Today was the deadline for Senate and Assembly policy committees to hear bills with fiscal impacts. Many water bills faced critical challenges in their respective policy committees before continuing to the appropriations committee or the floor, making the last two weeks a whirlwind of advocacy in the Capitol. Here is a snapshot of the water bills that have moved forward, been held, and failed to pass
Passed to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
SB 918 (Pavley) [PCL Co-sponsoring]
Requires the California Department of Public Health to create safety criteria for using recycled water for groundwater recharge and surface storage augmentation
Appropriates $30,000,000 from the Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act of 2006 for flood protection projects to strengthen the sustainability of the Delta.
Requires the Department of Fish and Game to collaborate with all local agencies that have land use permit authority in a natural community conservation plan.
Passed to the Assembly Appropriations Committee:
Requires that individuals using pesticides obtain an identification number for pesticide use from the county agricultural commissioner of each county where pest control work is performed. Identification numbers will be issued only to operators complying with water quality requirements
Requires the Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Plan to include a long-run financing plan (including fee proposals) to cover the costs of implementation.
Requires the Department of Water Resources to evaluate and study the implementation of a Delta Corridors Plan and the Two-Gates Fish Demonstration Project.
Passed from the Appropriations Committee to the floor in the house of origin:
Mandates the installation of water meters on individual residential units within a multiunit residential area or a mixed use residential and commercial area as a condition for water delivery.
Referred to committee in second house:
Reimburses local agencies up to 75% of costs for maintenance or improvement of Delta levees in excess of $1,000 per mile of levee until July 1, 2013. On and after that date, up to 50% of costs will be reimbursed.
Re-referred to original committee:
Prohibits the construction of a Peripheral Canal without the approval of the state legislature.
The following bill failed passage:
Called for the formation of a scientific panel to review and recommend updates to the model water efficient landscape ordinance and proposed rules, regulations, and guidelines relating to urban residential water demand management.
Next week, we will take a closer look at the legislation dealing with global warming and energy policy.