BILL NUMBER: AB 538	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	CHAPTER   488
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 27, 1999
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   SEPTEMBER 27, 1999
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   SEPTEMBER 8, 1999
	PASSED THE SENATE   SEPTEMBER 7, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   SEPTEMBER 2, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 17, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   MAY 28, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 22, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 8, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Wayne

                        FEBRUARY 18, 1999

   An act to add Section 13178 to the Water Code, relating to water.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 538, Wayne.  Public beaches:  bacteriological standards.
   Existing law sets forth duties and responsibilities of the State
Water Resources Control Board.
   This bill, in addition, would require the state board, on or
before September 30, 2000, in conjunction with the State Department
of Health Services and a panel of experts established by the state
board, to develop source investigation protocols for use in
conducting source investigations of storm drains that produce
exceedences of specified bacteriological standards.
   The bill also would require the state board, on or before March
31, 2001, in conjunction with the State Department of Health
Services, to report to the Legislature on the methods by which it
intends to conduct sources investigations of storm drains that
produce exceedences of bacteriological standards established, as
specified.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 13178 is added to the Water Code, to read:
   13178.  (a) (1) On or before September 30, 2000, the state board,
in conjunction with the State Department of Health Services and a
panel of experts established by the state board, shall develop source
investigation protocols for use in conducting source investigations
of storm drains that produce exceedences of bacteriological standards
established pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 115880 of the
Health and Safety Code.  The protocols shall be based upon the
experiences drawn from previous source investigations performed by
the state board, regional boards, or other agencies, and other
available data.  The protocols shall include methods for identifying
the location and biological origins of sources of bacteriological
contamination, and, at a minimum, shall require source investigations
if bacteriological standards are exceeded in any three weeks of a
four-week period, or, for areas where testing is done more than once
a week, 75 percent of testing days that produce an exceedence of
those standards.
   (2) The development of source investigation protocols pursuant to
paragraph (1) is not subject to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section
11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
   (b) Notwithstanding Section 7550.5 of the Government Code, on or
before March 31, 2001, the state board, in conjunction with the State
Department of Health Services, shall report to the Legislature on
the methods by which it intends to conduct source investigations of
storm drains that produce exceedences of bacteriological standards
established pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 115880 of the
Health and Safety Code.  Factors to be addressed in the report shall
include the approximate number of public beaches expected to be
affected by the exceedence of bacteriological standards established
pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 115880 of the Health and
Safety Code, as well as the costs expected for source investigation
of the storm drains affecting those public beaches.  The report shall
include a timeline for completion of source investigations.