BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 934
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 14, 2009

                   ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE
                            Jared William Huffman, Chair
                 AB 934 (Gilmore) - As Introduced:  February 26, 2009
           
          SUBJECT  :   San Joaquin Valley:  water supply. 

           SUMMARY  :   Requires the Department of Water Resources to study  
          the economic impacts of water supply reductions in the San  
          Joaquin Valley.  Specifically,  this bill  :  

          1)Requires DWR to complete a study of the economic impacts of  
            water supply reduction in the San Joaquin Valley, including  
            Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus  
            and Tulare counties.

          2)Makes legislative findings regarding importance of San Joaquin  
            Valley water supply.

           EXISTING LAW  requires DWR to provide assistance and leadership  
          in statewide management of water resources.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   Assembly Appropriations estimated in 2007-2008  
          that AB 877 (Parra), which is substantively identical to AB 934,  
          would incur "minor one-time costs, less than $50,000 primarily  
          in 2008-09, to the DWR to study the economic impacts of reducing  
          water supplies to the San Joaquin Valley."

           COMMENTS  :   AB 934's proposed study is intended to support the  
          efforts of Congressman Jim Costa and other elected officials  
          from the San Joaquin Valley in developing comprehensive  
          integrated regional water management plan for the region,  
          including both the San Joaquin and the Kern/Tulare basins, as  
          part of the "Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley."  This  
          proposed study focuses, however, on the negative aspects of  
          reduced water supply, not how to develop additional water  
          supplies.  The author explains that the study is meant to spur  
          action on water conveyance and storage that would serve the San  
          Joaquin Valley's agricultural interests, rather than focus on  
          environmental water concerns alone. 

          Considering the $117 million allocation of bond funding in  
          Proposition 84 for integrated regional water management in these  
          two regions, AB 934's proposed study may be duplicative.  AB 934  








                                                                  AB 934
                                                                  Page  2

          does not propose State support for the developing regional water  
          plan beyond the negative study.  The bill could address a wide  
          range of issues that could further the Valley's water plan,  
          utilizing the integrated regional water management funds in the  
          San Joaquin Valley.  Those issues include: plan scope,  
          governance, relationship to the Federal Government (which  
          controls much of the Valley water), and coordination with the  
          recent San Joaquin River settlement.  

          AB 934 is substantively identical to AB 877 (Parra) from 2007  
          which died in Senate Natural Resources and Water. 

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support  :  Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA)         
             Friant Water Authority
                    Regional Council of Rural Counties 

           Opposition  :None submitted
           
          Analysis Prepared by :    Lindsey Scott-Fl?rez / W., P. & W. /  
          (916) 319-2096