California Assembly Bill AB1694 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1694AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 15, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Lackey  (   Principal coauthor:   Assembly Member   Mathis   )   (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member   Gallagher   )  JANUARY 21, 2016 An act to add Section  79747.5   189.3  to the Water Code, relating to water, and making an appropriation therefor. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1694, as amended, Lackey.  Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014: stormwater: multibenefit projects.   State Water Resources Control Board: grant program for school drinking water.  Existing  law, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, approved by the voters as Proposition 1 at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $7,545,000,000 to finance a water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement program. The bond act provides that the sum of $810,000,000 is to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for expenditures on, and competitive grants and loans to, projects that are included in and implemented in an adopted integrated regional water management plan and respond to climate change and contribute to regional water security. The bond act requires $200,000,000 of these funds to be available for grants for multibenefit stormwater management projects   law establishes the State Water Resources Control Board   as   a   state agenc   y with authority over matters relating to water quality. Existing law requires the state board to formulate and adopt state policy for water quality control.  . This  bill, in implementing these grants for multibenefit stormwater management projects, would require special consideration to be given to projects that would use cisterns for water storage and flood protection. This bill would appropriate $90,000,000 from the proceeds of the bond act for the purpose of the grants for multibenefit stormwater management projects.   bill would require the state board to establish a grant program to award grants to public elementary and secondary schools to improve access to, and the quality of, drinking water. The bill would specify various types of projects for which these grants co   uld be awarded. The bill would require the state board to give priority to applicant public elementary and secondary schools that serve a disadvantaged community, as defined. The bill would require the state board to develop procedures for the submission of applications for grants by local educational agencies and criteria for the evaluation of these applications.   The bill would appropriate $10,000,000, without regard to fiscal years, from the General Fund to the state board for allocation to local educational agencies as grants made pursuant to the bill. The bill would provide that funds allocated to local educational agencies pursuant to this bill would supplement, and not supplant, the other state funds apportioned to these local educational agencies for their support. To the extent that the funds appropriated by this bill are allocated to school districts, the amount of these funds would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 189.3 is added to the   Water Code   , to read:   189.3. (a) The board shall establish a grant program to award grants to public elementary and secondary schools to improve access to, and the quality of, drinking water. The board may award grants under this section for projects including, but not necessarily limited to, any of the following: (1) Installation of water bottle filling stations. (2) Installation or replacement of drinking water fountains with devices that are capable of removing any contaminants that are present in the school's water supply. (3) Installation of point-of-entry or point-of-use treatment devices. (4) Plumbing repairs that improve drinking water quality. (b) In awarding grants under this section, the board shall give priority to applicant public elementary and secondary schools that serve a disadvantaged community, as that term is defined in Section 79505.5. (c) The board shall implement this section by taking actions including, but not necessarily limited to, the development of procedures for the submission of applications for grants by local educational agencies and criteria for the evaluation of these applications. The actions taken by the board pursuant to this subdivision shall not be subject to the rulemaking requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.   SEC. 2.   The sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) is hereby appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, from the General Fund to the State Water Resources Control Board for allocation to local educational agencies as grants to improve access to, and the quality of, drinking water at public elementary and secondary schools pursuant to Section 189.3 of the Water Code. The funds allocated to local educational agencies pursuant to this section shall supplement, and not supplant, the other state funds apportioned to these local educational agencies for their support.   SECTION 1.   Section 79747.5 is added to the Water Code, to read: 79747.5. In implementing Section 79747, special consideration shall be given to multibenefit stormwater management projects that would use cisterns for water storage and flood protection.   SEC. 2.   Ninety million dollars ($90,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Fund of 2014 for the purpose of Section 79747 of the Water Code.