BILL NUMBER: AB 1242	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 19, 2015
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JULY 16, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 5, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Gray

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2015

   An act to add Section 13145.5 to the Water Code, relating to water
quality.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1242, as amended, Gray. Water quality: groundwater impacts.
   Existing law establishes the State Water Resources Control Board
and the 9 California regional water quality control boards as the
principal state agencies with authority over matters relating to
water quality. Existing law requires the state board to formulate and
adopt state policy for water quality control. Existing law requires
each regional board to formulate and adopt water quality control
plans for all areas within the region and prohibits a water quality
control plan, or a revision of the plan, adopted by a regional board,
from becoming effective unless it is approved by the state board.
   Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires
all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins
by the Department of Water Resources that are designated as basins
subject to critical conditions of overdraft to be managed under a
groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater
sustainability plans by January 31, 2020, and requires all other
groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins to
be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated
groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2022, except as
specified.
   This bill would require the state board, in formulating state
policy for water quality control and adopting or approving a water
quality control  plan,   plan for the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta,  to take into consideration,
consistent with the requirements of the California Environmental
Quality Act, any applicable groundwater sustainability plan or
alternative and available information and data regarding the impacts
of groundwater use and management on beneficial uses of surface
waters.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 13145.5 is added to the Water Code, to read:
   13145.5.  In formulating state policy for water quality control
and adopting or approving a water quality control  plan,
  plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta,  the
state board shall take into consideration, consistent with the
requirements of Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the
Public Resources Code, any applicable groundwater sustainability plan
or alternative adopted or approved under Part 2.74 (commencing with
Section 10720) of Division 6 and available information and data
regarding the impacts of groundwater use and management on beneficial
uses of surface waters.