Information related to the current status of legislation and regulations impacting California’s rural counties.
Assembly Bill 609 (Levine): CEQA: Electronic Filing and Posting: Assembly Bill 609 requires lead agencies to post various CEQA notices on their internet web sites and expands the universe of CEQA documents that lead agencies must submit to the State Clearinghouse. Status: AB 609 awaits consideration in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. RCRC Status: Pending
Assembly Bill 1071 (Limon): Climate Change: Agriculture: Agricultural Climate: Assembly Bill 1071 requires the council to provide guidance in the development of, and to coordinate the activities of member agencies of the council for, a grant program, known as the Agricultural Climate Adaptation Tools Program, as specified, to provide funding for activities that include development of specified planning tools for adapting to climate change and developing resiliency strategies in the agricultural sector, using the best available science. Status: AB 1071 awaits consideration in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. RCRC Status: Watch
Assembly Bill 1958 (Cooper): State Plan of Flood Control: Facilities: Assembly Bill 1958 would protect critical flood protection infrastructure by bolstering the maintenance of levees throughout California. Status: AB 1958 awaits consideration in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. RCRC Status: Support
Assembly Bill 2459 (Bigelow): Alcoholic Beverage Licenses: County of Mariposa: Assembly Bill 2459 would authorize the Alcoholic Beverage Control to issue up to 10 additional new original on‑sale alcoholic beverage licenses to bona fide public eating places in Mariposa County that have a seating capacity for 50 or more persons. Status: AB 2459 awaits consideration in the Senate Governmental Organization Committee. RCRC Status: Support
Assembly Bill 2642 (Salas): Multi-benefit Land Conversion Incentive Program: Assembly Bill 2642 requires the Department of Conservation to establish and administer a program named the Multi-benefit Land Conversion Incentive Program for purposes of providing grants to groundwater sustainability agencies, or other specified entities designated by groundwater sustainability agencies, for the development or implementation of local programs supporting or facilitating multi-benefit land conversion at the basin scale. Status: AB 2642 held by Assembly Appropriations Committee. RCRC Status: Support.
Assembly Bill 3256 (Garcia): Bond Act: Assembly Bill 3256 Enacts the Economic Recovery, Wildfire Prevention, Safe Drinking Water, Drought Preparation, and Flood Protection Bond Act, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in a specified amount to finance projects for an economic recovery, wildfire prevention, safe drinking water, drought preparation, and flood protection program. Status: AB 3256 Assembly Rules Committee, pending referred to the Assembly Floor with Amendments. Note: The deadline for submission to the Secretary of State for the November 2020 ballot was 25 June 2020. RCRC Status: Watch
Senate Bill 45 (Allen): Wildfire, Drought, and Flood Protection Bond Act 2020. Senate Bill 45 enacts the Wildfire, Drought, and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2020, which, if approved by voters, authorizes the issuance of bonds to finance projects to restore fire damaged areas, reduce wildfire risk, create healthy forests and watersheds, reduce climate impacts on urban areas and vulnerable populations, protect water supply and water quality, protect rivers, lakes and streams, reduce flood risk, protect fish and wildlife from climate impacts, and protect coastal lands and resources. Status: SB 45 has passed out from the Senate and awaits consideration from the Assembly. Note: The deadline for submission to the Secretary of State for the November 2020 ballot was 25 June 2020. RCRC Status: Support
Senate Bill 974 (Hurtado): California Environmental Quality Act: Water Systems: Senate Bill 974 exempts from CEQA certain projects that benefit a small community water system that primarily serves one or more disadvantaged communities or that benefit a non-transient noncommunity water system that serves a school that serves one or more disadvantaged communities, by improving the small community water system's or non-transient noncommunity water system's water quality, water supply, or water supply reliability, or by encouraging water conservation. Status: SB 974 awaits consideration on the Senate Floor. RCRC Status: Support
Senate Bill 989 (Dahle): Sierra Nevada Conservancy: Sierra Nevada Region: Senate Bill 989Modifies areas listed under the definitions of the Sierra Nevada Region and its subregions as specified for purposes of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. Status: SB 989 In Assembly, held at desk. RCRC Status: Support