Amended in Senate June 23, 2015

Amended in Assembly March 26, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 935


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 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: 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 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.begin insert The bill would require the department, pursuant these provisions, to provide grant funding for certain projects, as specified.end insert

begin insert

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the specified projects.

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:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 10547.5 is added to the Water Code, to
2read:

3

10547.5.  

(a) The department shall provide grants and
4expenditures, consistent with an adopted integrated regional water
5management plan, for the planning, design, and construction of
6local and regional conveyance projects that do both of the
7following:

8(1) Support regional and interregional connectivity and water
9management.

10(2) Provide one or more of the following benefits:

11(A) Improved regional or interregional water supply and water
12supply reliability.

13(B) Mitigation of conditions of groundwater overdraft, saline
14water intrusion, water quality degradation, or subsidence.

15(C) Adaption to the impacts of hydrologic changes.

16(D) Improved water security from drought, natural disasters, or
17other events that could interrupt imported water supplies.

18(E) Provision of safe drinking water for disadvantaged
19communities and economically distressed areas.

20(b) A regional water management group that is awarded a grant
21pursuant to subdivision (a) shall provide a cost share of not less
22than 50 percent of the total project costs from nonstate resources.
23The department may waive or reduce this cost share requirement
24for projects that directly benefit a disadvantaged community or an
25economically distressed area.

P3    1(c) The department may adopt regulations to implement the
2provisions of this section in accordance with Chapter 3.5
3(commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title
42 of the Government Code.

5begin insert

begin insertSEC. 2.end insert  

end insert

begin insert(a)end insertbegin insertend insertbegin insertPursuant to Section 10547.5 of the Water Code,
6the Department of Water Resources, using moneys appropriated
7to the department for these purposes, shall provide grant funding
8for the following projects:end insert

begin insert

9(1) A project that substantially conforms to the project
10description for the Reverse Flow Pump-back Facilities on the
11Friant-Kern Canal Restoration Project set forth by the draft
12investment strategy released by the San Joaquin River Restoration
13Program in December 2014.

end insert
begin insert

14(2) A project that substantially conforms to the project
15description for the San Joaquin River Recapture at Patterson
16Irrigation District Conveyed through Delta-Mendota Canal to San
17Luis Reservoir Project set forth by the draft investment strategy
18released by the San Joaquin River Restoration Program in
19December 2014.

end insert
begin insert

20(b) Moneys provided pursuant to this section shall, in
21combination with moneys provided pursuant to the 50-percent cost
22share requirement of subdivision (b) of Section 10547.5 of the
23Water Code, fund the entirety of the projects described in
24subdivision (a).

end insert
25begin insert

begin insertSEC. 3.end insert  

end insert
begin insert

The Legislature finds and declares that a special law
26is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable
27within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California
28Constitution because of California’s four-year drought that has
29wreaked havoc on communities, businesses, and agriculture on
30the eastern side of the San Joaquin Valley. The interconnector
31projects described in this act will allow water to be better managed,
32providing relief to the eastern San Joaquin Valley and other areas
33of the state.

end insert


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