AB 2874, Beth Gaines. Groundwater sustainability agencies: fees.
Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources that are designated as basins subject to critical conditions of overdraft to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2020, and requires all other groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2022, except as specified. The act authorizes any local agency or combination of local agencies overlying a groundwater basin to decide to become a groundwater sustainability agency for that basin, as prescribed.
The act authorizes a groundwater sustainability agency to impose fees, including, but not limited to, permit fees and fees on groundwater extraction or other regulated activity, to fund the costs of a groundwater sustainability program.
This bill would require a groundwater sustainability agency, before imposing or increasing a fee pursuant to this authority relating to a groundwater basin that includes a water corporation regulated by the Public Utilities Commission, to notify the Public Utilities Commission.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 10730.1 is added to the Water Code, to read:
A groundwater sustainability agency, before imposing or increasing a fee pursuant to Section 10730 or 10730.2 relating to a groundwater basin that includes a water corporation regulated by the Public Utilities Commission, shall notify the Public Utilities Commission.
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