BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 144
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SENATE THIRD READING
SB
144 (Pan)
As Amended April 6, 2015
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE: 40-0
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|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Water |15-0 |Levine, Bigelow, | |
| | |Dababneh, Dahle, | |
| | |Dodd, Beth Gaines, | |
| | |Cristina Garcia, | |
| | |Gomez, Harper, Lopez, | |
| | |Mathis, Medina, | |
| | |Rendon, Salas, | |
| | |Williams | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |17-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, | |
| | |Bloom, Bonta, | |
| | |Calderon, Chang, | |
| | |Nazarian, Eggman, | |
| | |Gallagher, Eduardo | |
| | |Garcia, Holden, | |
| | |Jones, Quirk, Rendon, | |
SB 144
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| | |Wagner, Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY: Updates the project descriptions and authorizations
for specific state law flood control projects along the American
and Sacramento Rivers in order to make the scope of those
projects consistent with their current federal feasibility
studies and authorizations. Also makes nonsubstantive technical
corrections.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires flood management projects that receive state
financial assistance, as specified, to:
a) Qualify for federal financial assistance under the
requirements applicable to federal water resource
development projects and to be federally authorized.
b) Be cost-effective, as specified.
c) Be in compliance with federal floodplain management, as
specified.
d) Avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to environmental
and recreational values.
e) Include an opportunity to include multipurpose
objectives.
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2)Requires the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (formerly
called the Reclamation Board) or Department of Water Resources
(DWR), in an advisory role, to provide sufficient review and
oversight to determine whether the project meets the statutory
requirements set out above.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, this bill increases the state obligation (called a
subvention) by approximately $40 to $60 million (General Fund).
Although DWR estimates that the state's cost share of the
updated project will likely increase $40-60 million, because the
project changes were in response to more stringent levee
requirements, doing the project as originally authorized is not
an option. This bill conforms the state's authorization to the
most recent federal authorization.
COMMENTS: This bill would update the current state
authorization for flood control along the American and
Sacramento Rivers to match the federal authorization, as
modified by the final feasibility study for the Natomas Basin.
The bill would also make numerous technical, non-substantive
corrections to the authorizing statutes.
Under the State Water Resources Law of 1945, the state may
participate in funding local flood control projects that are
authorized by the Legislature and that meet other specific
requirements. One requirement is that the project must be
authorized by Congress. The Natomas Basin was previously
federally authorized but the description of the project in the
federal authorization was updated in 2014.
The author states that the constructed projects, as specified in
this bill, will increase the ability of the existing flood
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control system to protect heavily urbanized areas within the
City of Sacramento and the counties of Sacramento and Sutter
consistent with specifications prescribed as part of the
Sacramento River Flood Control Project. The author states that
this bill would ensure that the historic Federal-State-local
cost-sharing partnership is continued and construction moves
forward as quickly as possible.
Other supporters state that this bill would modify the 2007
state authorization for the Natomas Project to match the federal
authorizations. Supporters note this bill will not alter the
federal-state-local cost sharing made applicable to the project
under the 2007 authorization but simply harmonizes the state
authorization with the federal feasibility, which increased the
scope of work in order to provide the Natomas Basin with a
200-year level of flood protection.
There is no known opposition to this bill.
Analysis Prepared by:
Tina Leahy / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096 FN:
0001657
SB 144
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