California Assembly Bill AB2208 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2208INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Perea FEBRUARY 23, 2012 An act to amend Section 116326 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to drinking water. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2208, as introduced, Perea. Community water systems: consolidation and merger. Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to administer programs to fund improvements and expansion of small community water systems using specified priorities. Existing law requires the department to encourage the consolidation of small community water systems that serve disadvantaged communities in instances that consolidation will help the affected agencies and the state meet specified goals. Existing law allows funding of studies regarding the feasibility of consolidating 2 or more community water systems, at least one of which is a small community water system that serves a disadvantaged community. Existing law requires the department to give funding priority to projects involving physical restructuring of 2 or more community water systems into a single, consolidated system when it is shown that the consolidation would further specified goals. This bill would require the department to promote the consolidation and merger of small community water systems that serve disadvantaged communities, as specified. This bill would require the studies described above to include the feasibility of consolidating community water systems or merging a community water system with a city water system, as specified, unless the department determines consolidation or merger is not feasible. This bill would also require the department to give priority to funding projects involving the physical restructuring and managerial consolidation of 2 or more community water systems or the merger of community water systems into a single, consolidated system when it is shown that the consolidation or merger would further specified goals. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 116326 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 116326. In administering programs to fund improvements and expansions of small community water systems, the department shall do all of the following: (a) Give priority to funding projects in disadvantaged communities. (b)  Encourage   Promote    the consolidation  or merger  of small community water systems that serve disadvantaged communities in instances where consolidation  or merger  will help  at least one of  the affected agencies and the state to meet all of the following goals: (1) Improvement in the quality of water delivered. (2) Improvement in the reliability of water delivery. (3) Reduction in the cost of drinking water for ratepayers. (c) Pursuant to subdivision (b),  allow   require that  funding for feasibility studies performed prior to a construction project  to  include studies of the feasibility of consolidating two or more community water systems  ,   or merging a community water system with a city water system, when  at least one  of which is a  of the water systems is a  small community water system that serves a disadvantaged community  , unless the department makes a written determination that consolidation or merger is not feasible under the circumstances  . (d) In instances  where   that  it is shown that small community water system consolidation  or merger  will further the goals of subdivision (b), give priority to funding construction projects that involve the physical restructuring  and managerial consolidation  of two or more community water systems  or merger one or more community water systems  , at least one of which is a small community water system that serves a disadvantaged community, into a single, consolidated system.