BILL NUMBER: AB 2334	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 9, 2012

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Fong

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2012

   An act to add Section 10004.8 to the Water Code, relating to water
resources.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2334, as amended, Fong. California Water Plan: drinking water
and wastewater services.
   Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to update
every 5 years the plan for the orderly and coordinated control,
protection, conservation, development, and use of the water resources
of the state, which is known as the California Water Plan. Existing
law prescribes the contents of the California Water Plan, and
requires the department to include a discussion of various strategies
and information in that plan.
   This bill would additionally require the department to include an
analysis of  water affordability and  possible mechanisms to
address the lack of affordability of drinking water and wastewater
services in updates of the California Water Plan.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares the following:
   (a) Throughout California,  hundreds of thousands of 
low-income residents do not have access to potable drinking water and
wastewater services without paying cost-prohibitive rates. Thus,
reliable and potable drinking water is not affordable or accessible
for many Californians. 
   (b) It is in the public interest for all households to have access
to safe and affordable water for basic needs and to have effective
and affordable wastewater treatment. 
   (c) While California has programs to ensure that low-income
households have access to affordable and dependable basic energy and
telecommunication services, the state has not adopted a similar
program in what are the most basic and critical household utilities,
water and wastewater.  
   (b) 
    (d)  The California Water Plan is the landmark plan to
address water issues critical to Californians. 
   (c) 
    (e)  The purpose of this bill is to ensure that the
Department of Water Resources includes in the California Water Plan
an analysis of  water affordability in California and 
possible mechanisms to increase statewide affordability of reliable
drinking water and wastewater services  for low-income households
 .
  SEC. 2.  Section 10004.8 is added to the Water Code, to read:
   10004.8.  As part of updating the California Water Plan pursuant
to subdivision (b) of Section 10004, the department shall 
include an analysis of possible mechanisms, including, but not
limited to, existing or potential funding sources, to address the
lack of affordability of drinking water and wastewater services.
  do all of the following:  
   (a) Identify water systems currently struggling or failing to meet
federal affordability benchmarks.  
   (b) Determine the factors contributing to the high cost in these
systems.  
   (c) Conduct an assessment of existing low-income water
affordability programs.  
   (d) Propose appropriate subsidization programs to make water
affordable for high-cost communities. High-cost communities shall
include the following:  
   (1) Water systems serving disadvantaged communities, defined as
communities with a median household income at or below 80 percent of
the state median household income, where water rates are more than 2
percent of the median household income.  
   (2) Water systems serving communities with a median household
income no higher than 120 percent of the state median household
income and where more than 10 percent of the population spends more
than 2 percent of their income on water.  
   (3) Other communities as determined to be appropriate by the
department.