficiency: graywater building standards. Existing law provides that resource conservation is of fundamental importance to the prosperity and welfare of the people of this state and that the Legislature believes that the state must assume leadership in formulating and putting into effect a statewide program of water conservation. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to encourage the installation and implementation of residential and commercial water use efficiency measures, including, but not limited to, graywater and storm retention systems, to reduce or eliminate regulatory barriers for water use and efficiency, and if feasible, to provide incentives to increase investment in and use of graywater systems. Existing law authorizes a city, county, or other local agency to adopt, after a public hearing and enactment of an ordinance or resolution, building standards that prohibit entirely the use of graywater, or building standards that are more restrictive than the graywater building standards adopted by the department and published in the California Building Standards Code. This bill would repeal this authority. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to encourage the installation and implementation of residential and commercial water use efficiency measures, including, but not limited to, graywater and storm retention systems, to reduce or eliminate regulatory barriers for water use and efficiency, and if feasible, to provide incentives to increase investment in and use of graywater systems. SEC. 2. Section 18941.7 of the Health and Safety Code is repealed.18941.7. A city, county, or other local agency may adopt, after a public hearing and enactment of an ordinance or resolution, building standards that prohibit entirely the use of graywater, or building standards that are more restrictive than the graywater building standards adopted by the Department of Housing and Community Development under Section 17922.12 and published in the California Building Standards Code.