BILL NUMBER: AB 935	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 26, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Salas
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Atkins, Bigelow, Gray, Olsen, Perea,
and Rendon)
   (Coauthors: Senators Berryhill, Cannella, Fuller, Galgiani, and
Vidak)

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2015

   An act to add Section  10531.7   10547.5
 to the Water Code, relating to integrated regional water
management plans.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 935, as amended, Salas. Integrated Regional Water Management
Plans: conveyance  projects.   projects: grants
and expenditures. 
   Existing law, the Integrated Regional Water Management Planning
Act, authorizes a regional water management group to prepare and
adopt an integrated regional water management plan with specified
components relating to water supply and water quality. Existing law
authorizes the Department of Water Resources to award grants to
eligible projects consistent with an adopted integrated regional
water management plan.
   This bill would  declare the intent of the Legislature to
enact future legislation that would  require the department
to provide grants and expenditures, consistent with an integrated
regional water management plan, for the planning, design, and
construction of local and regional conveyance projects that support
regional and interregional connectivity and water management and
provide certain benefits.  The bill would require a regional
management group that is awarded a grant pursuant to these provisions
to provide a cost share of not less than 50% of the total project
costs from nonstate resources and would authorize the department to
waive or reduce this requirement for projects that directly benefit a
disadvantaged community or an economically distressed area. The bill
would authorize the department to adopt regulations to implement
these provisions. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 10547.5 is added to the 
 Water Code   , to read:  
   10547.5.  (a) The department shall provide grants and
expenditures, consistent with an adopted integrated regional water
management plan, for the planning, design, and construction of local
and regional conveyance projects that do both of the following:
   (1) Support regional and interregional connectivity and water
management.
   (2) Provide one or more of the following benefits:
   (A) Improved regional or interregional water supply and water
supply reliability.
   (B) Mitigation of conditions of groundwater overdraft, saline
water intrusion, water quality degradation, or subsidence.
   (C) Adaption to the impacts of hydrologic changes.
   (D) Improved water security from drought, natural disasters, or
other events that could interrupt imported water supplies.
   (E) Provision of safe drinking water for disadvantaged communities
and economically distressed areas.
   (b) A regional water management group that is awarded a grant
pursuant to subdivision (a) shall provide a cost share of not less
than 50 percent of the total project costs from nonstate resources.
The department may waive or reduce this cost share requirement for
projects that directly benefit a disadvantaged community or an
economically distressed area.
   (c) The department may adopt regulations to implement the
provisions of this section in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing
with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the
Government Code. 
  SECTION 1.    Section 10531.7 is added to the
Water Code, to read:
   10531.7.  It is the intent of the Legislature to enact future
legislation that would do all of the following:
   (a) Require the Department of Water Resources to provide grants
and expenditures, consistent with an adopted integrated regional
water management plan, for the planning, design, and construction of
local and regional conveyance projects that support regional and
interregional connectivity and water management and that provide one
or more of the following benefits:
   (1) Improved regional or interregional water supply and water
supply reliability.
   (2) Mitigation of conditions of groundwater overdraft, saline
water intrusion, water quality degradation, or subsidence.
   (3) Adaptation to the impacts of hydrologic changes.
   (4) Improved water security from drought, natural disasters, or
other events that could interrupt imported water supplies.
   (5) Provision of safe drinking water for disadvantaged communities
and economically distressed areas.
   (b) Require a cost share of not less than 50 percent of the total
project costs from nonstate sources and authorize the department to
waive or reduce the cost share requirement for projects that directly
benefit a disadvantaged community or an economically distressed
area.