AB 2000

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law requires various state agencies to administer programs relating to water supply, water quality, and flood management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Johnston-Baker-Andal-Boatwright Delta Protection Act of 1992 (Delta Protection Act) creates the Delta Protection Commission and requires the commission to prepare and adopt a comprehensive long-term resource management plan for specified lands within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) . Existing law, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009, established the Delta Stewardship Council as an independent agency of the state and required the council to consist of 7 members appointed in a specified manner. This bill would reduce the Governor's appointments to the council to 2 members, and instead provide that the Vice-Chairperson of the commission and a member of the commission chosen by a majority vote of the commission will serve on the council, as prescribed. Existing law imposes requirements on the Department of Water Resources in connection with the preparation of a Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) . The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009 requires the council to consider the BDCP for inclusion in a specified Delta Plan, and requires the incorporation of the BDCP into the Delta Plan if the BDCP meets certain requirements, including a requirement that the BDCP include a comprehensive review and analysis of a range of Delta conveyance alternatives, including through-Delta, dual conveyance, and isolated conveyance alternatives and capacity and design options of specified canals and pipelines. This bill would require the department to withdraw from a specified Memorandum of Agreement. This bill would permit the department to enter into a new agreement to further efforts to develop a BDCP only if that memorandum of agreement includes prescribed requirements. Under existing law, various general obligation bond acts have been approved by the voters to provide funds for water projects, facilities, and programs. Existing law, the Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act of 2006, a bond act approved by the voters at the November 7, 2006, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $4,090,000,000 for the purposes of financing disaster preparedness and flood prevention projects, of which $3,000,000,000 is available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the department, for specified purposes including, but not limited to, the evaluation, repair, rehabilitation, reconstruction, or replacement of levees. Existing law, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006, an initiative bond act approved by the voters as Proposition 84 at the November 7, 2006, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $5,388,000,000, of which $275,000,000 is made available to the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for flood control projects in the Delta designed to increase the department's ability to respond to levee breaches and to reduce the potential for levee failures. This bill, with regard to those bond funds, would appropriate available funds to the department for levee improvements, as prescribed.