California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 453

Introduced by Assembly Member Bigelow

February 23, 2015

An act to amend Section 10750.1 of the Water Code, relating to groundwater.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 453, as introduced, Bigelow. Groundwater management.

Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources that are designated as basins subject to critical conditions of overdraft to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2020, and requires all other groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2022, except as specified. Existing law, with certain exceptions, prohibits a local agency from adopting a new groundwater management plan and requires an existing groundwater management plan to remain in effect until a groundwater sustainability plan is adopted.

This bill would authorize, until a groundwater sustainability plan is adopted, a local agency to amend an existing groundwater management plan in furtherance of, and consistent with, the groundwater management plan’s objectives.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 10750.1 of the Water Code is amended
to read:

10750.1.  

(a) Beginning January 1, 2015, a new plan shall not
be adopted and an existing plan shall not be renewed pursuant to
this part, except as provided in subdivision (b). A plan adopted
before January 1, 2015, shall remain in effect until a groundwater
sustainability plan is adopted pursuant to Part 2.74 (commencing
with Section begin delete 10720). end delete begin insert 10720), and may be amended in furtherance
of, and consistent with, plan objectives until a groundwater
sustainability plan is adopted. end insert

(b) This section does not apply to a low- or very low priority
basin as categorized for the purposes of Part 2.74 (commencing
with Section 10720).

(c) This section does not apply to a plan submitted as an
alternative pursuant to Section 10733.6, unless the department has
not determined that the alternative satisfies the objectives of Part
2.74 (commencing with Section 10720) on or before January 31,
2020, or the department later determines that the plan does not
satisfy the objectives of that part.