BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Tom Torlakson, Chairman

                                           1258 (Lowenthal)
          
          Hearing Date:  4/28/08          Amended: 4/22/08
          Consultant:  Miriam Barcellona IngenitoPolicy Vote: EQ 5-0
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          BILL SUMMARY:  SB 1258 would require the Department of Housing  
          and Community Development (HCD), at its next triennial building  
          standards rulemaking cycle that commences on or after January 1,  
          2009, in consultation with the State Department of Public Health  
          (DPH), to adopt and submit to the California Building Standards  
          Commission (BSC) for approval building standards for the  
          construction, installation, and alteration of graywater, as  
          defined.

          A city, county or other local agency would be authorized, after  
          enacting an ordinance or adopting a resolution, to adopt  
          building standards that prohibit entirely the use of graywater,  
          or building standards that are more restrict than the graywater  
          building standards adopted by HCD and published into the  
          California Building Standards Code. 

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                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2008-09      2009-10       2010-11     Fund
           Develop building standards        minor and absorbable  General
            for graywater (HCD)
          Review/approve standards          minor and absorbable  General
            (BSC)
          Sanitary engineer (DPH)$54        $54                   General
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          STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the  
          Suspense File.
          
          HCD and BSC have indicated that they would incur minor and  
          absorbable costs as a result of SB 1258. DPH estimates it would  
          require one sanitary engineer working full-time for one year, at  
          an approximate cost of $108,000.  DPH's estimate assumes that  
          the engineer would have to conduct research and consult with  










          professionals within and outside of DPH to adequately estimate  
          the public health risks associated with graywater.  The engineer  
          would also have to review current or proposed requirements of  
          other states or local agencies, meet regularly with HCD, review  
          draft standards, and solicit input from other DPH professionals.