California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 1587


Introduced by Assembly Member Mathis

January 6, 2016


An act to add Section 79776 to the Water Code, relating to groundwater, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1587, as introduced, Mathis. Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014: groundwater: recharge basins.

Existing law, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, approved by the voters as Proposition 1 at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $7,545,000,000 to finance a water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement program. The bond act provides that the sum of $900,000,000 is to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for expenditures on, and competitive grants and loans for, projects to prevent or clean up the contamination of groundwater that serves or has served as a source of drinking water. The bond act authorizes the use of $100,000,000 of those funds for competitive grants for projects that develop and implement groundwater planning requirements.

This bill, in implementing the competitive grants for those projects that develop and implement groundwater planning requirements, would require special consideration be given to those projects that would create groundwater recharge basins in areas of fallow farmland. This bill would appropriate $50,000,000 from the proceeds of the bond act for the purpose of that competitive grant program.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

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SECTION 1.  

Section 79776 is added to the Water Code, to
2read:

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79776.  

In implementing Section 79775, special consideration
4shall be given to those projects that would create groundwater
5recharge basins in areas of fallow farmland.

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SEC. 2.  

Fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) is hereby
7appropriated from the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure
8Improvement Fund of 2014 for the purpose of Section 79775 of
9the Water Code.



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