BILL NUMBER: AB 1376	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 26, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Perea

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2015

   An act  to amend Section 13163 of the Water Code,
  relating to  water quality.  
drinking water, making an appropriation therefor   . 


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1376, as amended, Perea. State Water Resources Control Board:
 investigations.   appropriation:  
drought-related drinking water projects. 
   Existing  law designates the State Water Resources Control
Board as the state pollution control agency for purposes of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act and authorizes the state board to
exercise any powers delegated to the state by the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act. Existing law requires the state board to
coordinate water-quality-related investigations of state agencies and
requires a state agency to submit to the state board, for review and
comment, plans for, and results of, investigations that relate to,
or have an effect upon, water quality.   law, the
California Safe Drinking Water Act, requires the State Water
Resources Control Board to administer provisions relating to the
regulation of drinking water to   protect public health,
including, but not limited to, conducting research, studies, and
demonstration programs relating to the provision of a dependable,
safe supply of drinking water, enforcing the federal Safe Drinking
Water Act, adoption of enforcement regulations, and conducting
studies and investigations to assess the quality of water in domestic
water supplies. Existing law requires the state board to ensure that
all public water systems are operated in compliance with the act.

   This bill would  make nonsubstantive changes to these
water-quality-related investigation provisions.  
appropriate $15,000,000 from the General Fund to the state board, for
expenditure until June 30, 2016, for grants of up to $500,000 per
project for public water systems to address drought-related 
 drinking water emergencies or threatened emergencies in the
state. The bill would require the state board to make every effort to
use other funds available to address drinking water emergencies,
including federal funds made available for the drought, prior to
using the funds appropriated pursuant to these provisions. 
   Vote:  majority   2/3  . Appropriation:
 no   yes  . Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


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

   SECTION 1.    Fifteen million dollars (15,000,000) is
hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the State Water
Resources Control Board, for expenditure until June 30, 2016, for
grants of up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) per project
for public water systems to address drought-related drinking water
emergencies or threatened emergencies in the state. The state board
shall make every effort to use other funds available to address
drinking water emergencies, including federal funds made available
for the drought, prior to using the funds appropriated pursuant to
this section.  
       
  SECTION 1.    Section 13163 of the Water Code is
amended to read:
   13163.  (a) The state board shall coordinate water-quality-related
investigations of state agencies, recognizing that other state
agencies have primary statutory authority for the investigations, and
shall consult with the concerned regional boards in implementing
this section.
   (b) The state board from time to time shall evaluate the need for
water-quality-related investigations to effectively develop and
implement statewide policy for water quality control and shall
transmit its recommendations for investigations to affected or
concerned federal, state, and local agencies. The affected state
agency shall comply with the recommendations or shall advise the
state board in writing why the state agency will not comply with the
recommendations.
   (c) A state agency shall submit to the state board for review and
comment plans for, and results of, investigations that relate to, or
have an effect upon, water quality.