On February 24, 2014, Assembly Bill 79 and Senate Bill 103 (2013 Budget Act bills) were amended to carry the Emergency Drought legislation that was unveiled last week by Governor Brown, Senate President Pro Tem Darrel Steinberg, and Assembly Speaker John Perez. The two identical bills are urgency statutes and would appropriate $214.9 million and $74.7 million respectively from the General Fund to a variety of projects.
Also amended were AB 80 and SB 104, relating to drought relief. These identical bills, also urgency measures, would both appropriate funds and expedite administrative actions such as authorizing the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) to promulgate emergency regulations to promote water recycling and water conservation, as well as the curtailment of water rights and diversions when water is not available under the diverter’s priority of right. These two budget trailer bills are linked to the 2013-14 Budget Act, and would only become operative if either AB 79 or SB 103 is enacted.
On February 26, 2014, AB 79 and AB 80 were heard in the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #3 on Resources and in the full Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. In the Assembly Committee, Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R), made an alternative motion to the two bills, substituting use of the AB 32 funds for general funds, and striking a section regarding water rights. Instead, the Committee approved the original language of AB 79 and AB 80. The bills were, however, amended to address some stakeholder concerns expressed during previous public comment.
The following day, SB 103 and SB 104, the Senate version of AB 79 and AB 80 were passed by the Assembly and the Senate. The bills now go to the Governor for final action. The Legislature will be continuing to address the drought issue throughout the Budget process this year.
The text of the Senate bills can be accessed via the following links:
For additional information, please contact RCRC Legislative Advocate Cyndi Hillery at 916.447.4806 (chillery@rcrcnet.org), or Kathy Mannion at 916.447.4806 (kmannion@rcrcnet.org).