Bill Text: CA SB231 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 231

Bill Title: Department of Water Resources: water supply forecasting.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2023-09-01 - September 1 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. [SB231 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SB231-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly July 12, 2023

Amended IN Assembly June 19, 2023

Amended IN Senate April 20, 2023

Amended IN Senate March 21, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 231

Introduced by Senator Hurtado
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Villapudua)

January 23, 2023

An act to add Article 2.2 (commencing with Section 240) to Chapter 2.5 of Division 1 of the Water Code, relating to water.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 231, as amended, Hurtado. Department of Water Resources: water supply forecasting.

Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to gather and correlate information and data pertinent to an annual forecast of seasonal water crop. Existing law also requires the department to update every 5 years the plan for the orderly and coordinated control, protection, conservation, development, and use of the water resources of the state, which is known as “The California Water Plan.”

This bill would require the department, on or before December 31, 2025, to establish a formal process for annually evaluating and improving the accuracy of its water supply forecasts, adopt a new water supply forecasting model that better addresses the effects of climate change, and implement a formal policy and procedures for documenting its operational plans for the state’s water supply and its rationale for its operating ~~procedures, and develop a comprehensive, long-term plan for mitigating and responding to the effects of drought.~~ procedures. The bill would require the ~~department~~ department, by December 1, 2024, to prepare, and submit to the Legislature, ~~quarterly reports~~ a report on its progress toward meeting these requirements. ~~The bill would require the department to review and update the plan for mitigating and responding to the effects of drought on or before December 31, 2026, and annually thereafter.~~

The bill would require the department, commencing in 2026 and annually thereafter, to present specified information at an open and public meeting, including the department’s operational decisions and their rationale for the state’s water supply during the preceding water year. The bill would require the department to include the information presented at the meeting in a report, make the report publicly available on the department’s internet website, and submit the report to the Legislature.

The bill would require the department to inventory its existing drought mitigation and response plans and submit a report to the Legislature identifying these plans and their purposes by December 31, 2025. The bill would require the report to include a recommendation on whether there is a need for a new comprehensive, long-term plan for mitigating and responding to the effects of drought at the state level.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Article 2.2 (commencing with Section 240) is added to Chapter 2.5 of Division 1 of the Water Code, to read:

Article 2.2. Water Supply Forecasting

240.

(a) On or before December 31, 2025, the department shall do all of the following:

(1) Establish a formal process for annually evaluating the accuracy of the department’s water supply forecasts, developing plans for the improvement of the forecasts, and implementing those plans.

(2) Adopt a new water supply forecasting model and procedures that better address the effects of climate change on the state’s water supply.

(3) Implement a formal policy and procedures for documenting the department’s operational plans for the state’s water supply and the department’s rationale for its operating procedures, including the department’s rationale for water releases from reservoirs.

~~(4)Develop a comprehensive, long-term plan for mitigating and responding to the effects of drought.~~

(b) (1) The department shall prepare ~~quarterly reports~~ a report to the Legislature on its progress toward meeting the requirements set forth in subdivision ~~(a). These progress reports~~ (a) by December 1, 2024. The report shall include a description of the methodology and procedures used by the department for purposes of the actions required pursuant to subdivision (a).

(2)The department shall provide an opportunity for stakeholders, federal, state, and local agencies, and other members of the public to comment on the progress reports prepared pursuant to paragraph (1).
~~(3)~~

(2) The department shall provide the ~~progress reports~~ report to the Legislature pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code and shall make the ~~progress reports~~ report publicly available on the department’s internet website.

(c)On or before December 31, 2026, and annually thereafter, the department shall review and update the plan for mitigating and responding to the effects of drought developed pursuant to subdivision (a).

241.

(a) (1) Commencing in 2026, and annually thereafter, the department shall present, at an open and public meeting, ~~all of~~ the following information to stakeholders, representatives of relevant governmental agencies, and other members of the public:

(A) The department’s operational decisions and their rationale for the state’s water supply during the preceding water year.

(B) Implementation of the water supply forecasting model and procedures adopted pursuant to Section 240.

~~(C)Any updates to the plan for mitigating and responding to the effects of drought developed pursuant to Section 240.~~

(2) At least 60 days before the meeting is held, the department shall make the date, time, and location of the presentation publicly available on its internet website.

(b) The department shall include the information presented pursuant to subdivision (a) in an annual report, which shall be made publicly available on the department’s internet website. The department shall submit the report to the Legislature pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code.

242.
(a) The department shall inventory its existing drought mitigation and response plans and submit a report to the Legislature identifying these plans and their purposes by December 31, 2025. The report shall include a recommendation on whether there is a need for a new comprehensive, long-term plan for mitigating and responding to the effects of drought at the state level.
(b) (1) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under subdivision (a) is inoperative on January 1, 2028, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.