BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 965|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 965
Author: Eduardo Garcia (D), et al.
Amended: 8/18/15 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 8-0, 6/23/15
AYES: Pavley, Stone, Hertzberg, Hueso, Jackson, Monning,
Vidak, Wolk
NO VOTE RECORDED: Allen
SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE: 7-0, 7/15/15
AYES: Wieckowski, Gaines, Bates, Hill, Jackson, Leno, Pavley
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 8/27/15
AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, Leyva, Mendoza, Nielsen
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 80-0, 6/1/15 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: California and Mexico border: water resources
improvement
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill requires the California-Mexico Border
Relations Council (council) to establish the New River Water
Quality, Public Health, and River Parkway Development Program.
ANALYSIS:
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Existing Law:
1)Establishes the California-Mexico Border Relations Council
(council). The council consists of the Secretary of the
Resources Agency, the Secretary for Environmental Protection,
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of
Business, Transportation and Housing, the Secretary of Food
and Agriculture, and the Director of Emergency Services.
Among other things, the council is charged with:
a) Coordinating activities of state agencies that are
related to cross-border programs, initiatives, projects,
and partnerships that exist within state government, to
improve the effectiveness of state and local efforts that
are of concern between California and Mexico.
b) Establishing policies to coordinate the collection and
sharing of data related to cross-border issues between and
among agencies.
2)Establishes the California Border Environmental Education Fund
(Fund) in the State Treasury to receive funds appropriated in
the annual Budget Act, and other sources.
The Fund is to be used to assist responsible agencies in
California and Baja California in implementing projects to
identify and resolve environmental and public health problems
that directly threaten the environmental or public health of
California residents or sensitive natural resources of the
California border region. Such project include projects
related to domestic and industrial wastewater, vehicle and
industrial air emissions, hazardous waste transport and
disposal, human and ecological risk, and disposal of municipal
solid waste.
3)Authorizes the Secretary of Cal-EPA to award grants from the
fund to address cross-border transmission of environmental
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pollutants or toxics to the city or county in which the
entity, organization, or institution is located.
4)Requires the council to develop a strategic plan to guide the
implementation of the New River Improvement Project. The
strategic plan is to include the following elements:
a) Quantification of current and projected New River water
quality impairments and their threat to public health.
b) Prioritization of the actions necessary to protect
public health and to meet New River water quality
objectives and other environmental goals, such as improving
the quality of water flows into the Salton Sea.
c) Identification of potential funds for the implementation
of the project, and potential lead agencies that would be
responsible for environmental review of activities related
to the cleanup and restoration of the New River.
d) Identification of the appropriate federal, state, and
local agencies with a role in implementing and achieving
the New River Improvement Project.
5)Establishes the Urban Streams Restoration Program to provide
grants to local communities for projects to reduce flooding
and erosion and associated property damage; restore, enhance
or protect the natural ecological values of streams; and
promote community involvement, education and stewardship.
6)Authorizes $7.545 billion in general obligation bond funding
for water-related projects and programs under Proposition 1
(Prop. 1), including $100 million for projects to protect and
enhance an urban creek, and $285 million for ecosystem
restoration outside of the Delta.
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This bill:
1) Renames the "California Border Environmental Education Fund"
the "California Border Environmental and Public Health
Protection Fund".
2) Adds the Secretary of State and Consumer Services as a
member of the council.
3) Provides that the Regional Administrator of the United
States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, may appoint
a representative from his or her staff to serve as an
ex-officio, non-voting member of the council.
4) Requires the council to invite the participation of
representatives of the State of Baja California and the
Mexican government to participate in meetings.
5) Requires the council to coordinate the awarding of grants.
6) Makes explicit that the Fund may receive proceeds of bonds
sold pursuant to Prop. 1.
7) Requires the council to establish the New River Water
Quality, Public Health, and River Parkway Development Program
to coordinate funding for, and the implementation of, the
recommendations from the New River strategic plan.
8) Amends the Urban Streams Restoration Program to include the
reduction of water quality impairments and nonpoint source
water pollution and the establishment of parkways for public
use that benefit flood control and water quality.
9) Requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) when
administering $285 million in funding for ecosystem
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restoration available under Prop. 1, to consult with the
council when developing any regulations or guidelines for the
expenditure of these moneys and establishing criteria for
watershed restoration projects on the California-Mexico
border.
10)Corrects some cross-references and makes other technical
amendments.
Comments
Basic Clean-up. Much of this bill is basic code clean-up,
correcting cross-references, eliminating archaic references, and
other largely technical changes.
Proposition 1. The requirement that DFW consult with the
council when developing funding guidelines and criteria for
watershed restoration projects on the California-Mexico border
appear consistent with the provisions of the bond.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Ongoing costs up to $125,000 annually to the General Fund for
the council to support the New River Water Quality, Public
Health, and River Parkway Development Program.
Unknown cost pressures, potentially in the millions of
dollars, to the General Fund (Propositions 84 and 13) for the
expansion of the Urban Streams Restoration Program.
Ongoing costs of up to $70,000 to the General Fund
(Proposition 1) for the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW)
to coordinate with the council in establishing criteria to
fund projects that improve conditions for the New River.
SUPPORT: (Verified8/27/15)
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Calexico Chamber of Commerce
City of Brawley
City of Calexico
Comité Cívico Del Valle
County of Imperial
Imperial County Democratic Central Committee
Imperial Irrigation District
Label GMOs org
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to the author, "California
has developed a Strategic Plan to begin a comprehensive cleanup
and restoration effort for the New River. Further statutory
clarification is needed to define how the strategic plan will be
implemented and funded by state agencies. Improved coordination
and a strategic funding will help remediate the health and
safety issues posed by the New River?
"The Colorado Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board is also
moving forward on implementing several of the recommendations of
the Strategic Plan. Despite these promising steps, there is
still a need for better coordination of state agency involvement
and funding for New River remediation. Current law does not
provide for coordinated efforts to help improve the conditions
to the river. "
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 80-0, 6/1/15
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom,
Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chang,
Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle,
Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina
Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez,
Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Roger Hernández, Holden,
Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder,
Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina,
Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen,
Patterson, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez,
Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting,
Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, Wood, Atkins
Prepared by:Dennis O'Connor / N.R. & W. / (916) 651-4116
8/30/15 19:12:54
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