BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 1360 Page 1 Date of Hearing: August 8, 2012 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair SB 1360 (Simitian) - As Amended: June 4, 2012 Policy Committee: Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Vote: 9-0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No SUMMARY This bill removes the sunset on existing law that prohibits the release of sewage from large passenger vessels into the state's marine waters and makes other, related changes to statute. FISCAL EFFECT Minor annual costs, likely less than $50,000, to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to enforce the prohibition. COMMENTS Earlier this year, in response to an application made by the SWRCB, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prohibited large passenger vessels and large oceangoing vessels from releasing sewage anywhere along the length of the California coastline to three miles out to sea. Prior legislation by the author (AB 2672, Chapter 764, Statutes of 2004) conditionally prohibited a large passenger vessel from releasing sewage into state waters and sunset its provisions in 2010, which was extended to 2014 by subsequent legislation. Now that the federal government has affirmed the state's authority to prohibit such sewage release by large vessels, the author contends there is no reason to sunset statute providing SWRCB with the authority to do so, as well as other, related statutory provisions. Analysis Prepared by : Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081 SB 1360 Page 2