AB 936, as amended, Salas. Groundwater monitoring.
Existing law establishes a groundwater monitoring program pursuant to which specified entities may propose to be designated by the Department of Water Resources as groundwater monitoring entities, as defined, for the purposes of monitoring and reporting with regard to groundwater elevations in all or part of a groundwater basin or subbasin. Existing law requires the department to identify the extent of monitoring of groundwater elevations that is being undertaken in groundwater basins and subbasins, and if the department determines that all or part of a basin or subbasin is not being monitored, to determine whether there is sufficient interest in establishing a groundwater management plan, an integrated regional water management plan, or a groundwater monitoring association. Under certain circumstances, if there is insufficient interest in establishing a plan or association, and the county decides not to perform groundwater monitoring and reporting functions, the department is required to perform the groundwater monitoring functions. In that event, specified entities with authority to assume groundwater monitoring functions with regard to a basin or subbasin for which the department has assumed those functions are not eligible for a water grant or loan awarded or administered by the state.
This bill wouldbegin delete create an exceptionend deletebegin insert authorize the department to exempt an entityend insert from this eligibility restriction if the entity submits to the department for approval documentation demonstratingbegin insert that there are special circumstances justifying the entity’s
noncompliance, including, but not limited to, that a significant portion of the entity’s service area qualifies as a disadvantaged community and thatend insert the water grant or loan project includes those actions needed to comply with groundwater monitoring functions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 10933.7 of the Water Code is amended
2to read:
(a) If the department is required to perform
4groundwater monitoring functions pursuant to Section 10933.5,
5the county and the entities described in subdivisions (a) to (d),
6inclusive, of Section 10927 shall not be eligible for a water grant
7or loan awarded or administered by the state.
8(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the department shall
9determine that an entity described in subdivision (a) is eligible for
10a water grant or loan under the circumstances described in
11subdivision (a) if the entity has submitted to the department for
12approval documentationbegin delete that
demonstrates either of the following:end delete
13begin insert demonstrating that the entity’s entire service area qualifies as a
14disadvantaged community.end insert
15(1) The entity’s entire service area qualifies as a disadvantaged
16community.
17(2) The water grant or loan project includes those actions needed
18to comply with the monitoring functions pursuant to this chapter.
19(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the department may
20determine that an entity described in subdivision (a) is eligible for
21a water grant or loan under the circumstances described in
22subdivision (a) if the entity has submitted to the department for
23approval documentation demonstrating that there are special
24circumstances justifying the entity’s noncompliance, including,
25but not limited to, that a significant portion of the entity’s service
P3 1area qualifies as a disadvantaged community and that the water
2grant or loan project includes those actions needed to comply with
3the monitoring functions pursuant to this chapter.
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