California Assembly Bill AB403 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 403INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Campos FEBRUARY 14, 2011 An act to amend Section 116365.5 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to drinking water standards. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 403, as introduced, Campos. Public drinking water standards: hexavalent chromium. The Calderon-Sher Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996 requires the State Department of Public Health to, among other things, adopt regulations relating to primary and secondary drinking water standards for contaminants in drinking water. Existing law requires the department to establish a primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium on or before January 1, 2004. Violation of certain provisions relating to public water systems is a crime. This bill would require the department to establish a primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium on or before January 1, 2013, and would, if a standard is not adopted by that date, make the public health goal set by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as of January 1, 2011, the applicable standard. By expanding the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 116365.5 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 116365.5. (a) The  State  Department of  Public  Health  Services shall commence the process for adopting a primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium that complies with the criteria established under Section 116365. (b) The department shall report to the Legislature on its progress in developing a primary drinking standard for hexavalent chromium by January 1, 2003. (c) The department shall establish a primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium on or before January 1,  2004   2013  .  (d) If the department does not adopt a primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium as required by subdivision (c) before January 1, 2013, then the standard shall be the public health goal set by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as of January 1, 2011.  SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.