BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1349
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Date of Hearing: May 8, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 1349 (Gatto) - As Introduced: February 22, 2013
Policy Committee: Water, Parks and
Wildlife Vote: 14-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
yes Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the CalConservation Water Use Efficiency
Revolving Fund (CalConserve) to be administered by the
Department of Water Resources (DWR) to provide low-cost loans
for water efficiency projects. Specifically, this bill:
1)Declares the Legislature's intent with regarding to creating
CalConserve is to provide a sustainable funding source for
projects that:
a) Reduce urban per capita use.
b) Improve agricultural water use efficiency.
c) Increase use of recycled water.
d) Reduce greenhouse gas emissions through water use
efficiency improvements.
2)Continuously appropriates CalConserve funds to the Department
of Water Resources (DWR) to use for the purposes of the fund
FISCAL EFFECT
Annual administrative costs to DWR in the hundreds of thousands
of dollars range.
This bill does not specify a funding source and instead puts the
program in place for potential new water bond funding or revenue
from cap and trade auctions. Presumably, existing unused water
bond funds could be appropriated for this program.
COMMENTS
AB 1349
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1)Rationale. This bill authorizes the Department of Water
Resources to administer a state revolving fund program that
will (a) be a self-renewing source of funding for water-use
efficiency, available to the public between water bonds, (b)
be a means of leveraging local investment in water-use
efficiency, including investments by private entities, and (c)
provide state financial support to help cities, counties,
urban and agricultural water providers, and recycled water
providers improving water efficiency throughout the state an
meet California's water-use reduction goals.
2)Background. SB 7X 7 (Steinberg), 2009, requires the state to
reduce urban per capita water use by 20% by 2020.The State
Water Resources Control Board and the Department of Public
Health both administer state revolving loan programs used for
specific water treatment projects to address water system
deficiencies. There is no similar loan program to facilitate
water-use efficiency for local communities and farms.
3)Prior legislation . This bill is similar to AB 2011 (Gatto)
that would have created CalConserve. AB 2011 allocated an
anticipatory $50 million from the Safe, Clean, and Reliable
Drinking Water Supply Act of 2012 scheduled to appear before
the voters in 2014.
Analysis Prepared by : Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081