Amended in Assembly March 16, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1925

Introduced by Assembly Member Chang

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Travis Allen, Jones, Mathis, and Steinorth)

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(Coauthor: Senator Bates)

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February 12, 2016

An act to add Section 12946.5 to the Water Code, relating to water resources.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1925, as amended, Chang. Desalination: statewide goal.

Existing law, the Cobey-Porter Saline Water Conversion Law, states the policy of this state that desalination projects developed by or for public water entities be given the same opportunities for state assistance and funding as other water supply and reliability projects, and that desalination be consistent with all applicable environmental protection policies in the state. The law provides that is it the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Water Resources undertake to find economic and efficient methods of desalting saline water so that desalted water may be made available to help meet the growing water requirements of the state.

This bill would establish a goal to desalinate begin delete ____ end delete begin insert 300,000 end insert acre-feet of drinking water per year by the year 2025 and begin delete ____ end delete begin insert 500,000 end insert acre-feet of drinking water per year by the year 2030.

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

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

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) The State of California is subject to periodic drought
conditions and is currently in the fourth year of the most recent
drought.

(b) The competing demands for traditional water resources have
demonstrated that new drinking water supply options need to be
added to support the California economy and the public health and
safety of all Californians.

(c) There is an immediate need for safe, clean, and reliable new
drinking water to provide local and regional water suppliers all
available water supply options to meet their local or regional
drinking water supply needs.

(d) The Governor’s Water Action Plan encourages the state to
maximize local and regional water supply development and calls
for the streamlining of the permitting process for desalination and
recycling of water.

(e) The policy of the State of California is to reduce its
dependence on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

(f) Desalinated water is an important and reliable source for
meeting total water demand. Continued and expanded production
and distribution of desalinated water for beneficial and permitted
uses can improve regional self-reliance by meeting a portion of
future increased total drinking water demands.

SEC. 2.  

Section 12946.5 is added to the Water Code, to read:

12946.5.  

This section establishes a statewide goal to desalinate
begin delete ____ end delete begin insert 300,000 end insert acre-feet of drinking water per year by the year 2025
and begin delete ____ end delete begin insert 500,000 end insert acre-feet of drinking water per year by the year
2030.