SB 34

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Under existing law, various measures provide funding for water resources projects, facilities, and programs. This bill would enact the California Water Resources Investment Act of 2011 to finance a water resources investment program. To finance the program, the bill would impose on each retail water supplier in the state an annual charge based on the volume of water provided in its service area that is provided for nonagricultural uses and an annual charge based on each acre of land within its service area that is irrigated for agricultural purposes. The bill would require the State Board of Equalization to collect the charges from retail water suppliers in accordance with the Fee Collection Procedures Law, and would authorize the State Board of Equalization and the Department of Water Resources to adopt and enforce regulations for the administration and enforcement of the charges and related requirements as emergency regulations. The bill would require the revenues of the charges collected for purposes of the water resources investment program to be deposited in the California Water Resources Investment Fund, which would be established by the bill. The bill would establish a State Investment Account and an unspecified number of regional investment accounts within the fund, and would require 50% of the moneys deposited in the fund to be transferred to the State Investment Account and 50% of the moneys deposited in the fund to be transferred to the regional investment accounts based on the amount of charges collected within each unspecified funding region established by the bill. The bill would require the moneys in each of the regional investment accounts to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of providing funding for public benefits of water-related projects and programs, consistent with prescribed requirements. The bill would require the moneys in the State Investment Account to be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for administration of the water resources investment program and to fund public benefits of specified water-related projects and programs, including statewide water resources projects, the operating expenses of the Delta Stewardship Council and the Delta Plan adopted by the council, projects that reduce the impacts of mercury contamination in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, specified scientific studies and assessments, debt service on general obligation bonds for projects and programs that provide statewide and interregional public benefits, and other unspecified purposes. (2) By expanding the application of the Fee Collection Procedures Law, the violation of which is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. (3) This bill would constitute a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIII A of the California Constitution, and this would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature.