BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2529
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 12, 2004
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Judy Chu, Chair
AB 2529 (Kehoe) - As Amended: April 22, 2004
Policy Committee: Water, Parks &
Wildlife Vote: 9-6
Natural Resources 7-4
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill enhances and updates the State Water Resources Control
Board's (water board's) efforts to protect the quality of the
state's coastal ocean waters. Specifically, this bill requires
the water board to:
1)Administer a grant program to fund local agencies' and
nonprofit organizations' projects to restore and protect the
water quality and environment of marine managed areas.
2)Update, by February 1, 2006, the California Ocean Plan (COP)
to include, as beneficial uses of ocean waters, marine
protected areas and marine life reserves, state marine
reserves, state marine parks, state marine conservation areas,
state marine cultural preservation areas and state marine
recreational management areas.
3)Include in the COP, by July 1, 2007, numeric standards to
protect the beneficial uses listed in #2 above.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Moderate costs, about $250,000 in FY 2004-05, to the water
board to develop and implement the grant program. (GF or
Proposition 50 bond proceeds.)
2)Moderate costs, perhaps $250,000 primarily in FY 2006-07, to
the water board to update the COP and to develop standards to
protect the additional beneficial uses covered by the plan.
(GF)
AB 2529
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COMMENTS
1)Rationale . The author believes that the $80 million in Prop
50 bond proceeds earmarked to finance projects that restore
and protect coastal waters and groundwater should be allocated
through a competitive grant program administered by the water
board, as proposed by this bill. The author also contends
that the COP should be expanded to include several other state
marine-related areas as beneficial uses of coastal waters and
to contain standards to protect those uses.
2)Prop 50 Earmark . The Water Security, Clean Drinking Water,
Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002, approved as
Proposition 50 on the November 2002 statewide ballot,
allocates $100 million for projects that restore and protect
coastal water quality and environment, with at least $20
million of this amount earmarked for San Monica Bay
Restoration. This leaves $80 million available for other
eligible projects along the coast.
3)The California Ocean Plan was adopted in 1972 as the water
board's water quality control plan for coastal waters. The
plan lists beneficial uses of ocean waters that need to be
protected, establishes water quality objectives, and sets
forth a program of implementation to ensure these objectives
are met. The COP has been revised by the water board five
times, most recently in March 1997. Adding several
additional marine areas to the list of beneficial uses of
coastal waters means that thousands of square miles more of
coastal waters may become subject to the water board's
implementation options.
Analysis Prepared by : Steve Archibald / APPR. / (916)
319-2081