BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
SB 985 (Pavley) - Stormwater resource planning.
Amended: May 7, 2014 Policy Vote: NR&W 8-0, EQ 6-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: May 14, 2014 Consultant: Marie Liu
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill Summary: SB 985 would require that stormwater resource
plans identify and prioritize stormwater and dry weather runoff
capture projects, with an emphasis on those projects that use
existing public lands. Development of a stormwater resource plan
would be required in order to be eligible to receive future bond
funds for stormwater and dry weather runoff capture projects.
Fiscal Impact:
One-time costs of approximately $390,000 from the Waste
Discharge Permit Fund (special) for one year for the State
Water Resources Control Board (board) to develop the
required policy to guide compliance.
Unknown potential cost pressures to the board to approve
stormwater resource plans as a condition of eligibility for
future bond monies.
Background: The Stormwater Resources Act (act) authorizes, but
does not require, cities, counties, and special districts to
develop and implement stormwater resources plans. These plans
are required to identify specific items, including, among other
things, opportunities to augment local water supply through
groundwater recharge or storage for beneficial reuse of
stormwater, opportunities for source control for both pollution
and stormwater runoff volume and reuse of stormwater, and
projects to reestablish natural water drainage treatment and
infiltration systems. The plans must be developed on a watershed
basis and must provide for community participation in plan
development and implementation.
Proposed Law: This bill would require that a stormwater resource
plans also identify opportunities to use existing publically
owned lands and easements to capture and use stormwater.
The stormwater resource plans would be required to prioritize
SB 985 (Pavley)
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projects in a quantitative manner to maximize water supply,
water quality, flood management, environmental, and other
community benefits within the watershed. The plans would also be
required to prioritize the use of public lands in projects.
While the development of stormwater resource plans will remain
voluntary, this bill would require a plan to be developed in
order for the entity to be eligible to receive grants for
stormwater and dry weather runoff capture projects from a bond
that is approved by the voters after January 1, 2014.
The board would be required to establish a policy that would
develop appropriate quantitative methods for identifying and
prioritizing opportunities for stormwater and dry weather runoff
capture projects. The board would also be responsible for
identifying the prerequisites necessary for stormwater resource
plans to be considered as part of an alternative compliance plan
for municipal or stormwater national pollutant discharge
elimination system permits.
Staff Comments: Under this bill, the board would incur costs to
develop the required policy, which would involve workshops and
stakeholder outreach. Based on their experience in developing a
similar policy regarding another issue, the board estimates that
it would need three PYs at an approximate cost of $390,000 for
one year.
The board would also incur costs to approve stormwater resource
plans to establish eligibility for stormwater and dry weather
runoff capture projects with future bond monies. Staff notes
that the water bond that is currently on the November 2014
ballot does not have money for stormwater projects, though many
of the legislative proposals to replace that bond do.