Amended in Assembly March 10, 2016

Amended in Assembly February 24, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1590

Introduced by Assembly Member Mathis

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Baker, Brough, begin insert Jones, end insert and Steinorth)

January 6, 2016

An act to amend Sections 175 and 177 of the Water Code, relating to water.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1590, as amended, Mathis. State Water Resources Control Board: appointments.

Existing law establishes the State Water Resources Control Board (state board) in the California Environmental Protection Agency, consisting of 5 members appointed by the Governor who have specialized experience relating to the regulation of water supply and water quality, as prescribed. Existing law requires that all members of the state board be appointed for terms of 4 years, and that vacancies be immediately filled by the Governor.

This bill would require that an additional 4 members be appointed to the state board by the Legislature. The bill would require that one member each be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, the Assembly Minority Leader, the President pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Senate Minority Leader. The bill would require that vacancies be immediately filled by the appointing power.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 175 of the Water Code is amended to
read:

175.  

(a) There is in the California Environmental Protection
Agency the State Water Resources Control Board consisting of
nine members, appointed as follows:

(1) Five members appointed by the Governor. One of the
members appointed shall be an attorney who is admitted to practice
law in this state who is qualified in the fields of water supply and
water rights, one shall be a registered civil engineer under the laws
of this state who is qualified in the fields of water supply and water
rights, one shall be a registered professional engineer under the
laws of this state who is experienced in sanitary engineering and
who is qualified in the field of water quality, and one shall be
qualified in the field of water quality. One of the above-appointed
persons, in addition to having the specified qualifications, shall be
qualified in the field of water supply and water quality relating to
irrigated agriculture. One member shall not be required to have
specialized experience.

(2) Four members appointed by the Legislature. Of the members
appointed by the Legislature, one member each shall be appointed
by the Speaker of the Assembly, by the Assembly Minority Leader,
the President pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Senate Minority
Leader.

(b) Each member shall represent the state at large and not any
particular portion of the state and shall serve full time. The board
shall, to the extent possible, be composed of members from
different regions of the state. The appointments made by the
Governor shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate in
accordance with Article 2 (commencing with Section 1770) of
Chapter 4 of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code.

SEC. 2.  

Section 177 of the Water Code is amended to read:

177.  

All members of the board shall be appointed for terms of
four years. Vacancies shall be immediately filled by the appointing
power for the unexpired portion of the terms in which begin delete they end delete begin insert those
vacancies end insert occur.