BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SB 1319
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 28, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    SB 1319 (Hill) - As Amended:  August 22, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                             N/A   Vote:N/A

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

           As proposed to be amended  , this bill authorizes the State Water  
          Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to designate a groundwater basin  
          subject to sustainable groundwater management requirements as a  
          probationary basin under specified circumstances.  This bill  
          authorizes SWRCB to develop an interim management plan in  
          consultation with the Department of Water Resources under  
          specified conditions.  Specifically, this bill revises  
          provisions from the August 22, 2014 version of AB 1739  
          (Dickinson) as follows:

          1)Prohibits SWRCB from establishing an interim plan to remedy a  
            condition where the groundwater extractions result in  
            significant depletions of interconnected surface waters until  
            January 1, 2025.

            This provision delays the similar provision in AB 1739 from  
            2022 to 2025.

          2)Requires SWRCB to exclude any portion of a basin in compliance  
            with groundwater management requirements from probationary  
            status.

            This provision narrows the similar provision in AB 1739 to  
            only apply to the portion of the basin that is out of  
            compliance.

          3)Requires SWRCB to include any element of a groundwater  
            sustainability plan or the entire plan in its interim plan if  
            SWRCB finds it would help meet the sustainability goal.

            This provision revises the similar provision in AB 1739 to  








                                                                  SB 1319
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            allow for the inclusion of local plans when developing interim  
            plans for basins with probationary status.

          4)Provides the enactment of this bill is contingent upon the  
            enactment of AB 1739 (Dickinson) and SB 1168 (Pavley).

          5)Makes technical and conforming changes.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

             1)   Increased annual out-year costs of $1 million to $2.5  
               million (special fund) for state interim plans to be  
               covered by fee revenues.  The revisions to AB 1739 provided  
               by this bill will likely result in lower costs due to  
               delays in compliance requirements and the ability to place  
               only portions of basins on probationary status.

             2)   Absorbable GF costs for DWR to assist SWRCB in  
               developing interim plans.  DWR received $22.5 million in  
               the 2014-15 Budget ($2.5 million for FY14-15 and $5 million  
               each year from FY15-16 through FY18-19, which will fund  
               Bulletin 118 updates and technical assistance.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose.   This bill provides clean-up for certain provisions  
            of AB 1739 (Dickinson) which is currently pending on the  
            Assembly floor for concurrence in Senate amendments.   
            According to the author, this bill makes various changes  
            intended to ease compliance for basins under groundwater  
            sustainability plans and requirements.

           2)Background.   On March 7, 2014 the Governor's Office released a  
            draft framework soliciting input on actions that can be taken  
            to assure local groundwater managers have the tools and  
            authority to sustainably manage groundwater.   The draft  
            framework advises that in developing ideas it may be helpful  
            to consider whether local agencies need enhanced local agency  
            authority, and how the state should structure state backstop  
            authority when local action has not occurred or has been  
            insufficient. 

            In response, Senator Pavley and Assemblymember Dickinson  
            introduced SB 1168 and AB 1739.  These bills which moved  
            through the legislation process in nearly identical form while  








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            the authors and administration convened multiple stakeholder  
            meetings and further developed the provisions of the bills.   
            On August 22, 2014, both bills were amended to divide the  
            provisions between the two bills.  Together, SB 1168 and AB  
            1739 provide a comprehensive groundwater sustainability  
            management program.  

            AB 1739 (Dickinson), among other provisions, authorizes SWRCB  
            to designate a basin as a probationary basin under specified  
            circumstances and to develop an interim management plan in  
            consultation with DWR under specified conditions.  

            This bill, which deletes the current contents of SB 1319,  
            provides revisions to the provisions in AB 1739 relating to  
            SWRCB designating a basin as probationary and developing an  
            interim plan.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081