Bill Text: CA SB559 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Department of Water Resources: federal funding: Friant-Kern Canal.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Vetoed) 2020-09-28 - In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending. [SB559 Detail]
Download: California-2019-SB559-Amended.html
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Amended
IN
Assembly
August 25, 2020 |
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Amended
IN
Assembly
July 03, 2019 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
May 17, 2019 |
| Introduced by Senator Hurtado (Principal coauthors: Senators Borgeas, Caballero, and Grove) (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Arambula, Bigelow, Fong, Mathis, Patterson, and Salas) |
February 22, 2019 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
This bill would require the commission to make a grant of $400,000,000 to a specified joint powers authority to restore the capacity of the Friant-Kern Canal, subject to an appropriation.
The bill, among other things, would require the grant to be part of a comprehensive solution to groundwater sustainability and subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley and would require the joint powers authority to demonstrate a funding match of at least 35% from user fees, local sources, federal funding, or a combination of these sources.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 140.5 is added to the Water Code, to read:140.5.
(a) The department shall report to the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, on or before March 31, 2021, on federal funding approved by the United States Congress in its 2021 Congressional Budget Resolution and related appropriations bills or otherwise provided to the Friant Water Authority or other government agency to restore the capacity of the Friant-Kern Canal, including whether the restoration is to original design capacity or a different capacity.(a)The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
(1)The Friant-Kern Canal is the main water conveyance feature on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley and also the primary delivery mechanism for water that is used for groundwater recharge.
(2)The canal has lost about 1,200 cubic feet per second of carrying capacity through a portion of the canal that should be capable of carrying at least 3 times as much.
(3)In 2017, more than 300,000 acre-feet of water was not delivered to recharge groundwater aquifers in some of California’s most critically overdrafted basins as a result of the loss of capacity in the canal.
(b)Subject to an appropriation in the Budget Act or another statute for this purpose, the California Water Commission
shall provide a grant of four hundred million dollars ($400,000,000) to the Friant Water Authority to restore the capacity of the Friant-Kern
Canal, subject to all of the following:
(1)The grant shall be part of a comprehensive solution to groundwater sustainability and subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley, developed in coordination with other entities in the region, including public, private, and academic institutions.
(2)The authority shall demonstrate that the project funded with the grant will result in groundwater recharge, water supply benefits, and transportation benefits, including replacement of existing bridges within the project area, in communities served by the canal. The authority shall provide two public briefings per year to the commission to review the progress of the project and receive public input.
(3)The authority may
make investments, including in groundwater recharge facilities, to support the development of safe and reliable drinking water supplies for failing public water systems, state small water systems, and domestic wells.
(4)The grant shall be provided to the authority in increments of not more than one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) upon request by the authority.
(5)The authority shall demonstrate a match of at least 35 percent of the grant funding from user fees, local sources, federal funding, or a combination of these sources.
(6)The authority shall spend no more than 10 percent of grant funding for planning purposes, including the preparation of environmental review documents. Planning costs shall not include costs associated with the acquisition of additional rights-of-way, if required.
(7)Notwithstanding Section 16304 of the Government Code, the commission shall set encumbrance and liquidation limits on grant funding provided pursuant to this subdivision, in coordination with the Department of Finance and the authority.
(c)For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1)“Authority” means the Friant Water Authority.
(2)“Canal” means the Friant-Kern Canal.
(3)“Commission” means the California Water Commission.
(4)“Public water system” has the same meaning as defined in Section 116275 of the Health and Safety Code.
(5)“State small water system” has the same meaning as defined in Section 116275 of the Health and Safety Code.
