Amended in Senate August 25, 2015

Amended in Senate August 17, 2015

Amended in Assembly May 12, 2015

Amended in Assembly April 13, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 606


Introduced by Assembly Member Levine

(Coauthor: Senator Wolk)

February 24, 2015


An act to add Section 11011.29 to 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.

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.

This bill would, when a state agency builds upon state-owned real property, purchases real property, or replaces landscaping or irrigation, require the state agency to reduce water consumption and increase water efficiencies for that property where feasible, as defined, through specified water efficiency measures. The bill would exempt from its requirements state-owned real property that is leased for agricultural purposes.

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

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

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 11011.29 is added to the Government
2Code
, to read:

3

11011.29.  

(a) When a state agency builds upon state-owned
4real property, purchases real property, or replaces landscaping or
5irrigation, the state agency shall reduce water consumption and
6increase water efficiencies for that property, where feasible,
7through any or all of the following measures:

8(1) Replacement of landscaping with drought-tolerant plants
9with an emphasis on native plant species.

10(2) Replacement of irrigation timers to permit efficient watering
11schedules.

12(3) Replacement of existing irrigation with drip irrigation,
13bubblers, or low precipitation spray nozzles, or a combination of
14these irrigation methods.

15(4) Implementation of recycled water irrigation or rainwater
16capture irrigation or both.

17(5) Installation of irrigation submeters.

begin insert

18(6) Use of on-site water recycling.

end insert

19(b) This section shall not apply to state-owned real property that
20is leased to a private party for agricultural purposes.

21(c) For purposes of this section, “feasible” means that the water
22efficiency measures may be accomplished in a cost-effective
23manner within a reasonable period of time, taking into account
P3    1life-cycle cost analyses and technological factors, as determined
2by the state agency.



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