The Barbed Wire - May 11, 2018

RCRC Chair Represents California Counties at Press Conference Calling for Increased Mutual Aid Funding to Combat Increasing Wildfires

On Wednesday, RCRC Chair Rex Bohn (Humboldt) joined Senators Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) and Bill Dodd (D-Napa), Assembly Members Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), and Marc Levine (D-San Rafael), as well as California fire chiefs, firefighters, and local government leaders at an event at the State Capitol calling for increased mutual aid funding to combat increasing wildfires in California.  Organized by the Disaster Readiness for Safer Communities (D-RiSC) coalition, the press conference recognized Wildfire Awareness Week, preceding State Budget hearings on funding requests. 

D-RiSC is a statewide coalition of organizations representing California’s fire chiefs, firefighters and local governments committed to improving our disaster response capability.  RCRC joined the D-RiSC coalition in April. 

“Given the severity of wildfires that we now experience in California, it’s imperative that our first responders have the resources they need to protect our natural resources, and keep our communities safe,” said Supervisor Bohn.  “D-RiSC seeks funding to improve pre-positioning and communications, providing firefighters with the resources they need to combat these fires.”

Mega fires, mudslides and other extreme weather disasters are California’s “new normal.”  In the past six months, California experienced the most destructive fires and deadliest mudslides in our history.  Our fire season is now year-round. Wildfires burn faster, larger and longer than ever. In the past 10 years alone, we have seen the state’s worst drought and heaviest recorded rainfall.

California relies on a 68-year old disaster response network known as the Mutual Aid System.  It allows local governments to share disaster response resources during large-scale emergencies.  But it is a “reactive” system, designed to send resources within 12-24 hours.  We don’t need a new Mutual Aid System. Rather, it needs to be modernized to be more proactive to combat the intensity and severity of the conditions we are facing today.

Waiting for a disaster to strike is no longer an acceptable strategy.  We can save lives and protect communities by pre-positioning firefighters and equipment in areas where high risks are predicted.

We have to increase the pace and scale of our disaster response.  Putting first responders and equipment in a position to quickly address these climate-driven emergencies before extreme weather events — a strategy called pre-positioning — has proven to be effective at reducing loss of lives and property.  D-RiSC is asking the state to appropriate $100 million in FY 2018-19 to reimburse local fire agencies for their costs to staff up and pre-position resources.

The coalition includes California Fire Chiefs Association, California Professional Firefighters, California State Firefighters Association, Fire Districts Association of California, FIRESCOPE, League of California Cities and Metropolitan Fire Chiefs of California, among others.

Detailed information on D-RiSC can be accessed here.

Governor Issues Expansive Executive Order on Forest Health

On Thursday, Governor Jerry Brown issued a comprehensive Executive Order addressing myriad issues surrounding the health of California’s forest lands in the wake of years of disastrous, high severity wildfires and the resulting increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Executive Order directs various State agencies to increase efforts on a number of components impacting the California’s forest health, including:

• Increasing active management of State and private forest lands through a combination of vegetation thinning, controlled fires and reforestation from 250,000 acres to 500,000 acres.
• New training and certification programs for forest management through prescribed burning.
• Enhanced education and outreach efforts to private landowners on the most effective ways to reduce wildfire fuels on private lands. 
• Streamlined permitting for landowner-initiated projects that improve forest health and reduce wildfire fuels on their properties.
• Supporting and promoting innovative wood products usage by the building industry.
• Expanding incentives such as grants and training to improve forested watersheds.

The Governor also indicated inclusion of a $96 million budget allocation in his 2018-19 May Budget Revision to support the actions in the order.  The proposed allocation, which would come from various funding sources, is in addition to the Governor’s January proposal allocating $160 million to forest health programs from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.  

The Governor also announced the release of the final Forest Carbon Plan, which will serve as a roadmap for many of the State’s actions carrying out the Executive Order, as well as a new Forest Management Task Force, which will be convened in the coming weeks.  RCRC has been involved in both the development of the Forest Carbon Plan and an active member of the Tree Mortality Task Force, and will remain engaged as the new task force is formed.

Full text of the Executive Order can be viewed on the Governor’s website here.  The final Forest Carbon Plan can be viewed on the California Natural Resources Agency website here.  

RCRC Represents CAFWA at Wildfire Awareness Week Press Conference

On Thursday, Justin Caporusso, RCRC Vice President of External Affairs, participated in a Wildfire Awareness Week press conference alongside representatives from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the California Conservation Corps (CCC).  Serving in his role as Chair of the California Forest Watershed Alliance (CAFWA), Mr. Caporusso highlighted the importance of California’s forested watersheds, and the threat that wildfire poses to California’s water supply.  

Held at Millerton State Park at Millerton Lake in Fresno County, the press conference was held just hours after Governor Jerry Brown issued a comprehensive Executive Order addressing myriad issues surrounding the health of California’s forest lands in the wake of years of disastrous, high severity wildfires and the resulting increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

Video of the press conference can be accessed here.

RCRC Serves on Panel at ACWA Spring Conference

On Wednesday, Paul A. Smith, RCRC Vice President of Governmental Affairs, served on a panel at the Association of California Water Agency’s (ACWA) Spring Conference titled “Cannabis is Here: The Impact of Cannabis Cultivation and Sale on Water Resources, Local Government, and California. 

The panel focused on the impacts that cannabis cultivation and sale will have on water resources, local governments, and California.  Mr. Smith was joined by Richard Parrott, Director, CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing, California Department of Food and Agriculture, and Erin Ragazzi, Assistant Deputy Director, Division of Water Rights, State Water Resources Control Board.

Federal Secure Rural Schools 2017 Payments Released to States

This week, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management released the Federal Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination (SRS) payments for 2017 to recipient states.  California counties are anticipated to receive approximately $26 million in Federal SRS payments.  

In 2000, Congress enacted the Federal SRS program to provide funding for rural counties and school districts to replace lost revenue from dwindling forest receipts due to a national decline in timber harvesting.  The Federal SRS program expired in September 2015.  In March 2018, Congress enacted a 2018 federal spending bill, and reauthorized two years of payments for FY 2017 and FY 2018. 

Reauthorization of the Federal SRS program has and will continue to be a high priority for RCRC.  In late February, RCRC leadership and staff met with key Congressional members and staff to discuss funding for the SRS program. 

California counties’ payment details for FY 2017 can be accessed here.  We expect 2018 payments to be made on a more traditional schedule, which will likely be paid in early 2019. 

Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 2069 (Bonta) – OPPOSE

RCRC has officially opposed Assembly Bill 2069 by Assembly Member Rob Bonta (D-Oakland).  AB 2069 would generally prohibit employers from terminating or refusing to hire medicinal cannabis users, even if they fail a drug test. 

Many municipal associations were deeply involved in developing the package of bills that ultimately became the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA), and in close consultation with the drafters of Proposition 64.  Both pieces of legislation included explicit provisions protecting employers’ right to maintain a drug-free workplace, and disclaiming any intention to interfere with employment decisions or relationships.  These provisions were of critical importance to public and private employers, and were instrumental in the passage of legislative measures and the initiative.  AB 2069 would effectively abrogate these provisions only a short time after they were enacted.  Such rapid policy reversals may have the effect of discouraging stakeholders from engaging in good faith during the deliberation future legislation in this area, thereby ultimately hindering the progress of cannabis legalization.

Requiring government agencies and private businesses to hire and retain employees who test positive for cannabis, or otherwise accommodate employees’ cannabis usage, will have substantial negative consequences.  Unlike alcoholic beverages, there is no generally-accepted empirical test for cannabis impairment, as required under AB 2069 before taking job action.  Such difficulty in proving actual impairment will inevitably discourage employers from acting to remove employees from potentially hazardous positions, thereby endangering the employee, co-workers, and the public.  Employers need the ability to take proactive measures before on-the-job impairment occurs – something AB 2069 would deny.

Similarly, allowing an employer to take job action if they can prove that "hiring the individual or failing to discharge the employee would cause the employer to lose a monetary or licensing-related benefit under federal law or regulations" will place many employers - particularly public agencies - in an untenable position.  While federal law generally requires federal grantees (including most government entities) to maintain a drug-free workplace, it will often be difficult for the employer to prove that retaining a specific individual employee will directly cause the loss of federal benefits.  AB 2069 would leave employers with general legal obligations to maintain safe and drug-free workplaces, but limit their ability to take the specific actions necessary to achieve those goals.

Mr. Smith’s joint local government opposition letter can be accessed here.  Mr. Smith can be reached at (916) 447-4806.

National Foster Care Month Kicks-Off With Distribution of Laptops to Foster Youth

As National Foster Care Month kicks-off, the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), National Homebuyers Fund, Inc. (NHF), and iFoster have initiated the distribution of more than 1,100 laptop computers to all eligible foster youth and former foster youth aged 16-21 within RCRC’s 35-member counties.  Read More…

Rural Development

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration conducted a markup of the Fiscal 2019 Appropriations Bill draft.  The bill would include $23.27 billion in discretionary spending for fiscal 2019, a $14 million increase from Fiscal 2018 levels, with $3 billion dedicated to rural development and infrastructure.  

Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-Alabama) noted that $620 million of the infrastructure funding is dedicated to expanding rural broadband and closing the digital divide.  The Subcommittee Chairman stated: “Access to high speed internet is now just as important to a high quality of life as electricity, water, and sewer.  As a country we cannot allow large sections of the population to be cut off from the rest of the world and therefore, be cut off from economic opportunities.”

Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt and Ranking Member Sanford Bishop (D-Georgia) endorsed the bill which was submitted to the Full Committee for a markup that is yet to be scheduled.

In the Senate, the Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing to examine America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA), also known as the Water Resource Development Act (WRDA).  The bill seeks to modernize America’s irrigation systems and inland waterways, and reauthorize the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WFIA).  This would be the third WRDA bill since 2014.  The bill was introduced by Committee Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) and Ranking Member Thomas Carper (D-Delaware).

WRDA programs are often the source of criticism due to the backlog of projects under the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) worth of $90 billion.  Representatives Barrosso and Carper argue this bill would address the backlog by providing the Corps with flexibility at the local project management level. Barrasso says this proposal would give “local stakeholders a greater role in prioritizing Army Corps projects” and update the Corps’ cost-benefit analysis.

The bill has bipartisan support but negotiations are ongoing in several areas which will be addressed in a manager’s amendment before the bill is voted on.  The Committee has yet to set a date for a markup and there is no definitive timeline for a companion bill in the House.

Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining Oversight held a hearing to examine law enforcement practices at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).  The hearing was chaired by Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) who serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee.  

FLIPMA, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, authorizes the Interior Secretary to maintain a law enforcement body within the BLM to enforce federal law as it relates to public lands and its resources.  The Law Enforcement and Investigations (LEI) office within the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducts wildland fire investigations, resource protection operations, and marijuana seizures on federal forest land. 

Senator Lee argued throughout the hearing that BLM’s law enforcement operations have exceeded their jurisdictional mandate at the expense of local residents.  Senator Lee specifically pointed to the conduct of BLM special agents during “Operation Cerberus” in which BLM special agents used tactical gear and sniper rifles to forcibly administer a search warrant and arrest Utah residents on private property.  Senator Lee cited this incident, as well as BLM’s aggressive traffic enforcement operation, to suggest the BLM’s law enforcement practice has strayed from its mission of protecting public land.

Senator Lee expressed his support for the Local Law Enforcement for Local Lands Act, a bill proposed by Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah), that would replace funding for BLM and USFS law enforcement with grants for county sheriffs to increase local law enforcement capabilities on federal land.  County sheriffs were praised as a law enforcement alternative throughout the hearing.  Sheriffs are community figures with deep ties to the local counties they serve.  Senator Lee argued Sheriffs may be better equipped for some law enforcement responsibilities currently under the purview of BLM.

Steed offered to address these issues by reviewing BLM’s law enforcement policies and personnel, and moving the agency’s law enforcement headquarters closer to western states where most of its activity takes place.  The BLM is also making an effort to cooperate more with local partners and is working with the Western States Sheriffs Association reinforce their partnerships with county sheriff offices.

Farm Bill Update

This week, House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway (R-Texas) was whipping votes for the 2018 Farm Bill, however, the legislation’s future remains in doubt. Democrats continue to withhold their support, which means the bill must pass with only Republican votes.  

Historically, Farm Bill programs are deeply unpopular within the conservative wing of the Republican party but Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-North Carolina) claims conservative members could warm up to the bill if Conaway tightens commodity programs and strengthens work requirements for food stamps. Conaway is expected to bring the bill to the floor next week but the vote count will come down to the wire.

THE RURAL RUNDOWN PODCAST

The Rural Rundown discusses the legislative and regulatory issues impacting California’s rural counties, featuring commentary and interviews from individuals committed to improving the quality of life in rural California. 

The Rural Rundown can be accessed here. 

BULLETIN BOARD

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

ConnectHomeUSA 2018 Webinar and Application

Click here

NOFA: Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program (VHHP)

Click here

CAL FIRE’s Fire Prevention Grants Program (FP)

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 653 (Ridley-Thomas): Property Taxation: Exemption: Indian Tribes.  Assembly Bill 653 would exempt from taxation property owned in fee by a federally-recognized Native American tribe that is pursuing a fee-to-trust application.  Status: AB 653 is now a “two-year” bill and awaits consideration in the Senate Governance and Finance Committee.  RCRC Position: Oppose

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 action in the Senate. 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 action in the Senate. 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 Appropriations 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 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 within 30 days immediately prior to the date of the proclamation or disaster. Status: AB 1919 awaits consideration in the Assembly Appropriations 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 action in the Assembly. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2038 (Gallagher): Countywide drought and water shortage contingency plans. Assembly Bill 2038 would require the Department of Water Resources, in consultation with the State Water Resources Control Board and other relevant state and local agencies and stakeholders, to use available data to identify small water suppliers and rural communities that may be at risk of drought and water shortage vulnerability and requires the department to notify counties and groundwater sustainability agencies of those suppliers or communities. Status: AB 2038 awaits consideration in the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. RCRC Position: Watch

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 consideration in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2069 (Bonta): Medical Cannabis: Employment Discrimination. Assembly Bill 2069 would provide worker protections to patients using medical cannabis outside of the workplace and not during work hours. Exempts employers whose workers are in safety sensitive positions subject to federal drug testing mandates. Status: AB 2069 awaits consideration in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Position: Oppose

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 Appropriations 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 consideration in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Assembly Bill 2447 (Reyes): California Environmental Quality Act: Land Use. Assembly Bill 2447 would require the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to publish a list of subject land uses and a map that identifies disadvantaged communities and areas within 1/2 mile radius of the disadvantaged communities. Requires a lead agency to provide certain notices to owners and occupants of property located within one-half mile of any parcel or parcels, and to any schools located within one mile of any parcel or parcels, involving a subject land use. Status: AB 2447 awaits consideration in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Position: Oppose

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 action in the Assembly. 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 action in the Assembly. 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. 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 consideration in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Position: Support

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 Appropriations 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 volunteer firefighters during the taxable year for expenses incurred for training and equipment. Status: AB 2727 was placed on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Position: Support/Sponsor

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 action in the Assembly Appropriations 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 was referred to the Assembly Appropriations suspense file. 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 action in the Assembly. RCRC Position: Pending

Assembly Bill 3178 (Rubio): Integrated Waste Management Plans: Source Reduction. Assembly Bill 3178 would require the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to consider whether the absence or loss of a market for recyclable materials necessitated the disposal of those materials as a temporary measure to avoid a public health threat when evaluating a jurisdiction’s compliance with AB 939 diversion goals. Status: AB 3178 was amended in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations. RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 452 (Glazer): The California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act. Senate Bill 452 is considered the bottle bill “short term fix” and is intended to increase recycling opportunities. SB 452 proposes to return processing payments to 2015 levels and extends plastic recycling market development incentives. SB 452 would also limit take back responsibility for dealers in unserved zones to 24 containers per day, temporarily relieve dealers by suspending the take-back obligation in zones that became unserved due to a recycling center closure until December 2021, and provides additional handling fees in rural areas annually for three years, among other provisions. Status:  SB 452 awaits consideration in the Assembly Rules Committee. RCRC Position: Pending

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 Appropriations 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 action in the Senate. 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 action in the Senate. 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 action in the Senate. 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 Appropriations Committee.  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 action in the Senate Appropriations Committee. RCRC Position: Support

Senate Bill 1079 (Monning): Forest Resources: Fire Prevention Grant Fees. Senate Bill 1079 would relate to existing laws authorizing the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to provide grants to entities, including, but not limited to, private or nongovernmental entities, Native American tribes, or local, state, and federal public agencies, for the implementation and administration of projects and programs to improve forest health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Authorizes the Director to authorize advance payments to a nonprofit organization, a special district, or a Native American tribe. Status: SB 1079 awaits action in the Senate. RCRC Position: Support

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 action in the Senate Appropriations Committee. RCRC Position: Pending/Concerns

Senate Bill 1222 (Stone): Use of Vacuum or Suction Dredge Equipment. SB 1222 would provide, under permits issued by the Department of Fish and Wildlife and by regulations of the State Water Resources Control Board or a California regional water quality control board, for specified activities, that the use of vacuum or suction dredge equipment means the use of any equipment that removes minerals and water in conjunction to process and recover minerals. Status: SB 1222 was held in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. RCRC Position: Support

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

Senate Bill 1302 (Lara): Cannabis: Local Jurisdiction: Prohibitions on Delivery. Senate Bill 1302 would prohibit a local jurisdiction from adopting or enforcement any ordinance that would prohibit a licensee from delivering cannabis within or outside of the jurisdictional boundaries of that local jurisdiction. Status: SB 1302 awaits action in the Senate. RCRC Position: Oppose

Senate Concurrent Resolution 133 (Berryhill): Senator David E. Cogdill, Sr., Memorial Highway. Senate Concurrent Resolution 133 would designate a specified portion of State Highway Route 395 in the County of Mono as the Senator David E. Cogdill, Sr., Memorial Highway. Status: SCR 133 awaits consideration in the Senate Appropriations Committee. RCRC Position: Support