BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 1755 (Dodd) - The Open and Transparent Water Data Act ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: August 1, 2016 |Policy Vote: N.R. & W. 8 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: August 1, 2016 |Consultant: Narisha Bonakdar | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: AB 1755 requires the Department of Water Recourses (DWR), in consultation with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), the Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and the California Water Quality Monitoring Council (CWQMC) to create and maintain a statewide integrated water data platform by August 1, 2020, based on a specified schedule. Fiscal Impact: One-time costs between $750,000 and $1.5 million to DWR to develop the data platform, plus annual staffing costs of $1.6 million to maintain and continue to develop the platform as it grows (General Fund). Unknown, potentially significant, costs to CDFW to consult with DWR on required protocols, the required report, and the data platform. Unknown, potentially significant, costs to SWRCB to consult with DWR on required protocols, the required report, and the AB 1755 (Dodd) Page 1 of ? data platform. Unknown, potentially significant, costs to CWQMC to consult with DWR on required protocols, the required report, and the data platform. Background: The authority to acquire information technology (IT) goods and services in state government is spread over three agencies. The Department of Finance (Finance) is responsible for review and approval of funding related to IT project proposals. The California Department of Technology (CDT) has broad responsibility and authority to guide the application of information technology (IT) in California State Government. CDT's areas of responsibility include policymaking, interagency coordination, IT budget and procurement review, technical assistance, and advocacy. The Department of General Services (DGS) is generally responsible for the acquisition of all IT goods and services. DGS also has statutory authority to delegate IT purchasing authority to those departments demonstrating the capability to make purchases that adhere to state statutes, regulations, policies, and procedures. According to the Department of Water Resources, they have delegated authority for IT goods and services costing up to $2 million. State agencies frequently develop and maintain data regarding their activities and compliance with regulations. For example: AB 1755 (Dodd) Page 2 of ? The DWR maintains data associated with the State Water Project (SWP), groundwater monitoring, urban water management, and land use. The SWRCB maintains data associated with water rights, water diversions, and water quality. The CDFW maintains data associated with fish populations and locations. Proposed Law: This bill would enact the Open and Transparent Water Data Act. Specifically, it would: 1)Require DWR, the SWRCB, and the CDFW to "coordinate and integrate existing water and ecological data from local, state, and federal agencies." 2)Requires DWR, in consultation with the CWQMC, SWRCB, and the CDFW, to develop and submit to the legislature protocols for data sharing, documentation, quality control, and public access by January 1, 2018. 3)Conditions the receipt of grant fund is on adherence to the protocols established 4)Requires DWR, in consultation with the CWQMC, SWRCB, and the CDFW, to create and maintain a statewide integrated water data platform by August 1, 2020, based on a specified schedule. 5)Delegates the CDT's role over implementation of IT projects to DWR. 6)Specifies that the integrated water data platform must, among other things, do the following: AB 1755 (Dodd) Page 3 of ? o Integrate existing water and ecological data information from multiple autonomous databases managed by federal, state, and local agencies and academia using consistent and standardized formats. o Integrate, at a minimum, the following datasets: § The DWR's information on the SWP reservoir operations, groundwater use, and groundwater levels through California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring (CASGEM), urban water use, and land use. § The SWRCB's data on water rights, water diversions, and water quality through California Environmental Data Exchange Network (CEDEN). § The CDFW's information on fish abundance and distribution. § The United States Geological Survey's streamflow conditions information through the National Water Information System. § The United States Bureau of Reclamation's federal Central Valley Project operations information. § The United States Fish and Wildlife Service's, United States Forest Service's, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries' fish abundance information. o Provide data on completed water transfers and exchanges, including publicly available or voluntarily provided data on the volume, price, and delivery method, AB 1755 (Dodd) Page 4 of ? identity of the buyers and sellers, and the water right associated with the transfer or exchange. o Provide clear and careful documentation of data quality and data formats through metadata. o Adhere to data protocols developed by state agencies pursuant to Section 12406. o Be able to receive both spatial and time series data from various sources. o Enable custom dashboards, visualizations, graphing, and analysis. Related Legislation: AB 2304 (Levine, 2016) would have established the California Water Market Clearinghouse within the California Natural Resources Agency to enhance access to voluntary water market transactions. This bill was set for hearing in Assembly Appropriations Committee, but was held at the request of the author. Staff Comments:1) Purpose. California keeps numerous data sets on water from urban use to environmental use and everything in between. Those data sets are not coordinated and as a result do not produce a complete water information picture. The value of these numerous data sets is diminished by the fact that they are piecemeal and while they may address overlapping problems of supply, use, and efficiency, they are only valuable to the extent they touch on any specific area. Having all water data in the state compiled and publicly available in a useable fashion would drive water policy innovation and likely produce many of the benefits that robust useable data have had on energy policy. According to the author, this bill improves access to water data AB 1755 (Dodd) Page 5 of ? by creating a statewide information system to integrate critical water data in a user friendly, publicly accessible website to simplify and expedite decision-making. Costs for consultation. Amendments were taken to require relevant departments to consult with DWR for specified activities rather than completing the required activities individually. While this may in certain circumstances reduce costs, it is unclear to what extent given each agency's unique expertise. -- END --