BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 615
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Date of Hearing: May 6, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
615 (Rendon) - As Amended April 23, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill enumerates various types of technical assistance the
State Water Resources Control Board's (SWRCB) Office of
Sustainable Water Solutions (Office) may provide to
disadvantaged communities.
AB 615
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Additionally, this bill authorizes the Office to establish at
least one Center for Excellence at a California State University
Campus to provide technical assistance as specified. Lastly,
this bill authorizes the use of public and private funds,
including Proposition 1 water bond proceeds, to fund the
centers.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Unknown cost pressures on state funds (GF or special),
including Proposition 1 funds, potentially in the hundreds of
thousands of dollars to fund one or more Centers for
Excellence.
2)Absorbable costs for the Office/SWRCB.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, prior technical assistance
programs at the Department of Public Health provided
fragmented services that did not necessarily engage with
disadvantaged communities in a unified or culturally-sensitive
manner. This bill will help create a one-stop-shop at SWRCB
to provide comprehensive technical assistance for
disadvantaged communities to design, build, and maintain clean
and sustainable water projects.
2)Background. The Office was established as part of the 2015
Emergency Drought Legislation, AB 92 (Committee on Budget),
Chapter 1, Statutes of 2015. The Office was created in
recognition that the drought is affecting many disadvantaged
AB 615
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communities, some with shallow wells that are going dry, are
impaired by contamination, or both, and who may lack the
technical assistance to develop and implement long-term
solutions.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081