BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
AB 392 (Atkins) - San Diego River Conservancy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
| |
| |
| |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| | |
|Version: May 5, 2015 |Policy Vote: N.R. & W. 9 - 0 |
| | |
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| | |
|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
| | |
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| | |
|Hearing Date: July 6, 2015 |Consultant: Marie Liu |
| | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill
Summary: AB 392 would remove the sunset date on the San Diego
River Conservancy (SDRC) and would require it report to the
Legislature biennially on its activities.
Fiscal
Impact: Annual costs of at least $350,000 beginning in 2020
from the Environmental License Plate Fund (special) for SDRC
administrative costs.
Background: The San Diego River Conservancy was statutorily created within
the Natural Resources Agency in 2002. It is authorized to
acquire and accept donations of land or interests in land that
are located within one-half mile of the San Diego River and its
tributaries, historic flumes, and otherwise within the San Diego
River watershed. The SDRC is governed by an 11 member board
consisting of the secretary of the Resources Agency, the
director of the Department of Finance, the director of the
AB 392 (Atkins) Page 1 of
?
Department of Parks and Recreation, the mayor of San Diego, a
San Diego city council member, a San Diego County Supervisor,
and five public members.
The SDRC sunsets on January 1, 2020.
Proposition 1, which was approved by the voters in November
2014, authorized $17 million to the SDRC for projects that have
multiple benefits for water quality, water supply, and water
protection and restoration of watersheds.
Proposed Law:
This bill would eliminate the sunset on the SDRC and would
require the SDRC to report to the Legislature in odd-numbered
years beginning in 2017 on the following:
A description of every project funded or undertaken by the
conservancy in the previous two years;
A description of the progress made in accomplishing the SDRC's
goals during the previous two years; and
Recommendations for legislative action that might be needed to
enable the SDRC to more effectively and efficiently carry out
its mission, goals, and objectives.
Staff
Comments: The SDRC has annual operating costs of approximately
$350,000. These costs are currently being paid for by the
Environmental License Plate Fund, which has a structural
deficiency, though the SDRC can receive funding from other
special funds or the General Fund. By eliminating the sunset
date of the SDRC, this bill will extend the SDRC's operating
costs beyond 2020.
Staff notes that the annual cost of $350,000 is for the base
administration of the SRDC. To administer the $17 million made
available by Proposition 1, the SDRC will incur additional
AB 392 (Atkins) Page 2 of
?
administrative costs, which will be covered by bond monies.
According to the author, expending Proposition 1 monies will
take up to 10 years.
-- END --