BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 148| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- CONSENT Bill No: AB 148 Author: V. Manuel Pérez (D) Amended: 6/15/14 in Senate Vote: 21 SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER COMMITTEE : 9-0, 6/10/14 AYES: Pavley, Cannella, Evans, Fuller, Hueso, Jackson, Lara, Monning, Wolk SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8 ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 1/29/14 (Consent) - See last page for vote SUBJECT : Salton Sea restoration SOURCE : Author DIGEST : This bill makes clarifying and technical changes to AB 71(Pérez, Chapter 402, Statutes of 2013). ANALYSIS : Existing law: 1.Requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency (Secretary), in consultation and coordination with the Salton Sea Authority (SSA), to lead Salton Sea restoration efforts. 2.Authorizes the SSA to lead a funding and feasibility study in CONTINUED AB 148 Page 2 consultation with the Natural Resources Agency. 3.Requires the Secretary to seek input from the SSA with regard to specified components of restoration of the Salton Sea. This bill makes clarifying and technical changes to AB 71, as follows: 1.Clarifies that nothing in specific provisions of existing law authorizing the Secretary, in consultation with the SSA, to lead Salton Sea restoration efforts alters any state responsibility or authority under the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA). 2.Clarifies that the SSA may lead a feasibility study in coordination and under contract with the Secretary. 3.Clarifies that studies and evaluations undertaken for purposes of the feasibility study shall not delay the planning and implementation of other ongoing and planned restoration or mitigation projects, including but not limited to, the Salton Sea Species Conservation Habitat Project, or other measures authorized pursuant to other existing state and federal programs and agreements. 4.Revises a statement of legislative intent regarding restoration of the Salton Sea to refer to the Legislature's intent to protect and provide long-term conservation, rather than permanently protect, fish and wildlife dependent on the Salton Sea ecosystem. Background AB 71 required the Secretary, in consultation and coordination with the SSA, to lead Salton Sea restoration efforts, and authorized the SSA to lead a funding and feasibility study in consultation with the Natural Resources Agency. AB 71 filled the governance void created by elimination of the Salton Sea Restoration Council in the 2012 Budget Act. The QSA is a collection of agreements between the Imperial Irrigation District (IID), Metropolitan Water District, San Diego County Water Authority, the Coachella Valley Water District, and the State, that included approval of water CONTINUED AB 148 Page 3 transfers from IID to San Diego, settled a number of claims to the Colorado River, and provided a transition period for the state to reduce its consumption of Colorado River water to its 4.4 million acre feet entitlement. Under the QSA, the amount of water flowing into the Salton Sea will be significantly reduced after 2017. In 2003, the Legislature approved a package of implementing legislation related to the QSA and calling for restoration of the Salton Sea. FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No SUPPORT : (Verified 6/23/14) Association of California Water Agencies ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author, the technical corrections in this bill are being taken at the request of the Administration to clarify that AB 71 did not alter any state responsibilities or authorities under the QSA. ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 1/29/14 AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hernández, Holden, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez NO VOTE RECORDED: Logue, Perea RM:e 6/24/14 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE **** END **** CONTINUED AB 148 Page 4 CONTINUED