Bill Text: CA AB1529 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Drinking water: cross-connection or backflow prevention device inspectors: certification.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2018-09-19 - Vetoed by Governor. [AB1529 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB1529-Enrolled.html
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Enrolled
August 29, 2018 |
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Passed
IN
Senate
August 21, 2018 |
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Passed
IN
Assembly
August 27, 2018 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
August 14, 2018 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
September 08, 2017 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
September 07, 2017 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
July 18, 2017 |
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Amended
IN
Assembly
May 01, 2017 |
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Amended
IN
Assembly
April 19, 2017 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION
| Assembly Bill | No. 1529 |
| Introduced by Assembly Members Thurmond and Caballero |
February 17, 2017 |
An act to add Section 116812 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to drinking water.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1529, Thurmond.
Drinking water: cross-connection or backflow prevention device inspectors: certification.
Existing 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 projects relating to the provision of a dependable, safe supply of drinking water, enforcing the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, adopting regulations, and conducting studies and investigations to assess the quality of private domestic water wells.
Existing law requires any person who owns a public water system to ensure that the system does certain things, including, but not limited to, that it will not be subject to backflow under normal operating conditions. Existing law, to ensure that testing and maintenance of backflow prevention devices are
performed by persons qualified to do testing and maintenance, authorizes local health officers to maintain programs for certification of backflow prevention device testers and requires the certification program to be consistent with backflow protection regulations adopted by the state board. A violation of these provisions, or of an order by a local health officer pursuant to these provisions, is a misdemeanor.
Existing law requires the state
board, on or before January 1, 2020, to
adopt standards for backflow protection and cross-connection control.
This bill would require valid and current certifications for cross-connection inspection and testing or backflow prevention device inspection, testing, and maintenance that
meet specified requirements for competency to be accepted certification tests either until the state board promulgates
standards for certified backflow prevention device testers and cross-connection control specialists, or until January 1, 2020, whichever comes first. The bill would, under certain conditions, prohibit a water supplier from refusing to recognize statewide certifications that meet standards set by the state board. Because a violation of that prohibition would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime.
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.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 116812 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:116812.
(a) Valid and current certifications for cross-connection inspection and testing or backflow prevention device inspection, testing, and maintenance that meet the requirements for competency, as provided in Sections 7583 to 7605, inclusive, of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, before January 1, 2016, shall be accepted certification tests either until the State Water Resources Control Board promulgates standards pursuant to Section 116407 for certified backflow prevention device testers and cross-connection control specialists, or until January 1, 2020, whichever comes first.(b) If contractors, building operators, building owners, or property owners are required to employ, contract with, or subcontract with a certified backflow prevention device tester or a certified cross-connection control specialist
for devices located on the customer’s side of a public water meter or on the customer’s side of a public water connection, the water supplier shall not refuse to recognize statewide certifications that meet the standards set by the State Water Resources Control Board. The customer’s side of a public water connection shall include any devices, piping, or equipment for which the customer is responsible for testing, maintenance, or repair costs.
(c) Nothing in this section prohibits an agency, water supplier, or regulated public utility from rejecting the adequacy of a specific cross-connection or backflow prevention device inspection, test, or
maintenance activity for reasons other than the identity of the certification provider.
