BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2515 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 4, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Lorena Gonzalez, Chair AB 2515 (Weber) - As Amended April 5, 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Water, Parks and Wildlife |Vote:|13 - 0 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No SUMMARY: This bill requires the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to update the model water-efficient landscape ordinance (model ordinance) or make a finding that an update is not useful or effective. Specifically, this bill: 1)Requires DWR, on or before January 1, 2020, and every three years thereafter, to update the model ordinance or make a AB 2515 Page 2 finding that the update at that time is not a useful or effective means to improve the efficiency of landscape water use or the administration of the model ordinance. 2)Requires DWR to enter into a cooperative agreement, by June 30, 2017, with the Building Standards Commission (BSC), the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Division of the State Architect to coordinate the ordinance with the triennial revision cycle of the green building standards (CALGreen). FISCAL EFFECT: 1)One-time increased costs of approximately $500,000 (GF) over three years for DWR to update the model ordinance. 2)Ongoing minor costs of approximately $15,000, every three years, for DWR to coordinate with the BSC, HCD and State Architect, 3)Unknown costs for BSC, HCD, and the State Architect to fulfill responsibilities for the model ordinance process within the triennial update, as determined by contract with DWR. COMMENTS: 1)Purpose. According to the author, with outdoor water use constituting more than half of average household water use, attention to improving landscape irrigation efficiency should be an ongoing focus. This bill requires coordination of the model ordinance with the CALGreen building code revision cycle. AB 2515 Page 3 2)Background. One of the recommendations out of the February 2016 draft Independent Technical Panel report to the Legislature on Landscape Water Use Efficiency was to make the policy change in this bill. The policy in this bill would build on several actions that were in the Governor's Executive Order B-29-15 from April 2015. In particular, the executive order required DWR to update the model ordinance required the State Water Resources Control Board to prohibit outdoor irrigation with potable water in new construction unless the irrigation was drip or mircospray. In response to the executive order, the model ordinance was updated for the first time since 2010. Following this update, the BSC and HDC placed mandatory water requirements on new construction. However, there is no requirement for future model ordinances to be included building code updates. This bill creates a process to ensure the latest landscape water use is included in the triennial building code updates. 3)Related Legislation. AB 2525, to be heard by this committee later this month, requires DWR to establish the California Water Efficient Landscaping Program to promote the efficient use of water in landscaping. AB 1928 (Campos) 2016, currently in this committee's Suspense AB 2515 Page 4 file, requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to adopt landscape irrigation equipment performance standards and labeling requirements. Both bills are pending in this Committee. Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916) 319-2081