Bill Text: CA AB900 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 900

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Aquifer recharge.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB900 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB900-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 900

Introduced by Assembly Member Bennett

February 14, 2023

An act to add Section 227.5 to the Water Code, relating to water.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 900, as introduced, Bennett. Aquifer recharge: grant program: streamlined permitting.

Existing law establishes the Department of Water Resources in the Natural Resources Agency. Existing law authorizes the department to investigate any natural situation available for reservoirs or reservoir systems for gathering and distributing flood or other water not under beneficial use in any stream, stream system, lake, or other body of water. Existing law also authorizes the department to ascertain the feasibility of projects for those reservoirs or reservoir systems, the supply of water that may thereby be made available, and the extent and character of the areas that may be thereby irrigated, as well as the cost of those projects.

The bill would require the department to prepare and produce a report outlining best practices for aquifer recharge. The bill would require the report to include guidelines for a streamlined permitting process for aquifer recharge projects that implement the best practices outlined in the report. The bill would also require the department to create a grant program to implement best practices in aquifer recharge, including a streamlined process for the issuance of a permit.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Section 227.5 is added to the Water Code, to read:

227.5.

(a) The department shall prepare and produce a report outlining best practices for aquifer recharge. The report shall include guidelines for a streamlined permitting process for aquifer recharge projects that implement the best practices outlined in the report.

(b) The department shall create a grant program to implement best practices in aquifer recharge, including a streamlined process for the issuance of a permit.