Amended in Assembly May 12, 2015

Amended in Assembly April 13, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 606

Introduced by Assembly Member Levine

February 24, 2015

An act to add begin insert Section 14107 to, and to add end insert Article 6.5 (commencing with Section 14714) to Chapter 2 of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 begin delete of end delete begin insert of, end insert the Government Code, relating to state property.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 606, as amended, Levine. Water conservation.

Existing law requires the Department of General Services to provide planning, acquisition, construction, and maintenance of state buildings and property, and maintain a statewide property inventory of all real property held by the state. Existing law requires the department, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, and with the concurrence of the Department of Finance, to identify each public building in the department’s state property inventory where it is feasible for that building to reduce energy consumption and achieve energy efficiencies, as specified, and make retrofits, as specified.

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Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation has full possession and control of all state highways and associated property. Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation to perform work required to alleviate or repair damage to property during declared emergencies, as specified.

end insert

This bill would, when the Department of General Services replaces landscaping or irrigation on begin delete public end delete property or when new begin delete public end delete property is added to the department’s statewide property inventory, require the department to reduce water consumption and increase water efficiencies for that property, where feasible, through replacement of landscaping, irrigation timers, or spray sprinkler heads, implementation of recycled water irrigation, or any combination thereof. begin insert The bill also would impose similar water conservation requirements on the Department of Transportation. end insert

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

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

begin insert

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 14107 is added to the end insert begin insert Government Code end insert begin insert ,
to read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 14107. end insert   

(a) When the department replaces landscaping or
irrigation on property or acquires new property, the department
shall reduce water consumption and increase water efficiencies
for that property, where feasible, through any or all of the
following:

(1) Replacement of landscaping with drought-tolerant plants
with an emphasis on native plant species.

(2) Replacement of irrigation timers to permit efficient watering
schedules.

(3) Replacement of spray sprinkler heads with bubblers, drip
irrigation, and soaker hoses.

(4) Implementation of recycled water irrigation.

(b) For purposes of this section, “feasible” means capable of
being accomplished in a successful manner within a reasonable
period of time, taking into account life-cycle cost analyses, and
environmental, social, historical, and technological factors.

end insert

begin delete SECTION 1. end delete
begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

Article 6.5 (commencing with Section 14714) is added
to Chapter 2 of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government
Code, to read:

 

Article 6.5.  State Property Water Use

 

14714.  

(a) When the department replaces landscaping or
irrigation on begin delete public end delete property or when new begin delete public end delete property is added
to the department’s statewide property inventory, the department
shall reduce water consumption and increase water efficiencies
for that property, where feasible, through any or all of the
following:

(1) Replacement of landscaping with drought-tolerant plants
with an emphasis on native plant species.

(2) Replacement of irrigation timers to permit efficient watering
schedules.

(3) Replacement of spray sprinkler heads with bubblers, drip
irrigation, and soaker hoses.

(4) Implementation of recycled water irrigation.

(b) Work on public property of the California State University
shall be subject to the consent of the California State University.

(c) For purposes of this section, begin delete the following terms have the
following meanings: end delete

begin delete (1) end delete begin delete   end delete begin delete “Feasible” end delete begin insert end insert begin insert “feasible end insert begin insert ” end insert means capable of being accomplished
in a successful manner within a reasonable period of time, taking
into account life-cycle cost analyses, and environmental, social,
historical, and technological factors.

begin delete

(2) “Public property” means property managed by the
department or the Department of Transportation.

end delete