AB 2775

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law creates the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010, which, if approved by the voters at the November 2, 2010, statewide general election, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $11,140,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a safe drinking water and water supply reliability program. The bond act, among other things, would continuously appropriate $3,000,000,000 to the California Water Commission for specified water projects, including surface storage projects identified in the CALFED Bay-Delta Program Record of Decision, dated August 28, 2000, except as specified. Funds allocated for this purpose are authorized by the bond act to be provided to local joint powers authorities formed by irrigation districts and other local water districts and local governments located within the applicable hydrologic region to design, acquire, and construct those projects. The bond act would also require the Department of Water Resources to be an ex officio member of each joint powers authority, prohibit the department from controlling the governance, management, or operation of the surface water storage project, and authorize the joint powers authorities to include in their membership governmental and nongovernmental partners that are not located within their respective hydrologic regions in financing the surface storage projects, including, as appropriate, cost share participation or equity participation. This bill would would delete the authorization for joint powers authorities to include nongovernmental partners in their membership. The bill would also prohibit the joint powers authorities from including in their membership any for-profit corporation, or mutual water company whose shareholders and members include a for-profit corporation or any other private entity. The bill would require the Secretary of State to include the changes made by this bill when submitting to the voters the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010, at the November 2, 2010, statewide general election. (2) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.