BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1156 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 24, 2013 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Mike Gatto, Chair AB 1156 (V. Manuel Pérez) - As Amended: May 13, 2013 Policy Committee: Local GovernmentVote:7-1 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: Yes Reimbursable: Yes SUMMARY This bill excludes improvements on land from the total assessed value of land used to determine the weighted vote of a landowner in the Palo Verde Irrigation District. FISCAL EFFECT This bill is keyed a state reimbursable mandate. However, it is unclear if the district is an entity eligible for reimbursement and if a claim would be large enough to meet the minimum set by the Commission on State Mandates. COMMENTS 1)Purpose . According to the sponsor, the Palo Verde Irrigation District, given the size and the abundance of sunshine in the geographic location of the district, it has been identified as a preferred location for solar development. They district contends this bill will ensure that voting power is equally distributed among all land owners, instead of favoring only those who have preferred sites for solar energy development. 2)Support . According to the Association of California Water Agencies, these new solar projects typically utilize a few thousand acres of land but the solar equipment can be worth billions of dollars. Because of the relatively high value of the improvements compared to the amount of land being used, the landowner of a solar project built under these terms would have a disproportionate share of the district's votes. This bill would ensure that the votes of irrigated landowners would not be diluted by any potential large solar projects in the AB 1156 Page 2 district's service area. 3)Background . The Palo Verde Irrigation District was established in 1923 and is comprised of mostly farmland occupying about 189 square miles of territory in Riverside and Imperial Counties. PVID is governed by a seven-member board of trustees elected at large among owners of property within the district. Current law limits voting rights in PVID to landowners and establishes a weighted vote system based on the assessed value of real property, including improvements made by landowners. California's 93 irrigation districts function under a range of statutes that are a hybrid of registered voter and landowner-voter type districts. In general, registered voters are eligible to vote in district elections, but board members must be landowners of the district. Historically, the Legislature has recognized landowners' special concerns for irrigation districts' operations by creating unique statutes that preserve the landowner requirement to vote in districts that primarily deliver agricultural water. Some of these districts have landownership, but not residency requirements. Some districts use weighted votes in their elections, based on the relative value of land under ownership. 4)There is no registered opposition to this bill. Analysis Prepared by : Roger Dunstan / APPR. / (916) 319-2081