BILL NUMBER:  AB 914
  VETOED	DATE: 10/12/2009




To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 914 without my signature.

This bill would specify that the State Water Resources Control Board
(Board) may take into consideration the additional criterion of
impacts of mandatory minimum penalties on individual ratepayers when
making a determination of "financial hardship" of a small community
served by a public owned treatment works (POTW).

The bill is unnecessary since the Board already has the authority
under current law to take any factor it deems appropriate into
consideration when making a determination of financial hardship of a
small community served by a POTW.

Furthermore, the bill's language for determining "financial hardship"
is unclear, provides little to no guidance for the Board, and would
only further confuse an already complex financial hardship
determination process.  The unintended consequence of AB 914 will be
costly lawsuits and competing interpretations of the bill's vague and
confusing language.

For these reasons, I am unable to sign this bill.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger



Enrolled Bill ReportPage 2Bill Number: SB 505
Author: Kehoe