BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1465
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1465 (Hill)
As Amended June 30, 2009
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |77-0 |(May 21, 2009) |SENATE: |39-0 |(August 24, |
| | | | | |2009) |
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Original Committee Reference: W.,P. & W.
SUMMARY : Revises the Urban Water Management Planning Act to
specify compliance with water conservation requirements,
consistent with revisions to the memorandum of understanding
(MOU) signed by California Urban Water Conservation Council
(CUWCC) in December 2008.
The Senate amendments restore existing law but allow MOU
signatories to comply with urban water management planning
requirements, and thereby gain access to state grant funding, by
way of compliance with the higher water conservation standards
contained in the revised MOU.
EXISTING LAW incorporates the water demand management measures
from the 1991 CUWCC MOU into the Urban Water Management Planning
Act. Existing law also conditions eligibility, for a state
water management grant or loan, on implementation of water
demand management measures.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill revised the Urban Water
Management Planning Act to be consistent with MOU amendments as
to best management practices (BMPs), or water demand management
measures.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible fiscal
effect.
COMMENTS : During the 1990's drought, urban water agencies
created CUWCC to increase efficient water use statewide through
partnerships among urban water agencies, public interest
organizations, and private entities. CUWCC's goal is to
integrate urban water conservation BMPs into the planning and
management of California's water resources. Currently the CUWCC
AB 1465
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has 398 members. The December 2008 CUWCC MOU incorporates
advances in conservation practices and provides a more flexible
set of BMPs to allow urban water agencies to tailor their BMPs
to better fit their local circumstances.
AB 1465 originally sought to codify the recently approved BMPs
for water conservation adopted by the CUWCC in their December
2008 MOU into state law. In effect, it would have updated the
Urban Water Management Planning Act, to reflect modern BMPs.
The Senate, however, objected to imposing these new conservation
BMPs on all urban water suppliers, regardless whether they
signed the MOU, particularly one year before the next set of
such plans are due. The author agreed to restore current law on
water conservation, as the baseline for all water conservation
efforts. MOU signatories, however, gain legal sanction of their
adopting the modified BMPs in last year's MOU. In effect,
signatories do different - and mostly greater - water
conservation measures and still get legal sanction and access to
State grant funding.
Analysis Prepared by : Alf W. Brandt / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096 FN:
0002418