BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2501
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2501 (Wolk)
As Amended April 17, 2008
Majority vote
WATER, PARKS & WILDLIFE 9-4 NATURAL
RESOURCES 6-2
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|Ayes:|Wolk, Caballero, Charles |Ayes:|Hancock, Brownley, |
| |Calderon, Furutani, | |Fuentes, Laird, Saldana, |
| |Huffman, Lieu, Mullin, | |Wolk |
| |Parra, Salas | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Fuller, Anderson, |Nays:|La Malfa, Keene |
| |Berryhill, La Malfa | | |
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APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Leno, Caballero, Davis, | | |
| |DeSaulnier, Eng, Huffman, | | |
| |Berg, Krekorian, Lieu, | | |
| |Ma, Nava, Solorio | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Walters, Emmerson, La | | |
| |Malfa, Nakanishi, Sharon | | |
| |Runner | | |
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SUMMARY : Enacts the Climate Change and Water Resource
Protection Act of 2008 and makes appropriations of existing bond
funding for high-priority water projects. Specifically, this
bill :
1)Requires the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to include
climate change analysis, to the extent applicable, in all its
water management reports and plans, including the State Water
Project (SWP) delivery capability report California Water
Plan, and reports related to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
(Delta).
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2)Requires DWR to identify and make available, by July 2009,
peer-reviewed information or best available scientific
information about climate change and water resources in the
state.
3)Prohibits DWR from approving, after January 1, 2011,
integrated regional water management grants for plans that do
not include climate change analysis, unless climate change
information is not available or does not apply to a particular
planning area.
4)Requires DWR, in collaboration with other state agencies, to
prepare a report by January 2009 quantifying the energy
savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions
associated with water supply development alternatives,
including recycled water.
5)Requires the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and
all regional water quality control boards to consider
reasonably foreseeable effects of climate change in basin
water quality plans triennial reviews required by the federal
Clean Water Act.
6)Requires urban water suppliers, starting in July 2009, and
agricultural water suppliers, starting in January 2010, to
request climate change information from DWR and consider that
information in preparing urban or agricultural water
management plans, unless climate change information is
unavailable or inapplicable.
7)Appropriates $610,160,000 of bond funds as follows:
a) From Proposition 1E (2006 flood bond measure):
i) $54 million to DWR for emergency preparedness in the
Delta; and,
ii) $150 million to DWR for stormwater flood management
projects.
b) From Proposition 84 (2006):
i) $50 million to the State Department of Public Health
(DPH) for small community safe drinking water
infrastructure;
ii) $50.4 million to DPH for projects to prevent or
AB 2501
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reduce groundwater contamination of drinking water
supplies (including $2 million for pilot projects in
Salinas and Tulare);
iii) $40 million to DWR for planning and local
groundwater assistance;
iv) $55 million to DWR for improving drinking water from
the Delta;
v) $60 million to DWR and the Central Valley Flood
Protection Board (CVFPB) to respond to levee breaches and
reduce the potential for levee failure in the Delta;
vi) $100 million to DWR/CVFPB for the protection of
Delta resources, consistent with the Delta Vision,
including but not limited to certain identified projects;
vii) $12 million to DWR for planning and feasibility
studies for new surface storage under the California
Bay-Delta Program;
viii) $15 million to DWR for studies on use of the state's
existing flood protection and water supply systems.
Studies must include climate change information;
ix) $10 million (and up to 10 additional authorized
personnel) to DWR for climate change planning (including
$2 million for SWRCB); and,
x) $10 million to DWR for studies to implement the
Delta Vision.
c) From Proposition 13 (2000): $3,490,000 to DWR for
surface storage studies under the California Bay-Delta
Program.
8)Requires SWRCB, with specified agencies, to develop pilot
projects in Tulare Lake Basin and Salinas Valley to improve
understanding of groundwater contamination issues.
9)Imposes deadline of June 30, 2010 for encumbrance of the
appropriated funds.
10)Requires programs receiving these funds to report to the
Legislature about committed and anticipated expenditures by
January 10, 2009.
11)Makes legislative findings regarding climate change and water
resources.
AB 2501
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EXISTING LAW authorizes and/or directs DWR and local water
agencies to prepare water planning documents and otherwise. The
California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) requires
all state agencies to consider and implement strategies to
reduce GHG emissions.
FISCAL EFFECT : Assembly Appropriations Committee estimates
$500,000 in 2008-09 costs and $1 million thereafter for the
climate change actions. The bill also appropriates $610,160,000
in currently authorized bond funds.
COMMENTS : This bill reflects two different - but complementary
- efforts to address urgent water issues facing California. The
first incorporates climate change into existing water planning
efforts by state and local agencies, as well as requires a study
of GHG emissions from water supply development alternatives.
The second appropriates currently authorized bond funds to
address some of the most urgent water resource challenges,
particularly in the Delta.
Climate Change: Water managers increasingly have recognized
climate change as a major threat to western water supply
reliability and, conversely, that water use is a significant
contributor of GHG emissions that lead to climate change. This
bill focuses on state and local agency adaptation of water
resources climate change, as opposed to mitigation of GHG
impacts. It takes the first step of requiring state and local
agencies to incorporate climate change information into existing
water planning efforts. It fosters local efforts by requiring
DWR to identify currently available climate change information,
resolving local uncertainties as to which information is
reliable.
Study of Greenhouse Gas Effects of Water Supply Development:
The bill also provides for state agencies to examine the other
side of the climate change issue - mitigation of climate change
impacts from water use. Under DWR leadership, state agencies
will assess the GHG effects and reductions arising out of water
supply development alternatives, including water recycling and
conservation. In recent months, state agencies have increased
their activities related to climate change and water resources,
establishing the "WETCAT" - the water and energy sub-team of the
climate action team, co-chaired by SWRCB Member Frances
Spivy-Weber and DWR Deputy Director Mark Cowin.
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Existing Bond Appropriations: The other major element of AB
2501 appropriates existing bond funds to address various water
issues, which the author believes are some of the top priorities
for immediate funding. The Delta receives special attention in
these appropriations, which the author suggests is the most
important water issue facing California today. The
appropriations originated in last year's SB 1002 (Perata), which
Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed after Senator Perata's proposed
bond measure failed to pass off the Senate floor during last
fall's 2nd Extraordinary Session on water. Senator Perata also
authored SB 1XX on this issue. This bill has made some changes
to the appropriations in the Perata bills, but this bill remains
similar to the Perata legislation.
Budget Connection? While this bill's appropriations reflect
some similarities to the Governor's budget proposals, there is
no direct connection between AB 2501 and the State Budget. The
bill focuses only on the most critical priorities for
appropriating existing water bond funding and does not address
all the water issues that arise in the budget. In public
meetings sponsored by the author, some stakeholders proposed
additional spending of water bond funds, and there was broad
support for additional spending on integrated regional water
management projects, which is being considered by Budget
Committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Alf W. Brandt/ W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096
FN: 0005034