Groundwater sustainability agency: transparency.

Assembly Member Bennett's groundwater transparency legislation requires Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to publish their board membership and provide direct access to leadership's economic interest disclosures through their websites by January 2026. The measure applies to GSAs managing medium- and high-priority groundwater basins under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

The bill establishes two specific publication requirements. First, GSAs must list their board of directors' membership on either their own website or their local agency's website. Second, they must provide an electronic link to the Fair Political Practices Commission's website where the public can view economic interest statements filed by board members and agency executives. These statements, which are already required under existing law, disclose potential conflicts of interest among agency leadership.

The legislation maintains current groundwater management protocols while adding these discrete transparency provisions. GSAs have approximately one year from the bill's introduction to implement the required website updates. The measure requires a majority vote for passage and involves no state appropriations or fiscal committee review.