BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 1262
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Date of Hearing: August 3, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
SB 1262
(Pavley) - As Amended June 15, 2016
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|Policy |Water, Parks and Wildlife |Vote:|13 - 0 |
|Committee: | | | |
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| |Local Government | |8 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
No
SUMMARY: This bill revises requirements that a new developments
must meet in order to demonstrate that its water supply are
sufficient to include consideration of provisions of the
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Specifically,
this bill:
1)Adds information about the reliance on, and management of,
groundwater supplies in factors considered in determining if
there are sufficient water supplies for residential
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development
of more than 500 units.
2)Specifies that a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) may be
included as substantial evidence in a public water system's
written verification of its ability or inability to provide
sufficient water supply as part of the approval of a
residential development of more than
500 units.
3)Includes an identification of water systems that are adjacent
to large-scale projects subject to the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that trigger a water supply
assessment.
4)Adds SGMA compliance status to required information in a water
supply assessment for projects that receive water supply from
groundwater.
5)Excludes hauled water from consideration as a source of water
under a water supply assessment.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Negligible state fiscal impact. Although a state mandate, costs
are not reimbursable because the Agency has authority to levy
fees sufficient to cover any costs.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose and Background. In 2001, in response to local land
use decisions that adversely affected local water supplies,
the Legislature enacted a package of bills that linked land
use planning with water use planning. That pack of bills is
often referred to as the "show me the water" legislation.
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In 2014, the Legislature passed SGMA creating a statewide
requirement to sustainably manage groundwater resources. The
package of bills was signed by Governor Brown with the
objective to ensure the long-term reliability of groundwater
resources and connected surface water resources by requiring
sustainable management. Groundwater Sustainability Agency's
(GSAs) must by formed by 2017; GSPs, for critically
overdrafted basins, must be written by 2020; and,
sustainability must be reached by 2040. Prior to 2014, there
was no statutory mandate to manage groundwater in California.
The Legislature updated some water and land use planning laws
to reflect SGMA, but did not make conforming changes to the
"show me the water" legislation. This bill updates the "show
me the water" bills to integrate GSAs and consideration of
GSPs into water supply and land use planning. In addition, it
prohibits the use of hauled water to comply with show me the
water bills.
2)Prior Legislation.
a) SB 1168 (Pavley), Chapter 346, Statutes of 2014, enacted
SGMA.
b) AB 1738 (Dickinson), Chapter 347, Statutes of 2014,
enacted SGMA.
c) SB 221 (Kuehl), Chapter 642, Statutes of 2001, required
cities and counties to demonstrate a sufficient water
supply as part of the subdivision map act.
d) SB 610 (Costa), Chapter 643, Statutes of 2001, required
large-scale development to have a water supply assessment.
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Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081