The Barbed Wire - March 16, 2018

March 16, 2018
NACo Legislative Conference and Federal Advocacy Trip Recap
Bill of the Week: Senate Bill 833 (McGuire) – SUPPORT
Federal Infrastructure Update
Federal Budget Update
KEEPING UP
BULLETIN BOARD
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

NACo Legislative Conference and Federal Advocacy Trip Recap

Earlier this week, RCRC Vice President External Affairs Justin Caporusso sat down with RCRC Vice President Governmental Affairs Paul A. Smith to discuss the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2018 Legislative Conference and RCRC’s Federal Advocacy Trip to Washington, D.C.   Listen Here…

Bill of the Week: Senate Bill 833 (McGuire) – SUPPORT

Last week, RCRC lent its support to Senator Mike McGuire’s (D-Healdsburg) Senate Bill 833 related to the state’s red alert system.  SB 833 would expand the system to aid in evacuations during emergencies, and reimburse local governments for implementation of the system. 

According to RCRC Regulatory Affairs Advocate Staci Heaton, the “current opt-in emergency notification systems are not adequate to notify residents during emergency situations.  This became painfully clear during the devastating 2017 wildfires, which killed 44 people and injured 192 others in Northern California alone.”

Ms. Heaton’s support letter can be accessed here.  Ms. Heaton can be reached at (916) 447-4806 or sheaton@rcrcnet.org.

Federal Infrastructure Update

On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation held a hearing to review the Trump Administration’s infrastructure principles.  The hearing featured five Cabinet Secretaries, including Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, and Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.  Thus far, no other Congressional Committee has been able to hear the testimony from five Cabinet Secretaries for a hearing on President Trump’s infrastructure proposal. 

The Secretaries showed a united front of support for the Administration’s infrastructure proposal.  Within the infrastructure discussion, Secretary Perdue continues to deliver the rallying cry for rural infrastructure spending, championing three priorities for rural infrastructure:

  • Rural transportation (roads and bridges);
  • Rural utilities (Water, electricity, broadband); and,
  • Environmental permitting reform.

Congress continues to cast doubt over the chances of passage for  an infrastructure bill in 2018.  After this week’s hearing, Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune (R-South Dakota) said Congress would need to pair infrastructure spending with revenue raisers.  Republicans are unlikely to support revenue enhancements and Democrats will not hand the President a victory on infrastructure headed into the 2018 midterm elections.

Federal Budget Update

Coming into this week, Congress was expected to introduce text for an omnibus spending bill that would fund the federal government through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2018.  The House of Representatives was expecting a vote on Friday, but final negotiations on contentious issues failed to come together in time.  The omnibus will not be unveiled until next week, but it is unlikely that Congress will resort to another continuing resolution. 

Lawmakers are finalizing an agreement on wildfire funding and forest management provisions that is expected to be included in the final version of the omnibus.  Negotiations were threatened by management provisions that Democrats considered extreme but Republicans appear to be softening their demands for reform.  This week, Senator Tom Udall (D-New Mexico) expressed that the bipartisan cooperation on this issue is a good sign a deal will be reached and included in the final text of the omnibus.

In addition, Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) expressed that Congress will include a short-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization amendment to the omnibus.  Negotiations on FAA reauthorization have been held up in Congress for months, and Senator Thune is prepared to work to secure a long-term reauthorization, likely to occur after the November elections.

KEEPING UP

Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California's rural counties.

Elaine Craig, 63, of Madera, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Board of Directors, where she has served since 2015. Craig has been an executive director at the Madera County Workforce Investment Corporation since 2005. She is a member of the Madera County Business and Education Compact, Central California Workforce Collaborative and the California Workforce Association. Craig earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Golden Gate University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Craig is a Republican.

Daniel Leavitt, 54, of Davis, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Board of Directors, where he has served since 2015. Leavitt has served as manager of regional initiatives at the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission since 2012. He was deputy director at the California High-Speed Rail Authority from 1997 to 2012, executive director at the California Intercity High-Speed Rail Commission from 1995 to 1996 and deputy project manager at Parsons Brinckerhoff from 1994 to 1995. Leavitt earned a Master of Science degree in transportation engineering and city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Leavitt is a Democrat.

Bret Wood, 36, of Chico, has been appointed to the 3rd District Agricultural Association, Silver Dollar Fair Board of Directors. Wood has been vice president at North Valley Building Systems since 2010. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Wood is a Republican.

BULLETIN BOARD

Announcements regarding hearings, grants, and public comment notices of importance to California's rural counties.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission seeks Watershed Forester

Click here

CDFA Announces Grant Funding for Healthy Soils Program

Click here

CFCC Releases 2018 Funding Fairs Schedule

Click here

Webinar: Deeply Talks – A Conversation with Sandra Postel, Author of Replenish, the Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity

Click here

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

RCRC members are encouraged to share letters addressed to state and federal representatives and regulatory bodies with RCRC’s Government Affairs staff. 

Assembly Bill 924 (Bonta): Indian Tribes: Commercial Cannabis Activity.  Assembly Bill 924 would authorize the Governor to enter into agreements concerning cannabis activities on lands of federally-recognized sovereign Indian tribes. Status: AB 924 awaits consideration in the Senate Business, Professions & Economic Development Committee.  RCRC Position: Oppose

Assembly Bill 1250 (Jones-Sawyer): Counties and Cities: Personal Contract Services.  Assembly Bill 1250 would establish specific standards for the use of personal services contracts by counties.  Status: AB 1250 awaits consideration in the Senate Rules Committee. RCRC Position: Oppose

Assembly Bill 1772 (Aguiar-Curry): Fire Insurance Indemnity. Assembly Bill 1772 would extend the minimum limit during which an insured may collect the full replacement cost of a loss relating to a state of emergency to 36 months. Status:  AB 1722 awaits consideration in the Assembly Insurance Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 1800 (Levine): Fire Insurance. Assembly Bill 1800 relates to existing law which prohibits a fire insurance policy from limiting or denying payment of the replacement cost of property in the event the insured decides to rebuild or replace the property at a location other than the insured premises. Qualifies that prohibition by making it applicable in addition to any extended replacement cost coverage purchased by the insured and in addition to any increase in policy limits. Status: AB 1800 awaits consideration in the Assembly Insurance Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 1875 (Wood): Residential Property Insurance.  Assembly Bill 1875 would require an insurer to offer extended replacement cost coverage when issuing or renewing a policy of residential property insurance, and requires the insurer to disclose the premium costs for extended replacement cost coverage. Status: AB 1875 awaits consideration in the Assembly Insurance Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 1919 (Wood): Price Gouging: State of Emergency. Assembly Bill 1919 would make it a misdemeanor, upon proclamation or declaration of an emergency, for a person, business, or other entity to increase the monthly rental price advertised, offered or charged for residential housing to an existing or prospective tenant by more than a specified percentage or greater than the rental price advertised, offered, or charged by that person, business, or entity within 30 days immediately prior to the date of the proclamation or disaster. Status: AB 1919 awaits consideration in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 1954 (Patterson): Timber Harvest Plans: Exemption: Flammable Materials. Assembly Bill 1954 would delete the inoperative date of an exemption from some or all provisions of the Forest Practices Act of 1973 concerning a person engaged in specified forest management activities. Status: AB 1954 awaits consideration in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2050 (Caballero): Small System Water Authority Act of 2018.  Assembly Bill 2050 would create the Small System Water Authority Act of 2018 and state legislative findings and declarations relating to authorizing the creation of small system water authorities that will have powers to absorb, improve, and competently operate noncompliant public water systems. Defines various terms and requires a change in organization to be carried out as set forth in the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000. Status: AB 2050 awaits action in the Assembly.  RCRC Position: Pending

Assembly Bill 2166 (Caballero): California Farm Bill: agricultural technology. Assembly Bill 2166 would require the Department of Food and Agriculture to create a user-friendly navigational link on its Internet Web site that provides farmers and other members of the agricultural industry comprehensive information about regulatory requirements of, and guidance to, operating and managing a farm. Status:  AB 2166 awaits consideration in the Assembly Agriculture Committee. RCRC Status:  Watch

Assembly Bill 2348 (Aguiar-Curry): Winter-Flooded Rice: Incentives. Assembly Bill 2348 would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that would provide an incentive to farmers to maintain winter-flooded rice. Status:  AB 2348 awaits action in the Assembly. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2501 (Chu): Drinking Water: Consolidation and Extension of Service.  AB 2501 would redefine small public water system for purposes of the California Safe Drinking Water Act as a system with 200 connections or less. Authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to order consolidation with a receiving water system where a disadvantaged community is reliant on a state small water system, an individual well, or an unregulated water system serving fewer than five connections. Status: AB 2501 awaits consideration in the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. RCRC Position: Pending

Assembly Bill 2518 (Aguiar-Curry): Innovative Forest Products and Mass Timber. Assembly Bill 2518 would require the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, in collaboration with the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, to explore markets, including export markets, for milling, development, and expansion of innovative forest products and mass timber, that require consistence with the state's climate objectives on forest lands. Status: AB 2518 awaits consideration in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2551 (Wood): Forest and Wildland Health Improvement. Assembly Bill 2551 would require the Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention to establish, implement, and administer the Forest and Wildland Health Improvement and Fire Prevention Program, which is intended to promote forest and wildland health, restoration, and resilience, and improve fire prevention and preparedness throughout the state. Requires the department to take specified actions to improve forest and wildland health and resilience, including evaluating and proposing changes to statewide fire suppression goals. Status: AB 2551 awaits consideration in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2594 (Friedman): Fire Insurance. Assembly Bill 2594 would revise the standard forms of policy and extend the period in which to bring suit to 24 months after the inception of the loss if the loss is related to a state of emergency, as specified. Status: AB 2594 awaits consideration in the Assembly Insurance Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2645 (Patterson): Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: Forestry and Fire. Assembly Bill 2645 would appropriate a specified amount from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund annually to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for purposes of fire prevention activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Appropriates a specified amount from the fund annually to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for state and local healthy forest and fire prevention programs and projects that improve forest health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Status: AB 2645 awaits consideration in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2649 (Arambula): Groundwater Recharge. AB 2649 would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to increase groundwater recharge. Status: AB 2649 awaits action in the Assembly. RCRC Position: Pending

Assembly Bill 2670 (Kiley): Fish and Wildlife: Community Conservation Act. Assembly Bill 2670 would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would amend the Fish and Game Code relating to natural community conservation planning. Status:  AB 2670 awaits consideration in the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. RCRC Position: Watch

Assembly Bill 2672 (Patterson): California Global Warming Solutions Act. Assembly Bill 2672 would require the State Board in consultation with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to annually submit a specified report to the legislature that includes among other things, an estimate of the annual emissions of greenhouse gases associated with wildfires in the state that have burned 10000 acres or more and a direct comparison of that estimate to the emissions of greenhouse gases offset by the state board's applicable regulatory programs. Status:  AB 2672 awaits consideration in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2717 (Lackey): Cannabis: Local Control: City Responsibility for County. Assembly Bill 2717 would require a city to assume from the county complete responsibility for any regulatory function relating to licensees located within the jurisdictional boundaries of the city. Status:  AB 2717 awaits action in the Assembly. RCRC Position: Support/Sponsor

Assembly Bill 2727 (Flora): Personal Income Taxes: Volunteer Firefighters. Assembly Bill 2727 would authorize a tax credit for costs incurred by a qualified firefighter during the taxable year for firefighter expenses. Status: AB 2727 awaits consideration in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee. RCRC Position: Support/Sponsor

Assembly Bill 2805 (Bigelow): Wild Pig Validation. Assembly Bill 2805 would revise and recast the provisions applicable to wild pigs by, among other things, specifying that the wild pig is not a game mammal or non-game mammal. Expands the definition of wild pig to include feral pigs, European wild boars, and any pig that has 2 or more specified phenotypical characteristics and that does not have a permanent mark or visible tag, as specified. Replaces the wild pig tag requirement with a wild pig validation. Status: AB 2805 awaits consideration in the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. RCRC Position:  Pending

Assembly Bill 2842 (Bigelow): Wood Products. Assembly Bill 2842 would require the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development to work with state academic institutions and certification organizations to perform additional product testing that accelerates the development, use, or commercialization of new wood products, as provided. Requires the commission to work with local planning offices, developers, and architects to consider the feasibility of expanding the use of wood and mass timber in California buildings. Status: AB 2842 awaits consideration in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2966 (Aguiar-Curry): Disaster Relief. Assembly Bill 2966 would provide that the state share for the removal of dead and dying trees in connection with the Governor’s proclamation of a state emergency issued on a specific date is no more than 90 percent of total state eligible costs. Status: AB 2966 awaits consideration in the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2975 (Friedman): Wild Scenic Rivers. Assembly Bill 2975 would take action to remove or delist any river or segment of a river in California that is included in the national wild and scenic rivers system and not in the state wild and scenic rivers system, requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, after holding a public hearing on the issue, to take any necessary action to add the river or segment of a river to the state wild and scenic rivers system and to classify that river or segment of a river. Status: AB 2975 awaits consideration in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. RCRC Position: Pending

Assembly Bill 3112 (Grayson): Controlled Substances: Butane.  Assembly Bill 3112 would impose restrictions on the sale of butane.  Status: AB 3112 awaits consideration in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 187 (Berryhill): Sport Fishing Licenses. Senate Bill 187 would revise the duration of sport fishing licenses to twelve consecutive months. Status:  SB 187 awaits final consideration in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 623 (Monning): Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund.  Senate Bill 623 would establish the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund.  SB 623 would provide grants, loans, or services to assist those without access to safe and affordable drinking water. Status: SB 623 awaits consideration in the Assembly Rules Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 824 (Lara): Insurance: Nonrenewal.  Senate Bill 824 would express the intent of the Legislature to clarify that the provisions described concerning cancellation of structural insurance policies is applicable to all insured properties located within a county for which a state of emergency has been declared. SB 824 prohibits nonrenewal of the policies under specified circumstances. Status: SB 824 awaits consideration in the Senate Insurance, Banking and Financial Institutions Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 833 (McGuire): Emergency Alerts: Evacuation Orders: Operators. Senate Bill 833 would provide for a red alert system designed to issue and coordinate alerts following an evacuation order. Requires the red alert system to incorporate a variety of notification resources and developing technologies that may be tailored to the circumstances and geography of the underlying evacuation, as appropriate. Status: SB 833 awaits consideration in the Senate Governmental Organization Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 894 (Dodd): Property Insurance. Senate Bill 894 would require an insurer, in the case of a total loss to the primary insured structure under a policy of residential property insurance, to offer to renew the policy. Increases the minimum coverage for additional living expenses in the case of a loss related to a declared state of emergency. Requires an insurer who decides not to offer to renew a policy after the expiration of that period to report the decision to not offer to renew the policy to the Insurance Commissioner. Status: SB 894 awaits consideration in the Senate Insurance Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 897 (McGuire): Residential Property Insurance: Wildfires. Senate Bill 897 would specify that additional living expense coverage under a residential insurance policy shall include all reasonable expenses incurred by the insured in order to maintain a comparable standard of living and would provide a list of expenses that shall be covered. Authorizes an insured to collect, in lieu of additional living expenses, the fair rental value of the dwelling that has suffered a loss. Status: SB 897 awaits consideration in the Senate Insurance Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 917 (Jackson): Insurance Policies. Senate Bill 917 would provide that insurance policies that do not cover the peril of landslide shall not exclude coverage for any loss or damage attributable to a landslide if the landslide resulting in loss or damage was proximately caused by another covered peril, as provided.  Status: SB 917 awaits consideration in the Senate Insurance Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 919 (Dodd): Water Resources: Stream Gages. Senate Bill 919 would require the Department of Water Resources to develop a plan to deploy a network of stream gages that includes a determination of funding needs and opportunities for reactivating existing gages. Requires the Department to prioritize the deployment of stream gages based upon gaps in the existing system of gages and specified considerations. Status: SB 919 awaits action in the Senate.  RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 998 (Dodd): Water Shutoffs: Urban and Community Water Systems. Senate Bill 998 would require an urban and community water system as a public water system that supplies water to more than 200 service connections, to have a written policy on residential service shutoff available in specified languages of the people residing in its service area. Requires certain aspect to be available on its system web site and be provided annually to customers in writing. Status: Senate Bill 998 awaits consideration in the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee. RCRC Position: Pending

Senate Bill 1215 (Hertzberg): Drinking Water Systems and Sewer Systems: Consolidation. Senate Bill 1215 would authorize the State Water Resources Control Board to set timeline and performance measures to facilitate completion of extension of service of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Authorizes ordered consolidation with a receiving sewer system for, or extension of sewer service to, a disadvantaged community under specified circumstances. Status: SB 1215 awaits consideration in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. RCRC Position: Watch

Senate Bill 1277 (Hueso): Salton Sea: Governance. Senate Bill 1277 would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would create a governance and administrative structure to manage the day-to-day implementation of the Salton Sea Management Program. Status: SB 1277 awaits consideration in the Senate Rules Committee. RCRC Position: Watch