BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1410|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1410
Author: V. Manuel Pérez (D), et al.
Amended: 8/24/12 in Senate
Vote: 27 - Urgency
PRIOR VOTES NOT RELEVANT
SUBJECT : Salton Sea restoration
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Secretary of the Natural
Resources Agency in consultation and coordination with the
Salton Sea Authority, as defined, to lead Salton Sea
Restoration efforts.
Senate Floor Amendments of 8/24/12 delete all prior
language relating to international relations and creates a
new bill regarding restoring the Salton Sea.
ANALYSIS : Existing law establishes, until January 1,
2013, the Salton Sea Restoration Council as a state agency
in the Natural Resources Agency to oversee the restoration
of the Salton Sea.
This bill:
1. Requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency
(Secretary), in consultation and coordination with the
Salton Sea Authority, as defined, to lead Salton Sea
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restoration efforts.
2. Requires the Secretary, in consultation and coordination
with the authority, to form a technical advisory group,
as prescribed, to provide guidance about evaluating,
developing, or proposing future restoration or economic
development activities.
3. Requires the Secretary to seek input from the authority
with regard to specified components of restoration of
the Salton Sea. By imposing duties on a local joint
powers authority, the bill would impose a state-mandated
local program.
4. Authorizes the Salton Sea Authority to lead a
restoration funding and feasibility review, as
prescribed. If the Authority undertakes the study, this
bill requires the Department of Fish and Game to enter
into a funding agreement with the authority for the
purposes of this study.
Comments
According to the Senate Natural Resources and Water
Committee, the precise who, what, when, where, and how of
successfully restoring the Salton Sea has been elusive.
The most recent effort was 2010's SB 51 (Ducheny), which
established the Salton Sea Restoration Council as a state
agency to oversee the restoring of the Salton Sea. The
Council never met and this year's natural resources trailer
bill (SB 1018) sunset SB 51's provisions regarding the
Salton Sea Restoration Council at the end of this year.
This bill would assign most of the authorities and
responsibilities for restoring the Salton Sea previously
assigned to the Salton Sea Restoration Council to the
Natural Resources Agency, and establish a formal
consultative and advisory role for a local joint powers
authority known as the Salton Sea Authority.
AB 939 (V. Manuel Perez), regarding restoring the Salton
Sea, was held on the Senate Appropriations suspense file.
This bill is intended to preserve and review key provisions
of AB 939 while addressing the concerns of the Senate
Appropriations Committee as well as issues raised in the
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Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
CTW:dn 8/27/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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