BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 91
Page 1
(Without Reference to File)
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB
91 (Committee on Budget)
As Amended March 24, 2015
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: | | March 23, |SENATE: |35-1 | March 25, 2015 |
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(vote not relevant)
Original Committee Reference: BUDGET
SUMMARY: Amends the 2014-15 Budget Act to include new
appropriations to address the state's urgent drought needs. This
bill, along with the companion trailer bill, AB 92 (Budget
Committee) of the current legislative session, proposes
expenditures of $1.059 million for drought-related activities.
The Senate amendments delete the Assembly version of this bill,
and instead:
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1)Accelerate the appropriation of $131.7 million (Proposition 1 of
2014) for the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to
build on the existing water recycling grant program. Potential
projects include feasibility studies, demonstration projects,
and larger scale water recycling projects.
2)Accelerate the appropriation of $135.5 million (Proposition 1 of
2014) for the SWRCB to improve access to clean drinking water
for disadvantaged communities ($69 million) and help small
communities pay for wastewater treatment ($66 million).
3)Accelerate the appropriation of $14.6 million ($11.4 million
General Fund and $3.2 million Fish and Game Preservation Fund)
for the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to continue
critical state operations related to drought, such as fish
rescues, hatchery operations, fish and wildlife monitoring, and
responding to problems of human/wildlife conflict from animals
seeking food and water.
4)Accelerate the appropriation of $11.6 million (General Fund) for
the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to continue to assess
current surface and groundwater conditions, expedite water
transfers, provide technical guidance to local water agencies,
and provide additional public outreach through the Save Our
Water campaign.
5)Accelerate the appropriation of $6.7 million (General Fund) and
$15.9 million (Cleanup and Abatement Account) for the SWRCB to
continue enforcement of drought-related water rights and water
curtailment actions and provide grants ($15 million) for
emergency drinking water projects, including hauled water,
bottled water, design and construction of connections to
adjacent public water systems, new wells and well
rehabilitation.
6)Appropriate $4 million (Cleanup and Abatement Account) for the
SWRCB to provide emergency safe drinking water to disadvantaged
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communities impacted by the drought.
7)Accelerate the appropriation of $4.4 million (General Fund) to
the Office of Emergency Services for the State Operations Center
to continue to provide local communities with technical guidance
and disaster recovery support related to the drought.
8)Accelerate the appropriation of $20 million (Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Fund) to the DWR for state and local water use
efficiency programs which reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
9)Accelerate the appropriation of $10 million (Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Fund) to the California Department of Food and
Agriculture (CDFA) for agricultural water efficiency projects
that reduce GHG emissions.
10)Appropriate $17 million and reappropriate $7 million (General
Fund), to the Department of Social Services to expand food
assistance to persons affected by the drought to include the
Counties of Imperial, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura,
and Coachella Valley in Riverside County.
11)Appropriate $3 million (General Fund) for the Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to address critical
infrastructure deficiencies at remote fire stations that have
run out of water.
12)Appropriate $2 million (General Fund) to the DFW for maximizing
water delivery and efficiency to key endangered species habitat,
endangered species, native fish and Delta monitoring, and water
delivery system projects.
13)Appropriate $7.4 million (General Fund) to the DWR for
additional public outreach through the Save Our Water campaign,
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refining the modeling of turbidity flows in the Delta, and Local
Assistance ($5 million) to provide emergency drinking water
support for small communities, including addressing private well
shortages.
14)Authorize funds for the removal of emergency rock barriers and
actions to minimize impacts of the barriers on affected aquatic
species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, if necessary.
15)Accelerate the appropriation of $4 million (Harbors and
Watercraft Fund) to the Department of Parks and Recreation,
Division of Boating and Waterways for efforts to manage and
control invasive aquatic plants within the Sacramento-San
Joaquin River Delta, its tributaries and the Suisun Marsh which
threaten water supply intake structures.
16)Accelerate the appropriation of $200,000 (General Fund) to the
CDFA for economic analysis studies to determine the ongoing
impacts of California's drought on the state's agriculture
sector and identify potential solutions.
17)Appropriate $4 million (General Fund) for the SWRCB and the DFW
to enhance instream flows in at least five stream systems that
support critical habitat for anadromous fish.
18)Accelerate the appropriation of $660 million (Proposition 1E of
2006) for the DWR to support flood protection activities.
Expenditures of these bond funds will be allocated to program
categories that are consistent with the resource allocation
recommendations of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan for
prioritizing flood management projects. Specifies that funds
shall be available for encumbrance and expenditure until June
30, 2020, and June 30, 2023, respectively.
Approve side agreement recently entered into by the administration
and state Bargaining Unit 19, represented by the American
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Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Health and
Social Services/Professional. The addendum would compensate
Senior Psychologists, Psychologists, and Licensed Clinical Social
Workers working at the California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation institutions for certain standby and call back
duties. These agreements amend existing Memoranda of
Understandings (MOUs) but do not constitute new MOUs. The
department is absorbing costs in the current year and no
additional appropriation authority is being requested at this
time.
COMMENTS: California is experiencing its fourth dry year in a row
- the worst drought in modern United States history and driest
January since the state began keeping records in 1895. The Sierra
Nevada snowpack, which Californians rely on heavily during the dry
summer months for their water needs, is at a near record low.
Only in 1991 has the water content of the snow been lower.
California's drought conditions have resulted in dangerously low
levels of water in our reservoirs and groundwater aquifers and
have impacted every aspect of our environment and economy. The
drought has imperiled drinking water supplies, our agricultural
sector, sensitive habitats, and greatly increased our risk of
wildfire. Some have estimated the state has only about one year
of water left in its reservoirs.
Since last February, the state has pledged over $870 million to
support drought relief, including money for food to workers
directly impacted by the drought, funding to secure emergency
drinking water supplies for drought impacted communities and bond
funds for projects that will help local communities save water and
make their water systems more resilient to drought.
Last fall, the Legislature approved and the Governor signed
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legislation requiring local, sustainable groundwater management as
well as legislation to put a $7.5 billion water bond before
voters, which won bipartisan approval in the Legislature and was
approved overwhelmingly at the polls.
The purpose of this urgency drought relief package is to provide
immediate funding to help communities deal with the devastating
dry conditions affecting the state and to increase local water
supplies. This bill accelerates many drought-related proposals in
the Governor's Budget and other Water Action Plan proposals aimed
at improving the state's water supply and storage through
infrastructure investments, improving the management of
groundwater, and addressing water quality issues, particularly in
disadvantaged communities. This bill also includes additional
emergency funding for drinking water supplies for disadvantaged
communities, food assistance, conservation education and outreach
activities, and urgent fish and stream needs related to the
drought.
The legislation includes more than $1 billion for local drought
relief and infrastructure projects to make the state's water
infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather events.
Specifically, the legislation does the following:
1)Accelerates $267 million from Proposition 1 of 2014, Water Bond
funding for safe drinking water and water recycling from the
Governor's January budget proposal.
2)Accelerates drought-related expenditures from the Governor's
January budget proposal augmented by $31 million in targeted
additional expenditures ($132 million total), including efforts
to implement the Water Action Plan and provide direct assistance
to workers and communities impacted by drought.
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3)The additional $31 million in new targeted expenditure items
which were not included in the Governor's January budget
proposal include the following:
a) Seventeen million dollars in additional funding to support
emergency food aid to 29 counties most impacted by the
drought;
b) Four million dollars for emergency drinking water in
disadvantaged communities;
c) Five million dollars to the DWR to provide emergency
drinking water support for small communities, including
addressing private wells;
d) One million four hundred thousand dollars to the DWR to
increase advertising and public relations related to the Save
Our Water campaign;
e) Two million eight hundred thousand dollars to the DWR and
CDFW for additional modeling support and species tracking in
the Delta and greater Central Valley to support efficient
management of the state's water system; and
f) One million dollars to address critical infrastructure
deficiencies at remote fire stations that have run out of
water.
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4)Accelerates $660 million from the Governor's January budget
proposal of Proposition 1E of 2006, bond monies for flood
protection in urban and rural areas to make the state's
infrastructure more resilient to climate change and flood
events.
5)Accelerates $30 million from the Governor's January budget
proposal of cap-and-trade auction revenue to DWR ($20 million)
and CDFA ($10 million) for programs that provide a reduction of
GHG emissions and also deliver state and local water use
efficiency and agricultural water use efficiency. Both
proposals were part of last year's agreement on cap-and-trade
expenditures.
This bill is an important first step in addressing urgent needs
brought on by the extreme drought. It contains critical funding
for emergency water and food services and gets a start on big
projects - such as water recycling - that help provide local water
supply reliability that can help with future or ongoing drought.
Analysis Prepared by:
Gabrielle Meindl / BUDGET / 916-319-2099 FN:
0000082