BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2373
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
2373 (Gray)
As Amended May 9, 2016
2/3 vote
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|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Water |12-0 |Levine, Gallagher, | |
| | |Dababneh, Dodd, | |
| | |Cristina Garcia, | |
| | |Gomez, Lopez, Mathis, | |
| | |Medina, Olsen, Salas, | |
| | |Williams | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |14-0 |Gonzalez, Bloom, | |
| | |McCarty, Bonta, | |
| | |Calderon, Daly, | |
| | |Eggman, Eduardo | |
| | |Garcia, Roger | |
| | |Hernández, Holden, | |
| | |Quirk, Santiago, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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AB 2373
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SUMMARY: Appropriates $45,000 from the General Fund to the
Merced Irrigation District (MID) to implement on-farm irrigation
system and water use efficiency improvements for small communal
farms in Merced County. Additionally, requires MID to report to
the Legislature by April 30, 2018, for the purpose of
determining the effectiveness of the appropriation and the
cumulative impact on the County of Merced.
EXSITING LAW:
1)Appropriates $35 million to the Department of Water Resources
for agricultural water efficiency programs.
2)Requires agricultural water suppliers to develop water
management plans and implement efficient water management
practices.
FISCAL EFFECT: According the Assembly Appropriations Committee,
this bill appropriates $45,000 from the General Fund to MID.
COMMENTS: The 2015-16 proposed budget for MID was $78 million
with $86 million in revenue. MID encompasses 164,000 gross
acres. Total irrigable lands in the MID are 138,000 acres. In
2007, 88,000 acres of land were supplied with water from MID.
According to the author, dozens of Hmong refugee families have
come together to share the cost and labor of farming.
Unfortunately, these families lack capital to invest in their
farms. Water pumps are in disrepair, which hinders the
efficiency and energy use of irrigation. The modest sum
appropriated in this bill will provide significant reductions in
energy, fuel, and water use.
AB 2373
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The 2015-16 budget appropriated $35 million to the Department of
Water Resources to implement agricultural water efficiency
programs. The Department of Water Resources has made $30
million available through competitive grants. The guidelines
for these grants were completed January 27, 2016, and
applications were due by March 30, 2016. Irrigation districts
are among the eligible applicants for these grants. Project
types to be funded are those that will produce potential
benefits to the State including: technical assistance,
training, education and public outreach.
It is not clear if the communal farms that this bill would
provide funding for would win an agricultural water use
efficiency grant. However, MID is in a position to apply for
future grants and appears to have the resources to apply.
Additionally, if there is concern that a grant application
focused solely on communal farms would not receive funding the
potential exists for MID to build a larger application. A
larger application could include communal farms and additional
efficiencies such as addressing the 75% of the 825 miles of
water distribution facilities that MID operates that are earthen
lined channels.
Analysis Prepared by:
Ryan Ojakian / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096
FN: 0003064
AB 2373
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