Amended in Assembly March 15, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1694

Introduced by Assembly Member Lackey

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(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Mathis)

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(Coauthor: Assembly Member Gallagher)

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January 21, 2016

An act to add Section begin delete 79747.5 end delete begin insert 189.3 end insert to the Water Code, relating to water, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1694, as amended, Lackey. begin delete Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014: stormwater: multibenefit projects. end delete begin insert State Water Resources Control Board: grant program for school drinking water. end insert

Existing begin delete law, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, approved by the voters as Proposition 1 at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $7,545,000,000 to finance a water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement program. The bond act provides that the sum of $810,000,000 is to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for expenditures on, and competitive grants and loans to, projects that are included in and implemented in an adopted integrated regional water management plan and respond to climate change and contribute to regional water security. The bond act requires $200,000,000 of these funds to be available for grants for multibenefit stormwater management projects end delete begin insert law establishes the State Water Resources Control Board end insert begin insert as end insert begin insert a end insert begin insert state agenc end insert begin insert y with authority over matters relating to water quality. Existing law requires the state board to formulate and adopt state policy for water quality control. end insert .

This begin delete bill, in implementing these grants for multibenefit stormwater management projects, would require special consideration to be given to projects that would use cisterns for water storage and flood protection. This bill would appropriate $90,000,000 from the proceeds of the bond act for the purpose of the grants for multibenefit stormwater management projects. end delete begin insert bill would require the state board to establish a grant program to award grants to public elementary and secondary schools to improve access to, and the quality of, drinking water. The bill would specify various types of projects for which these grants could be awarded. The bill would require the state board to give priority to applicant public elementary and secondary schools that serve a disadvantaged community, as defined. The bill would require the state board to develop procedures for the submission of applications for grants by local educational agencies and criteria for the evaluation of these applications. end insert

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The bill would appropriate $10,000,000, without regard to fiscal years, from the General Fund to the state board for allocation to local educational agencies as grants made pursuant to the bill. The bill would provide that funds allocated to local educational agencies pursuant to this bill would supplement, and not supplant, the other state funds apportioned to these local educational agencies for their support. To the extent that the funds appropriated by this bill are allocated to school districts, the amount of these funds would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.

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

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

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

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begin insert Section 189.3 is added to the end insert begin insert Water Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

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begin insert 189.3. end insert   

(a) The board shall establish a grant program to award
grants to public elementary and secondary schools to improve
access to, and the quality of, drinking water. The board may award
grants under this section for projects including, but not necessarily
limited to, any of the following:

(1) Installation of water bottle filling stations.

(2) Installation or replacement of drinking water fountains with
devices that are capable of removing any contaminants that are
present in the school’s water supply.

(3) Installation of point-of-entry or point-of-use treatment
devices.

(4) Plumbing repairs that improve drinking water quality.

(b) In awarding grants under this section, the board shall give
priority to applicant public elementary and secondary schools that
serve a disadvantaged community, as that term is defined in Section
79505.5.

(c) The board shall implement this section by taking actions
including, but not necessarily limited to, the development of
procedures for the submission of applications for grants by local
educational agencies and criteria for the evaluation of these
applications. The actions taken by the board pursuant to this
subdivision shall not be subject to the rulemaking requirements
of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of
Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

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begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

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begin insert The sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) is hereby
appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, from the General
Fund to the State Water Resources Control Board for allocation
to local educational agencies as grants to improve access to, and
the quality of, drinking water at public elementary and secondary
schools pursuant to Section 189.3 of the Water Code. The funds
allocated to local educational agencies pursuant to this section
shall supplement, and not supplant, the other state funds
apportioned to these local educational agencies for their support. end insert

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SECTION 1.  

Section 79747.5 is added to the Water Code, to
read:

79747.5.  

In implementing Section 79747, special consideration
shall be given to multibenefit stormwater management projects
that would use cisterns for water storage and flood protection.

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SEC. 2.  

Ninety million dollars ($90,000,000) is hereby
appropriated from the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure
Improvement Fund of 2014 for the purpose of Section 79747 of
the Water Code.

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