BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 991
                                                                  Page  1


          SENATE THIRD READING
          SB 991 (Wolk)
          As Amended  August 17, 2010
          Majority vote 

           SENATE VOTE  :21-14  
           
           WATER, PARKS & WILDLIFE      8-4APPROPRIATIONS      12-5        
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Huffman, Arambula,        |Ayes:|Fuentes, Bradford,        |
          |     |Blumenfield, Caballero,   |     |Huffman, Coto, Davis, De  |
          |     |Gatto, Bonnie Lowenthal,  |     |Leon, Gatto, Hall,        |
          |     |Salas, Yamada             |     |Skinner, Solorio,         |
          |     |                          |     |Torlakson, Torrico        |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |Nays:|Fuller, Anderson, Tom     |Nays:|Conway, Harkey, Miller,   |
          |     |Berryhill, Fletcher       |     |Nielsen, Norby            |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
           SUMMARY :  Appropriates $30 million in bond funds from  
          Proposition 1E for flood control projects that improve the  
          sustainability of the Delta.  Specifically,  this bill  :

          1)Appropriates $30 million from the Disaster Preparedness and  
            Flood Prevention Bond Fund of 2006 (Proposition 1E) to the  
            Department of Water Resources (DWR) for flood protection  
            projects that improve the sustainability of the Sacramento-San  
            Joaquin Delta, including, but not limited to, projects that  
            reduce the risk of levee failure that would jeopardize water  
            conveyance.  

          2)Requires DWR to expedite the evaluation of nonurban levees on  
            the west bank of the Sacramento River that protect  
            unincorporated communities and consider a joint project with  
            local government agencies for improving flood bypass  
            facilities as multibenefit flood control facilities, to the  
            extent those projects are consistent with adopted state  
            policies.

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)Proposition 1E, ratified by the voters in 2006, authorized the  








                                                                  SB 991
                                                                  Page  2


            expenditure of $4.1 billion in general obligation bonds for  
            various flood management activities, and authorized $3 billion  
            of that amount to evaluate, repair and restore existing levees  
            in the state's Central Valley flood control system, improve or  
            add facilities to increase flood protection for urban areas in  
            the state's Central Valley flood control system, and reduce  
            the risk of levee failure in the Delta.

          2)SB 8 (Steinberg), Chapter 2, Statutes of 2009-10 Seventh  
            Extraordinary Session, appropriated $170 million of  
            Proposition 1E funds to DWR to reduce the risk of levee  
            failure in the Delta that would jeopardize water conveyance.    
             

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee:

          1)One-time $30 million appropriation to DWR (Proposition 1E bond  
            funds).

          2)Cost pressure of an unknown amount, but potentially in the  
            millions of dollars, to fund projects for nonurban levees on  
            the west bank of the Sacramento River that protect  
            unincorporated communities and for a joint project with local  
            governments for improving flood bypass facilities (Proposition  
            1E bond funds).

           COMMENTS  :   The author of this bill notes that sustainability of  
          the Delta is critical to protect the water supplies for 23  
          million Californians, to support the multi-billion dollar  
          agricultural economy of the Delta and Central Valley, and to  
          support the ecosystem of the largest estuary in the Western  
          Hemisphere.  The author also asserts this bill will create some  
          500 construction jobs and provide flood protection assistance  
          and levee repairs for the Delta.  This bill states that these  
          funds are appropriated for projects that improve sustainability  
          of the Delta, and also directs DWR to expedite evaluation of  
          nonurban levees on the west bank of the Sacramento River that  
          protect unincorporated communities and consider a joint project  
          with local government agencies for improving flood bypass  
          facilities.  

          Of the total $4.1 billion in bonds authorized in Proposition 1E,  
          approximately $2.1 billion has been appropriated to date,  








                                                                  SB 991
                                                                  Page  3


          including $170 million which was appropriated in last year's  
          Delta water package specifically to reduce risk of levee failure  
          in the Delta that would jeopardize water conveyance.  An  
          additional $340 million is proposed for appropriation in the  
          Governor's 2010-11 Budget.  This bill would appropriate an  
          additional $30 million specifically for flood protection  
          projects that improve the sustainability of the Delta.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Diane Colborn / W., P. & W. / (916)  
          319-2096


                                                                FN: 0005982