Signed by Governor Jerry Brown, Jr.

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that authorizes the designation of a water basin as a probationary basin for the purpose of groundwater sustainability.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the California State Water Resources Control Board to designate a water basin as a probationary basin if certain criteria including, but not limited to, the following criteria apply to the basin (Sec. 1):
• After June 30, 2017, a local agency has not elected to be a groundwater sustainability agency for the entire basin;
• After January 31, 2020, a groundwater sustainability agency has not adopted a groundwater sustainability plan for the entire basin;
• After January 31, 2020, the groundwater sustainability plan is “inadequate”.

• Authorizes the Board to adopt an interim plan for probationary basins that includes certain information including, but not limited to, the following information (Sec. 2):
• An identification of actions necessary to correct depletions of interconnected surface waters;
• A time schedule for the actions to be taken;
• A description of the monitoring to be undertaken to determine effectiveness of the plan; and
• A groundwater sustainability plan that either complies with or would help meet the sustainability goal for the basin.

• Exempts from probationary status any portion of a basin for which a groundwater sustainability agency demonstrates compliance with a sustainability goal (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that this bill shall only become effective if both Assembly Bill 1739 and Senate Bill 1168 of the 2013-2014 Regular Session are enacted and become effective (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes the designation of a water basin as a probationary basin for the purpose of groundwater sustainability.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the California State Water Resources Control Board to designate a water basin as a probationary basin if certain criteria including, but not limited to, the following criteria apply to the basin (Sec. 1):
• After June 30, 2017, a local agency has not elected to be a groundwater sustainability agency for the entire basin;
• After January 31, 2020, a groundwater sustainability agency has not adopted a groundwater sustainability plan for the entire basin;
• After January 31, 2020, the groundwater sustainability plan is “inadequate”.

• Authorizes the Board to adopt an interim plan for probationary basins that includes certain information including, but not limited to, the following information (Sec. 2):
• An identification of actions necessary to correct depletions of interconnected surface waters;
• A time schedule for the actions to be taken;
• A description of the monitoring to be undertaken to determine effectiveness of the plan; and
• A groundwater sustainability plan that either complies with or would help meet the sustainability goal for the basin.

• Exempts from probationary status any portion of a basin for which a groundwater sustainability agency demonstrates compliance with a sustainability goal (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that this bill shall only become effective if both Assembly Bill 1739 and Senate Bill 1168 of the 2013-2014 Regular Session are enacted and become effective (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes the designation of a water basin as a probationary basin for the purpose of groundwater sustainability.

Highlights:

• Requires an “Administrator” to amend the California Oil Spill Contingency Plan to provide the "best achievable" protection of the “waters of the state” (Sec. 3).

• Defines “Administrator” as an individual appointed by the governor to oversee oil spill response management (Sec. 3).

• Defines “water of the state” as any surface water, including saline waters, marine waters, and freshwaters, within the boundaries of the state but does not include groundwater (Sec. 6).

• Requires the California Oil Spill Contingency Plan to include a regional and local planning element that provides a framework for the involvement of regional and local agencies in response to an oil spill regarding certain aspects including, but not limited to, the following aspects (Sec. 3):
• The need for traffic and crowd control; 
• The need for firefighting; 
• The need for boating traffic control; and
• The need for radio and communications. 

• Requires the Administrator to submit an amended California Oil Spill Contingency Plan, addressing marine and inland oil spills, to the legislature on or before January 1, 2017, and every 3 years thereafter (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text