BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair


          SB 1201 (De Leon) - Los Angeles River
          
          Amended: April 17, 2012         Policy Vote: NRW 5-2
          Urgency: No                     Mandate: No (see Staff Comments)
          Hearing Date: April 30, 2012                      Consultant: 
          Marie Liu     
          
          This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.


          Bill Summary: SB 1201 would create the Los Angeles River 
          Interagency Access Council, consisting of state and local 
          representatives, in order to coordinate those agencies' efforts 
          in developing and administering public access and safety 
          policies for the Los Angeles River.

          Fiscal Impact: 
               Ongoing costs of $70,000 from the General Fund, starting 
              in 2013, for staffing and travel needs by the Natural 
              Resources Agency, State Lands Commission, and the California 
              Environmental Protection Agency.
               Ongoing costs of approximately $60,000 from the General 
              Fund, starting in 2013, for the reimbursement of local 
              government's participation on the council, a potential 
              state-required mandate.

          Background: Multiple state agencies have jurisdiction over 
          elements of the Los Angeles River and its tributaries including 
          the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the River and Mountains 
          Conservancy, the State Lands Commission, the Mountain and Rivers 
          Conservation Authority, the Department of Fish and Game, the 
          Department of Parks and Recreation, the State Coastal 
          Conservancy, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, the 
          Department of Water Resources, and Department of Transportation. 
          Additionally, numerous local agencies have jurisdiction over 
          elements of the Los Angeles River including the County of Los 
          Angeles and the 13 cities which the river passes through. 

          There is strong, long-standing interest in the revitalization 
          and promotion of the re-integration of the Los Angeles River and 
          its tributaries into the adjacent neighborhoods. The Los Angeles 
          County's River Master Plan, completed in 1996, described how 








          SB 1201 (De Leon)
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          economic growth could be spurred along the river through zoning 
          changes and the development of open space, recreational, 
          cultural, artistic, educational, and other opportunities.

          Proposed Law: This bill would establish the Los Angeles River 
          Interagency Council (council) comprised of state and local 
          representatives, to conduct various duties including promoting 
          public access to and enhancing safety features along the river, 
          developing and providing safety warning systems, and 
          coordinating permitting processes for public access to the 
          river. This bill would also modify the Los Angeles County Flood 
          Control Act of 1915 to provide for public use of navigable 
          waterways for recreational and educational purposes.

          Staff Comments: It is unclear as to what exactly will be 
          required of the state agencies for their participation on the 
          council. However, at a minimum, representatives from the Natural 
          Resources Agency, State Lands Commission, and the California 
          Environmental Protection Agency will need to travel and 
          participate in two meetings a year, presumably to be held near 
          the Los Angeles River. As chair of the council, the Natural 
          Resources Agency representative will also require staff time to 
          organize and lead the meetings. Staff estimates council 
          participation would require $50,000 for the Resources Agency and 
          $10,000 for each the State Lands Commission and the California 
          Environmental Protection Agency for staff workload and travel. 

          Although this bill is not tagged by Legislative Counsel as a 
          local mandate, staff believes that this bill may constitute a 
          reimbursable state-mandated local program because local 
          governments would be required to participate in council 
          activities. If the Commission on State Mandates finds this bill 
          be a mandate, the state would be responsible to reimburse local 
          governments for costs incurred in fulfilling council 
          responsibilities. Staff estimates potential reimbursable costs 
          of at least $10,000 for each of the six local governments 
          represented on the council.