AB 2528

  • California Assembly Bill
  • 2023-2024 Regular Session
  • Introduced in Assembly
  • Assembly
  • Senate
  • Governor

Williamson Act contracts: cancellation: energy projects.

Abstract

Existing law, the California Land Conservation Act of 1965, otherwise known as the Williamson Act, authorizes a city or county to enter into contracts with owners of agricultural land to preserve the land for agricultural use, as specified, in return for reduced property tax assessments. The act authorizes a landowner to petition the city council or board of supervisors, as applicable, for cancellation of the Williamson Act contract under specified circumstances and imposes a cancellation fee equal to 12.5% of the fair market value of the land without the restriction of the Williamson Act contract. The act also authorizes a landowner of specified agricultural land to petition the board to cancel the Williamson Act contract in order to designate the land as a farmland security zone, whereby the land is eligible for a specified property tax valuation and taxed at a reduced rate for specified special taxes. The act authorizes a landowner to petition the council or board, as applicable, to cancel a farmland security zone contract under specified circumstances and imposes a cancellation fee equal to 25% of the fair market value of the land without the restriction of the contract. This bill would authorize a landowner, if their land is located in the Counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, or Tulare, with a water basin in condition of critical overdraft, to petition the board or council to cancel a Williamson Act contract or a farmland security zone contract if the land meets specified criteria, including, among other things, not having permanent access to sufficient water to support commercially viable irrigated agricultural use on the land, and the landowner would be subject to a land use entitlement for specified energy projects. The bill would authorize a board or council to approve the cancellation if the board or council finds that the land does not have permanent access to sufficient water to support commercially viable irrigated agricultural use and the landowner would be subject to a land use entitlement for the specified energy projects that would use less water than the agricultural use on the land. The bill would require special energy projects to provide a community benefits package, as specified. The bill would impose a cancellation fee equal to 6.25% of the fair market value of the property without the restriction of the Williamson Act contract for cancellation of a Williamson Act contract, and would impose a cancellation fee equal to 12.5% of the fair market value of the property without the restriction of the contract for cancellation of a farmland security zone contract. The bill would require the cancellation fees to be collected by the county treasurer, remitted to the Controller, and, upon appropriation by the Legislature, allocated to the Department of Conservation, and for community benefits packages within the county, as specified. The act requires a board or council, as applicable, to adopt rules governing the administration of agricultural preserves, including rules related to compatible uses consistent with specified principles of compatibility. This bill would specify that a cancellation under the bill's provisions does not prevent a board or council from determining that the specified energy projects are a compatible use on contracted land. Existing law authorizes any local agency or combination of local agencies overlying a groundwater basin to become a groundwater sustainability agency for that basin. This bill would require a landowner to submit a notification to the relevant groundwater sustainability agency when starting a cancellation petition and to report a completed contract cancellation to the relevant groundwater sustainability agency. The bill would prohibit a contract cancellation from precluding a landowner from voluntary participation in the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare.

Bill Sponsors (1)

Votes


Actions


May 16, 2024

Assembly

Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 5215.)

Assembly

In committee: Held under submission.

May 15, 2024

Assembly

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  • Referral-Committee
APPR APPR. suspense file.

May 07, 2024

Assembly

Re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Joint Rule 10.5.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on APPR. pursuant to Joint Rule 10.5.

Assembly

Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

May 06, 2024

Assembly

Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

May 02, 2024

Assembly

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (April 24).

Apr 18, 2024

Assembly

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on AGRI. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 17). Re-referred to Com. on AGRI.

  • Committee-Passage
  • Committee-Passage-Favorable
  • Referral-Committee
Com. on AGRI.

Apr 08, 2024

Assembly

Re-referred to Coms. on U. & E. and AGRI. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

  • Referral-Committee
Coms. on U. & E. and AGRI. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

Apr 04, 2024

Assembly

Re-referred to Coms. on AGRI. and U. & E. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

  • Referral-Committee
Coms. on AGRI. and U. & E. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

Mar 19, 2024

Assembly

Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on L. GOV.

Mar 18, 2024

Assembly

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. Read second time and amended.

Mar 11, 2024

Assembly

Referred to Com. on L. GOV.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on L. GOV.

Feb 14, 2024

Assembly

From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.

Feb 13, 2024

Assembly

Read first time. To print.

Bill Text

Bill Text Versions Format
AB2528 HTML
02/13/24 - Introduced PDF
03/18/24 - Amended Assembly PDF
05/06/24 - Amended Assembly PDF

Related Documents

Document Format
04/16/24- Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy PDF
04/23/24- Assembly Agriculture PDF
05/14/24- Assembly Appropriations PDF

Sources

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