BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 581
Page 1
Date of Hearing: January 21, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
581 (Gomez) - As Amended January 4, 2016
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|Policy |Water, Parks and Wildlife |Vote:|13-0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires all specified water bond projects that
protect rivers, lakes, streams, coastal waters and watersheds to
post signs acknowledging state funding for the project.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires all recipients of funding from Chapter 6, the
Protecting Rivers, Lakes, Streams, Coastal Water and Watershed
chapter of Proposition 1, the Water Quality, Supply and
Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, to post signs in
accordance with guidelines developed by the Secretary of
Natural Resources.
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2)Requires state funding to be listed first on the sign if the
state is the source of 50% or more of the total project costs.
FISCAL EFFECT:
No additional costs.
COMMENTS:
1)Rationale. According to the author, numerous general
obligation bonds providing billions of dollars have been
approved by the voters over the past 20 years. However, when
projects are built and opened to the public, there is little
recognition of the state's participation.
While Proposition 1 references signage, it does not require or
establish guidelines.
This bill remedies that deficiency and applies a uniform
statewide standard to the part of Proposition 1 that funds
projects most likely to be visible to the public. This bill
will better inform the public on how public funds are spent
locally.
2)Background. Proposition 1, as approved by the voters in 2016,
includes nearly $1.5 billion for multi-benefit ecosystem and
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watershed protection projects in Chapter 6 including funding
for the river parkway program and all the state conservancies
in the Natural Resources Agency.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081