Amended in Assembly March 26, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1874

Introduced by Assembly Member Gonzalez

February 19, 2014

An act to add Sections begin delete 10546.1, 10546.2, and 10546.3 to end delete begin insert 10534.5 and 10536.5 to, and to add Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 10551) to Part 2.2 of Division 6 of, end insert the Water Code, relating to water.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1874, as amended, Gonzalez. Integrated regional water management plans: funding.

Existing law, the Integrated Regional Water Management Planning Act of 2002, authorizes a regional water management group to prepare and adopt an integrated regional water management plan with specified components relating to water supply and water quality. begin insert Existing law authorizes the Department of Water Resources to award grants to eligible projects consistent with an adopted integrated regional water management plan. end insert

This bill would require the begin delete Department of Water Resources to develop, by October 1, 2015, end delete begin insert department to develop end insert a streamlined application process for begin delete the funding of regional projects and programs end delete begin insert certain regional water management groups end insert . The bill would begin delete require the Department of Water Resources to promptly review and pay invoices associated with grants for regional projects and programs. The bill would require the Department of Finance to review the Department of Water Resources’ contracting procedures for the distribution of grants for regional projects and programs and to report its findings to the Legislature end delete begin insert require, in order to receive integrated regional water management funds through this streamlined application process, the specified regional water management group to file with the department a streamlined application form that includes information relating to projects to be funded by integrated regional water management grant funds. The bill would require the department, upon appropriation of integrated regional water management funds, to award integrated regional water management grant funds for approved applications, proportionately consistent with any applicable statutory formula. The bill would require the recipient regional water management group, within 90 days, to provide the department with a list of integrated regional water management projects to be funded by the integrated regional water management grant funds, including a description, budget, and schedule for each project, and would require the department, within 60 days of receiving the project information, to distribute the funding to the regional water management group. The bill would require a regional water management group to quarterly report expenditures and activities for each project to the department and would require the department, at least once every 2 years, to audit each funding area and regional water management group that receives integrated regional water management funds from the department end insert .

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

begin insert

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 10534.5 is added to the end insert begin insert Water Code end insert begin insert , to
read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 10534.5. end insert   

“Funding area” means a hydrologic region, as
identified by the California Water Plan, as updated.

end insert

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 10536.5 is added to the end insert begin insert Water Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 10536.5. end insert   

“Planning region” means an integrated regional
water management region, as identified by the California Water
Plan, as updated.

end insert

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 3. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 10551) is added
to Part 2.2 of Division 6 of the end insert begin insert Water Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

 

Chapter   begin insert 7. end insert Streamlined Applications

 

begin insert 10551. end insert   

A streamlined application process, as specified under
this chapter, for the funding of integrated regional water
management plans shall be available to the following regional
water management groups:

(a) A regional water management group that represents a
funding area that is made up of a single planning region.

(b) If a funding area covers more than one planning region, a
regional water management group that represents all planning
regions within the funding area, if those regions have reached a
written agreement concerning the proportional allocation of
integrated regional water management funds to the individual
planning regions within the funding area.

begin insert 10552. end insert   

To receive integrated regional water management funds
through the streamlined application process, a regional water
management group described in Section 10551 shall complete,
and file with the department, a streamlined application form. The
streamlined application form shall be developed by the department
and shall require a regional water management group to do all
of the following:

(a) Specify the amount of funding that the regional water
management group is requesting. In instances where the funding
area covers more than one planning region, the combined total of
all the applications from within the funding area shall be consistent
with the written agreement described in subdivision (b) of Section
10551.

(b) Describe the types of projects to be funded by the integrated
regional water management grant funds and demonstrate how the
projects will provide multiple benefits.

(c) Demonstrate how the projects comply with applicable
statutory requirements governing the award of integrated regional
water management grant funds.

(d) If more than one planning region is within the funding area,
provide documentation showing that all planning regions within
the funding area have reached a written agreement concerning
the allocation of integrated regional water management funds
within the funding area.

(e) Identify the recipient public agency that will receive the
integrated regional water management grant funds.

begin insert 10553. end insert   

If the department approves a streamlined application
pursuant to Section 10552 of a regional water management group
described in Section 10551, the department, upon appropriation
of integrated regional water management funds to the department,
shall award integrated regional water management grant funds,
proportionately consistent with any applicable statutory formula,
to the regional water management group.

begin insert 10554. end insert   

(a) Within 90 days of an integrated regional water
management grant award pursuant to this chapter, the regional
water management group shall provide the department with a list
of projects to be funded by the integrated regional water
management funds. The list shall specify how the projects are
consistent with the adopted integrated regional water management
plan and shall include all of the following information:

(1) Descriptive information concerning each project identified.

(2) The budget of each project.

(3) Anticipated schedule for each project.

(b) Within 60 days of receiving the project information pursuant
to subdivision (a), the department shall distribute the funding to
the regional water management group.

begin insert 10555. end insert   

The regional water management group shall report
expenditures and activities for each project to the department
quarterly, in a format to be determined by the department.

begin insert 10556. end insert   

The department, at least once every two years, or more
frequently at its own discretion, shall audit expenditures, invoices,
and reimbursements for each funding area and regional water
management group that receives integrated regional water
management grant funds from the department.

end insert

begin delete

SECTION 1.  

Section 10546.1 is added to the Water Code, to
read:

10546.1.  

On or before October 1, 2015, the department shall
develop a streamlined application process for the funding of
regional projects and programs. A regional project or program
applicant may apply to the department for funding through the
streamlined application process if one of the following applies:

(a) All regional water management groups within the hydrologic
region or subregion have reached an agreement on how the funding
which is being applied for will be divided.

(b) The proposed regional program or project was selected based
on an integrated regional water management plan’s comprehensive
local project selection process and that integrated regional water
management plan is consistent with the current integrated regional
water management guidelines developed by the department
pursuant to Section 10541.

(c) The regional project or program applicant demonstrates that
it is undertaking all reasonable and feasible efforts to take into
account the water needs of disadvantaged communities in its
hydrologic region or subregion.

(d) With respect to hydrologic regions and subregions that
receive water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the proposed
project or program will help reduce dependence on the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for water supply.

SEC. 2.  

Section 10546.2 is added to the Water Code, to read:

10546.2.  

(a) The Department of Finance shall review the
department’s contracting procedures for the distribution of grants
for regional projects or programs for the three years prior to the
enactment of this section, and, in its review, shall consider all of
the following:

(1) The maximum, minimum, and average processing time for
contracts and amendments for regional projects or programs funded
by the department.

(2) The maximum, minimum, and average processing time from
reviewing a regional project or program invoice and approval to
payment of the project or program invoice.

(3) Recommendations for streamlining administrative processes,
including all of the following:

(A) Delegating increased responsibility to the regional project
or program applicant with respect to project or program oversight
and review of invoices.

(B) Minimizing the need for contract amendments.

(C) Ensuring timely processing of contracts and amendments.

(D) Ensuring statewide consistency in contract management.

(4) Any other information the Department of Finance deems
relevant to maximize efficiency in processing grant distributions.

(b) The Department of Finance shall report its findings under
subdivision (a) to the Legislature by ____.

(c) (1) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under
subdivision (b) is inoperative on ____, pursuant to Section 10231.5
of the Government Code.

(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall
be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
Code.

SEC. 3.  

Section 10546.3 is added to the Water Code, to read:

10546.3.  

The department shall promptly review and pay
invoices associated with grants for regional projects and programs.

end delete