BILL ANALYSIS Ó
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
SB 1201 (De Leon) - Los Angeles River
Amended: April 17, 2012 Policy Vote: NRW 5-2
Urgency: No Mandate: No (see Staff Comments)
Hearing Date: May 24, 2012 Consultant: Marie Liu
SUSPENSE FILE.
Bill Summary: SB 1201 would create the Los Angeles River
Interagency Access Council, consisting of state and local
representatives, in order to coordinate those agencies' efforts
in developing and administering public access and safety
policies for the Los Angeles River.
Fiscal Impact:
Ongoing costs of $70,000 from the General Fund, starting
in 2013, for staffing and travel needs by the Natural
Resources Agency, State Lands Commission, and the California
Environmental Protection Agency.
Ongoing costs of approximately $60,000 from the General
Fund, starting in 2013, for the reimbursement of local
government's participation on the council, a potential
state-required mandate.
Background: Multiple state agencies have jurisdiction over
elements of the Los Angeles River and its tributaries including
the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the River and Mountains
Conservancy, the State Lands Commission, the Mountain and Rivers
Conservation Authority, the Department of Fish and Game, the
Department of Parks and Recreation, the State Coastal
Conservancy, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, the
Department of Water Resources, and Department of Transportation.
Additionally, numerous local agencies have jurisdiction over
elements of the Los Angeles River including the County of Los
Angeles and the 13 cities which the river passes through.
There is strong, long-standing interest in the revitalization
and promotion of the re-integration of the Los Angeles River and
its tributaries into the adjacent neighborhoods. The Los Angeles
County's River Master Plan, completed in 1996, described how
economic growth could be spurred along the river through zoning
SB 1201 (De Leon)
Page 1
changes and the development of open space, recreational,
cultural, artistic, educational, and other opportunities.
Proposed Law: This bill would establish the Los Angeles River
Interagency Council (council) comprised of state and local
representatives, to conduct various duties including promoting
public access to and enhancing safety features along the river,
developing and providing safety warning systems, and
coordinating permitting processes for public access to the
river. This bill would also modify the Los Angeles County Flood
Control Act of 1915 to provide for public use of navigable
waterways for recreational and educational purposes.
Staff Comments: It is unclear as to what exactly will be
required of the state agencies for their participation on the
council. However, at a minimum, representatives from the Natural
Resources Agency, State Lands Commission, and the California
Environmental Protection Agency will need to travel and
participate in two meetings a year, presumably to be held near
the Los Angeles River. As chair of the council, the Natural
Resources Agency representative will also require staff time to
organize and lead the meetings. Staff estimates council
participation would require $50,000 for the Resources Agency and
$10,000 for each the State Lands Commission and the California
Environmental Protection Agency for staff workload and travel.
Although this bill is not tagged by Legislative Counsel as a
local mandate, staff believes that this bill may constitute a
reimbursable state-mandated local program because local
governments would be required to participate in council
activities. If the Commission on State Mandates finds this bill
be a mandate, the state would be responsible to reimburse local
governments for costs incurred in fulfilling council
responsibilities. Staff estimates potential reimbursable costs
of at least $10,000 for each of the six local governments
represented on the council.