BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2071
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 2071 (Levine)
As Amended August 19, 2014
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |78-0 |(May 28, 2014) |SENATE: |36-0 |(August 21, |
| | | | | |2014) |
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Original Committee Reference: W., P. & W
SUMMARY : Requires, by December 31, 2016, that the State Water
Resources Control Board (SWRCB), in consultation with impacted state
agencies, determine if the voluntary use of disinfected tertiary
treated recycled water for watering pasture animals would not pose a
significant risk to public and animal health. If the use of
tertiary treated recycled water is found to be currently unsafe, the
SWRCB is required to establish uniform statewide recycling criteria
for safe use. This bill prohibits the use of tertiary treated
recycled water in the water supply of dairy animals that are
currently producing dairy products for human consumption.
The Senate amendments make the following refinements:
1)Change all references in this bill from the Department of Public
Health (DPH) to SWRCB;
2)Delete a requirement to consult with the Department of Food and
Agriculture instead requiring consultation with all impacted state
agencies; and,
3)Define the word animal for the purposes of this bill as any
domesticated bird, bovine animal, horse, mule, burro, sheep, goat,
or swine.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill required the DPH to evaluate
the safety of tertiary treated recycled water for watering pasture
animals, except dairy cows, and, if it were found unsafe, to develop
uniform statewide criteria for its safe use.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee
analysis:
1)One-time costs of up to $300,000 from the General Fund (GF) for an
AB 2071
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expert panel and ongoing costs of $260,000 to the GF to the board
to either establish uniform state wide recycling criteria or to
develop then administer a permit to approve the use of recycled
water for pasture animals; and,
2)Unknown potential research costs from the GF if the board has
insufficient existing information to make the determination on
whether the use of recycled water for pasture animals is safe or
not.
COMMENTS : The Senate amendments make conforming changes in this
bill to reflect that the Administration of Governor Brown is moving
the State Drinking Water Program (DWP) from DPH to the SWRCB. The
DWP includes a Recycled Water Unit that develops water recycling
criteria and regulations, evaluates water recycling projects, and
makes recommendation to the Regional Water Quality Control Boards.
Therefore, all of the tasks this bill requires will now be performed
by the SWRCB.
Analysis Prepared by : Tina Cannon Leahy / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096 FN:
0005167