AB 407, as amended, V. Manuel Pérez. Environment: New River Watershed Water Quality, Public Health, and River Parkway Development Program.
Existing law requires the California-Mexico Border Relations Council, contingent upon the execution of an agreement with the City of Calexico to provide the necessary funding, to develop a strategic plan (New River Improvement Project strategic plan) to guide the implementation of the New River Improvement Project containing specified elements.
This bill would require the Natural Resources Agency and the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) to establish and administer the New River Watershed Water Quality, Public Health, and River Parkway Development Program to coordinate the funding and implementation of the recommendations from the New River Improvement Project strategic plan. The bill would require a state agency awarding or granting funds for the implementation of the plan to integrate and align the contractual and administrative requirements for grants, loans, contracts, and other forms of financial support consistent with specified guidelines. The bill would also require the agency and CalEPA to provide technical assistance for the establishment of a joint powers authority to oversee the environmental review, permitting, funding, and operation of a water treatment and conveyance facility for the New River in Calexico.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 71100 of the Public Resources Code is
2amended to read:
The following definitions govern the construction of
4this part:
5(a) “Agency” means the Natural Resources Agency.
6(b) “Cal BECC” means the California Border Environmental
7Cooperation Committee established on July 22, 1994, by the
8Governors of California, Baja California, and Baja California Sur.
9(c) “CalEPA” means the California Environmental Protection
10Agency.
11(d) “California-Baja California border region” means the region
12described in Chapter IV of the US-Mexico Border XXI Program,
13Framework
Document, published October 1996.
14(e) “Fund” means the California Border Environmental and
15Public Health Protection Fund established pursuant to Section
1671101.
17(f) “New River Improvements Project strategic plan” or “plan”
18means the strategic plan developed pursuant to subdivision (c) of
19Section 71103.5.
20(g) “New River Watershed Water Quality, Public Health, and
21River Parkway Development Program” or “program” means the
22program established pursuant to Section 71103.6.
Section 71103.6 is added to the Public Resources Code,
24to read:
(a) The agency and CalEPA shall jointly establish
26and administer the New River Watershed Water Quality, Public
27Health, and River Parkway Development Program to coordinate
28the funding and implementation of the recommendations of the
29New River Improvement Project strategic plan developed and
30approved pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 71103.5. The
31program shall be established and implemented in accordance with
P3 1the policies specified in subdivision (f) of Section 5808.1 and only
2to the extent that funding is available to implement the program.
3(b) A state agency awarding or granting funds for the
4implementation of the plan
shall integrate and align the contractual
5and administrative requirements for grants, loans, contracts, and
6other forms of financial support consistent with thebegin insert most recentend insert
7 California River Parkways and Urban Streams Restoration grant
8programs guidelines issued by the agency and the Department of
9Water Resourcesbegin delete in August 2008end delete.
10(c) The agency and CalEPA shall, in cooperation with relevant
11federal agencies, the City of Calexico, the County of Imperial, and
12other interested parties, provide technical assistance for the
13establishment of a joint powers authority pursuant to a joint powers
14agreement entered into in accordance with the Joint Exercise of
15Powers Act (Chapter 5
(commencing with Section 6500) of
16Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), to oversee the
17environmental review, permitting, funding, and operation of a
18water treatment and conveyance facility for the New River in
19Calexico, as described in the plan.
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