Amended in Assembly May 27, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 5, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 17, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2515

Introduced by Assembly Member Weber

February 19, 2016

An act to add Section 65596.5 to the Government Code, relating to begin delete water efficient end delete begin insert water- end insert begin insert efficient end insert landscaping.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2515, as amended, Weber. Water Conservation in Landscaping Act: model begin delete water efficient end delete begin insert water- end insert begin insert efficient end insert landscaping ordinance.

Existing law, the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act, requires the Department of Water Resources to update its model water-efficient landscape ordinance by regulation and prescribes various requirements for the updated model ordinance.

This bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2020, and every three years thereafter, to either update the model water-efficient landscaping ordinance or make a finding that an update to the model water-efficient landscaping ordinance at that time is not a useful or effective means to improve either the efficiency of landscape water use or the administration of the ordinance. The bill would additionally require the begin delete department, on or before June 30 2017, to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Building Standards Commission, the Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Division of the State Architect that sets out a timetable and mutual responsibilities for the coordination of the Department’s model water-efficient landscaping ordinance update process with end delete begin insert department to submit the update to the Building Standards Commission during end insert the triennial revision begin delete cycle end delete begin insert process end insert of the California Green Building Standards Code.

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

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

begin insert

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert begin insert

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

end insert begin insert

(a) California is experiencing a prolonged and significant
drought that is unprecedented in California’s recorded history.

end insert begin insert

(b) Communities throughout the state have been directed to
curtail water use. Residential, commercial, industrial, and
institutional users have all worked to reduce water consumption.

end insert begin insert

(c) Prior to the extraordinary water use reductions implemented
during the drought emergency, approximately one-half of the urban
water provided for all purposes in California was used outdoors,
primarily for landscape irrigation. This significant amount of
potable water, approximately four million acre-feet per year,
illuminates the critical importance of landscape water use
efficiency.

end insert begin insert

(d) Functional and attractive landscapes are essential to
Californians’ quality of life, providing places to recreate and relax,
cooling the environment around buildings, offering wildlife habitat,
and creating places of beauty.

end insert begin insert

(e) Updates to the model water-efficient landscape ordinance
can help to advance landscaping and irrigation practices and
policies that will make landscape water use far more sustainable
than it is today.

end insert begin insert

(f) Synchronizing updates to the model water-efficient landscape
ordinance with the triennial cycle for revisions to the California
Green Building Standards Code would also ensure that landscape
professionals, plumbing professionals, and local governments are
able to integrate advancements and improvements in landscape
and irrigation technologies, systems, and practices into the body
of rules that govern installation, rehabilitation, overhaul, and
updates of outdoor landscapes to significantly advance California’s
strong water use efficiency ethic.

end insert

begin delete SECTION 1. end delete

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

Section 65596.5 is added to the Government Code, to
read:

65596.5.  

(a) On or before January 1, 2020, and at least every
three years thereafter, the department, after holding one or more
public hearings, shall do one of the following:

(1) Update the model water-efficient landscape ordinance
adopted pursuant to Chapter 1145 of the Statutes of 1990.

(2) Make a finding that an update to the model water-efficient
landscape ordinance at that time is not a useful or effective means
to improve either the efficiency of landscape water use or the
administration of the ordinance.

begin insert

(b) When the model water-efficient landscape ordinance has
been updated, the department shall submit the update to the
Building Standards Commission for consideration during the
triennial revision process of the California Green Building
Standards Code.

end insert begin delete

(b) On or before June 30, 2017, the department shall enter into
a cooperative agreement with the Building Standards Commission,
the Department of Housing and Community Development, and
the Division of the State Architect that sets out a timetable and
mutual responsibilities for the coordination of the department’s
model water-efficient landscape ordinance update process with
the triennial revision cycle of the California Green Building
Standards Code (Part 11 of Title 24 of the California Code of
Regulations).

end delete