California Assembly Bill AB2874 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2874AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 2, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 15, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Beth Gaines FEBRUARY 19, 2016 An act to add Section 10730.1 to the Water Code, relating to public utilities. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2874, as amended, Beth Gaines. Groundwater sustainability agencies: fees. Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources that are designated as basins subject to critical conditions of overdraft to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2020, and requires all other groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2022, except as specified. The act authorizes any local agency or combination of local agencies overlying a groundwater basin to decide to become a groundwater sustainability agency for that basin, as prescribed.  Existing law   The act  authorizes a groundwater sustainability agency to impose fees, including, but not limited to, permit fees and fees on groundwater extraction or other regulated activity, to fund the costs of a groundwater sustainability program. This bill would require a groundwater sustainability agency, before imposing or  increasing,   increasing a fee  pursuant to this  authority, a fee   authority  relating to a groundwater basin that includes a water corporation regulated by the Public Utilities Commission, to notify the Public Utilities Commission. 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 10730.1 is added to the Water Code, to read: 10730.1. A groundwater sustainability agency, before imposing or  increasing, pursuant to this chapter,   increasing  a fee  pursuant to Section 10730 or 10730.2  relating to a groundwater basin that includes a water corporation regulated by the Public Utilities Commission, shall notify the Public Utilities Commission.