California Assembly Bill AB1376 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1376AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Perea FEBRUARY 27, 2015 An act  to amend Section 13163 of the Water Code,  relating to  water quality.   drinking water, making an appropriation therefor   .  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1376, as amended, Perea. State Water Resources Control Board:  investigations.   appropriation:   drought-related drinking water projects.  Existing  law designates the State Water Resources Control Board as the state pollution control agency for purposes of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and authorizes the state board to exercise any powers delegated to the state by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Existing law requires the state board to coordinate water-quality-related investigations of state agencies and requires a state agency to submit to the state board, for review and comment, plans for, and results of, investigations that relate to, or have an effect upon, water quality.   law, the California Safe Drinking Water Act, requires the State Water Resources Control Board to administer provisions relating to the regulation of drinking water to   protect public health, including, but not limited to, conducting research, studies, and demonstration programs relating to the provision of a dependable, safe supply of drinking water, enforcing the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, adoption of enforcement regulations, and conducting studies and investigations to assess the quality of water in domestic water supplies. Existing law requires the state board to ensure that all public water systems are operated in compliance with the act.  This bill would  make nonsubstantive changes to these water-quality-related investigation provisions.   appropriate $15,000,000 from the General Fund to the state board, for expenditure until June 30, 2016, for grants of up to $500,000 per project for public water systems to address drought-related   drinking water emergencies or threatened emergencies in the state. The bill would require the state board to make every effort to use other funds available to address drinking water emergencies, including federal funds made available for the drought, prior to using the funds appropriated pursuant to these provisions.  Vote:  majority   2/3  . Appropriation:  no   yes  . Fiscal committee:  no   yes  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Fifteen million dollars (15,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the State Water Resources Control Board, for expenditure until June 30, 2016, for grants of up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) per project for public water systems to address drought-related drinking water emergencies or threatened emergencies in the state. The state board shall make every effort to use other funds available to address drinking water emergencies, including federal funds made available for the drought, prior to using the funds appropriated pursuant to this section.       SECTION 1.   Section 13163 of the Water Code is amended to read: 13163. (a) The state board shall coordinate water-quality-related investigations of state agencies, recognizing that other state agencies have primary statutory authority for the investigations, and shall consult with the concerned regional boards in implementing this section. (b) The state board from time to time shall evaluate the need for water-quality-related investigations to effectively develop and implement statewide policy for water quality control and shall transmit its recommendations for investigations to affected or concerned federal, state, and local agencies. The affected state agency shall comply with the recommendations or shall advise the state board in writing why the state agency will not comply with the recommendations. (c) A state agency shall submit to the state board for review and comment plans for, and results of, investigations that relate to, or have an effect upon, water quality.