BILL ANALYSIS �
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 834
Author: Wolk (D), et al.
Amended: 8/25/11
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE : 5-3, 4/12/11
AYES: Pavley, Evans, Kehoe, Padilla, Wolk
NOES: La Malfa, Cannella, Fuller
NO VOTE RECORDED: Simitian
SENATE FLOOR : 24-14, 5/19/11
AYES: Alquist, Blakeslee, Calderon, Corbett, Correa, De
Le�n, DeSaulnier, Evans, Hancock, Kehoe, Leno, Lieu, Liu,
Lowenthal, Negrete McLeod, Padilla, Pavley, Price, Rubio,
Steinberg, Vargas, Wolk, Wright, Yee
NOES: Anderson, Berryhill, Cannella, Dutton, Emmerson,
Fuller, Gaines, Harman, Huff, La Malfa, Runner,
Strickland, Walters, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Hernandez, Simitian
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 51-26, 8/30/11 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Integrated regional water management plans
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires that an Integrated Regional
Water Management Plan (IRWMP) that is voluntarily drafted
so as to meet certain minimum requirements in order to be
eligible for state funding must, for a region that depends
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on water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta),
also include an identification of the way the IRWMP will
further the statewide policy of reducing reliance on the
Delta through investments in regional self-reliance.
Assembly Amendments (1) add a legislative finding which
restates a provision in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Reform Act of 2009 (Delta Reform Act) holding that no
provision of that Act diminishes, impairs, or otherwise
affects water rights protections provided under the law,
(2) delete language stating that an entity must comply with
Water Code Section 85021 of the Delta Reform Act and
instead insert language stating that an entity must further
the statewide policy of Section 85021, and (3) specify that
furthering the statewide policy found in Water Code Section
85021 will be met utilizing the methods enumerated in
Section 85021: water use efficiency; water recycling;
advanced water technologies; local and regional water
supply projects; and improved regional coordination of
local and regional water supply projects.
ANALYSIS : Under the Integrated Regional Water Management
Planning Act of 2002, a regional water management group is
authorized, but not required, to prepare and adopt an
IRWMP. The Act defined a "regional water management group"
as three or more local agencies, at least two of which have
statutory authority over water supply or water management,
plus those other persons who may be necessary to develop
and implement an IRWMP. Much, but not all, of the state is
covered by one or more IRWMPs.
This bill:
1. Makes legislative findings restating provisions of the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009 (Delta
Reform Act), including that:
A. There are coequal goals for the Delta of increased
water supply reliability and enhanced ecosystem
protection and restoration.
B. It is the policy of the state to reduce reliance
on the Delta in meeting California's future water
needs through a statewide strategy of investing in
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improved regional supplies, conservation, and water
use efficiency.
C. No provision of the Delta Reform Act diminishes,
impairs, or otherwise affects water rights
protections provided under the law.
2. Specifies that the minimum content of an IRWMP eligible
for state funding, for a region that depends on water
from the Delta, must also include an identification of
the way the IRWMP will further the policy of reducing
reliance on the Delta by utilizing the approaches
specified in the Delta Reform Act.
Background
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009 (Delta
Act), among other things, added Water Code Section 85021.
That section established that "�t]he policy of the State of
California is to reduce reliance on the Delta in meeting
California's future water supply needs through a statewide
strategy of investing in improved regional supplies,
conservation, and water use efficiency. Each region that
depends on water from the Delta watershed shall improve its
regional self-reliance for water through investment in
water use efficiency, water recycling, advanced water
technologies, local and regional water supply projects, and
improved regional coordination of local and regional water
supply efforts."
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/30/11)
Planning and Conservation League
Sierra Club California
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the Sierra Club,
"California Water Code section 85021 ? sets forth that the
policy of the state is to reduce reliance on the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in meeting the state's future
water supply needs ? However, current law does not
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specifically require any actions to be taken to support
this policy. Also, there is no mechanism requiring any
region to report on their progress made towards meeting
this goal of reducing reliance on Delta water supplies. SB
834 would remedy this deficiency by requiring regions
receiving water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to
demonstrate how their Integrated Regional Water Management
Plans reduce reliance on the Delta."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 51-26, 08/30/11
AYES: Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Block, Blumenfield,
Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles
Calderon, Campos, Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Davis,
Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani,
Gatto, Gordon, Hall, Hayashi, Roger Hern�ndez, Hill,
Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma,
Mendoza, Mitchell, Monning, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel P�rez,
Portantino, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson, Torres,
Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. P�rez
NOES: Achadjian, Conway, Cook, Donnelly, Fletcher, Beth
Gaines, Garrick, Grove, Hagman, Halderman, Harkey,
Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Logue, Mansoor, Miller, Morrell,
Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Silva, Smyth, Valadao,
Wagner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Alejo, Bill Berryhill, Gorell
CTW:mw 8/30/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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