BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 581
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Date of Hearing: January 12, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS, AND WILDLIFE
Marc Levine, Chair
AB 581
(Gomez) - As Amended January 4, 2016
SUBJECT: Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement
Act of 2014; Watershed Protection and Restoration Projects;
state funding signs.
SUMMARY: Requires all river, lake, stream, coastal water, and
watershed protection and restoration projects that receive state
funds from the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure
Improvement Act of 2014 (Proposition 1) to post signs
acknowledging state support of the project.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires all projects receiving funding from Proposition 12,
the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and
Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2000, to post signs, in
accordance with guidelines established by the California
Natural Resources Agency Secretary, acknowledging those funds.
2)Requires, to the extent practicable, all projects receiving
funding from Proposition 1 to include signage informing the
public that the project is supported by Proposition 1 funding.
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FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown; but a similar bill, AB 1169 (Gomez) of
2015, had minor costs according to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee analysis.
COMMENTS: This bill requires those projects receiving state
funding through Proposition 1 for watershed protection and
restoration to post signs acknowledging state support of the
project. This bill further requires the Secretary of the
California Natural Resources Agency to establish guidelines for
the posting of the signs and within those guidelines requires
the state to be listed first if the state is the source of 50
percent or more of the total project cost.
1)Purpose: The author states that it is important for
Californians to know where their river, lake, stream, coastal
water, and watershed protection and restoration project
taxpayer dollars are being spent. While Proposition 1
references signage it does not require or establish guidelines
for signage. This bill remedies that deficiency and applies
only to Chapter 6 of the Bond relative to river, lake, stream,
coastal water, and watershed protection and restoration
projects.
2)Background: The Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure
Improvement Act of 2014 (Proposition 1) made nearly $1.5
billion available for competitive grants for multi-benefit
ecosystem and watershed protection and restoration projects.
While there is a general assertion in Proposition 1 that all
projects receiving Proposition 1 support acknowledge the state
as a source of funds there are no requirements or guidelines
on how to do so.
3)Supporting Arguments: No support has been received by the
committee.
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4)Opposing Arguments: No opposition has been received by the
committee.
5)Prior and related legislation: AB 1169 (Gomez) would require
the Strategic Growth Council to develop guidelines to require
all recipients of state funding for projects in public places
to post signs acknowledging the source of funds. AB 1169 is
currently on the Senate inactive file.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Ryan Ojakian / W., P., & W. / (916)
319-2096
AB 581
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