Natural Resources & Water

Authorizes construction of a Holocaust memorial at Exposition Park through a nonprofit partnership program. Increases state park highway funding from $3.4 million to $12 million annually for maintenance and improvements. Expands loan and grant programs to help small businesses upgrade or remove underground storage tanks by 2025. Requires CAL-FIRE to hire more permanent firefighters while maintaining seasonal hiring flexibility.

Authorizes 35 annual wildfire fuel reduction projects on public timberlands to streamline environmental reviews. Limits eligible projects to noncommercial operations under 1,500 acres that use public funding. Expires automatically on January 1, 2031 unless renewed by the legislature.

Prohibits federal reservoirs in California from releasing water under fraudulent or false purposes. Authorizes the State Water Board and Attorney General to seek injunctive relief against violations. Defines false pretenses as knowingly misrepresenting the purpose and intended use of released water.

Establishes reduced-fee hunting and fishing licenses for California residents enrolled in public assistance programs. Requires applicants to provide documentation proving eligibility for specific benefit programs like Medicaid or CalFresh. Mandates a comprehensive evaluation report on the program's impact by October 2029. Expires automatically on January 1, 2031 unless renewed by the legislature.

Creates a new groundwater sustainability agency to manage resources in Tulare County's Tule Subbasin. Establishes a five-member board with representatives from water districts, county, and agricultural interests. Authorizes the agency to collect fees, conduct studies, and enforce groundwater management regulations. Requires development of a sustainability plan to achieve long-term groundwater management goals.

Streamlines groundwater rights cases by allowing courts to separately process claims under 5 acre-feet per year. Establishes automatic accuracy presumption for water users claiming less than 100 acre-feet annually. Requires groundwater agencies to provide technical reports on water usage for unrepresented parties. Mandates electronic filing of water usage disclosures to improve case management efficiency.

Requires the Department of Water Resources to adopt a climate-focused water supply forecasting model by 2027. Mandates formal documentation of reservoir water release decisions and operational plans. Requires two annual public meetings across California to present water supply decisions and forecasting progress. Establishes annual reporting requirements to the Legislature on water management decisions through 2032.

Exempts critical wildfire prevention projects from environmental review requirements until January 2028. Allows removal of hazardous vegetation and creation of fuel breaks in high-risk fire zones. Requires state agencies to report on emergency wildfire prevention projects by January 2026. Restricts vegetation removal to non-native plants under 8 inches in diameter.

Expands state water quality regulations to cover non-navigable waters starting January 2026. Requires annual inflation adjustments to civil penalties for water quality violations. Authorizes state and local prosecutors to enforce water quality violations with penalties up to $75,000 per day. Mandates water quality monitoring and reporting for previously unregulated water bodies.

Authorizes water suppliers to provide financial assistance to low-income households for water bills. Allows assistance for households earning up to 200% of federal poverty level and those with unpaid bills. Permits water suppliers to fund assistance through voluntary customer contributions and existing resources. Requires water suppliers to report annually on assistance programs starting January 2028.

Exempts tribal lands used for conservation and public recreation from property taxes until 2031. Eliminates transfer taxes on ancestral land returns to Native American tribes through 2031. Requires tribes to maintain conservation plans and restrict land use to cultural and educational purposes. Mandates annual reporting on tribal land transfers and tax exemption impacts.

Requires public hearings for hydroelectric facility certifications when requested by applicants within 14 days. Mandates that public hearings must occur at least 21 days before certification decisions. Authorizes the State Water Board to charge fees covering the costs of required public hearings. Prohibits delegation of certification authority when public hearings are requested.

Mandates the Department of Fish and Wildlife to fund private land access for recreational activities. Increases landowner compensation to $52 per acre or $87 per participant per day with annual inflation adjustments. Requires participants to sign liability waivers before accessing private lands through the program. Prioritizes lands with high wildlife habitat value that allow multiple recreational activities.

Authorizes state parks to provide free annual vehicle passes to the California State Library Parks Pass Program. Requires specific legislative funding approval before passes can be issued. Gives the Department of Parks and Recreation discretion over issuing the passes.

Requires courts to ensure groundwater adjudication judgments do not exceed sustainable basin yields. Mandates consolidation of legal challenges to groundwater sustainability plans with comprehensive basin adjudications. Establishes a 90-day deadline for filing legal challenges to groundwater sustainability agency decisions. Requires special consideration for small farmers and disadvantaged communities in groundwater judgments.

Mandates a comprehensive update to the California Water Plan by 2028 to address climate change and water needs. Requires 9 million acre-feet of additional water capacity through conservation and storage by 2040. Expands the water planning advisory committee to include tribes and environmental justice representatives. Establishes new requirements for public workshops and detailed water supply studies.

Requires water utilities to separate their revenue from water sales to encourage conservation efforts. Authorizes water companies to create rate stabilization funds for long-term price stability. Mandates that changes in water rates cannot exceed revenue levels approved by state regulators. Establishes criminal penalties for utilities that violate the new revenue requirements.

Makes technical changes to update obsolete place names and removes outdated provisions in water and public resources laws.

Authorizes limited take of protected species for the State Route 37 improvement project in Northern California. Requires comprehensive monitoring and adaptive management plans to minimize impacts on protected wildlife. Mandates public notification and a 30-day comment period before any protected species take is authorized. Requires permit fees and strict conservation measures to protect affected species during construction.

Establishes a new State Parks Accessibility Advisory Committee to improve park access for people with disabilities. Creates an 8-14 member committee including accessibility experts and department representatives. Requires the committee to evaluate accessibility models and review park programs and services. Authorizes the Parks Director to implement committee recommendations at their discretion.

Establishes a new program to fund water infrastructure improvements in high-risk wildfire areas. Provides state matching funds to rural communities for upgrading water lines and installing fire hydrants. Prioritizes funding for water systems serving 15,000 or fewer connections in fire-prone zones. Requires coordination between multiple state agencies to implement water system improvements.

Requires skilled workers for all Salton Sea restoration projects over $50,000 starting January 2026. Mandates state agencies to obtain commitments from contractors to use trained apprenticeship workers. Aims to increase wages and job training opportunities in Imperial County's low-income communities. Exempts projects that already have labor agreements requiring skilled workforce participation.

Establishes a new Idle Reserve Mine Status for qualifying inactive construction aggregate mining operations. Allows idle mines to extend their interim management plans by up to 10 additional years if approved. Requires annual inspections of both active and idle mining operations to ensure compliance. Mandates certification and training for mine inspectors through state-approved workshops.

Exempts certain compressed air energy storage facilities from state dam safety regulations. Requires water storage facilities to maintain a maximum height of 25 feet and capacity of 1,500 acre-feet. Mandates oversight by registered civil engineers for exempt facility construction. Requires local government approval and environmental review for qualifying facilities.

Requires Ventura County water suppliers to maintain 24-hour backup power for fire suppression by July 2027. Mandates annual fire safety inspections of critical water infrastructure in high-risk fire zones. Requires water suppliers to create emergency plans for extreme weather and power outages. Establishes mandatory reporting when water capacity issues could impact firefighting capabilities.