Natural Resources & Water

Authorizes local water agencies to use Construction Manager/General Contractor delivery for drought-related projects. Limits each local agency to a maximum of 15 capital outlay projects under this program. Requires contracts to be awarded based on best value or lowest responsible bidder criteria. Establishes a sunset date of January 1, 2031 for the program.

Extends the Metropolitan Water District's authority to manage surface mining operations until January 2041. Requires the Water District to maintain a master reclamation plan for mining sites across six counties. Mandates biennial state inspections of idle mining sites to ensure environmental compliance. Prohibits the Water District from selling extracted materials to outside parties.

Strengthens privacy protections for commercial fishing data while maintaining public access to basic business information. Requires electronic reporting of all fish sales and transfers with detailed catch and transaction information. Mandates immediate surrender of fishing records to peace officers when requested. Prohibits vessel-to-vessel transfers of fish except for live bait purposes.

Establishes new penalties up to $10,000 for unauthorized use or tampering with fire hydrants. Authorizes utilities to pursue civil action against individuals who tamper with or steal water from fire hydrants. Removes the one-year time limit for imposing higher fines on repeat water theft violations. Creates separate fine schedules for hydrant-related theft versus other forms of water theft.

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.

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.

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.

Establishes reduced-fee hunting and fishing licenses for California residents receiving public assistance starting 2027. Requires applicants to provide documentation proving eligibility and no Fish and Game Code violations. Mandates a program evaluation report to the Legislature by October 2029 to assess participation and costs. Expires automatically on January 1, 2032 unless renewed by future legislation.

Allocates $21.5 million for floodplain conservation and habitat restoration in three California counties. Authorizes the Wildlife Conservation Board to acquire land and implement conservation projects. Targets specific environmental challenges including uncontrolled flooding and groundwater depletion. Requires legislative budget approval before funds can be distributed.

Requires the Department of Water Resources to update water supply forecasting models for climate change by 2027. Mandates formal documentation of reservoir water release decisions and operational procedures. Establishes annual public meetings to present water supply decisions in rotating California locations. Requires annual progress reports to the Legislature on forecasting model implementation through 2032.

Expands state water quality protections to include non-navigable waters under the same standards as navigable waters. Requires state and regional water boards to monitor and regulate all water bodies through federal Clean Water Act processes. Establishes penalties up to $75,000 per day for violations of water quality requirements. Mandates annual inflation adjustments to civil penalties starting January 2026.

Streamlines groundwater rights cases by allowing courts to separately process claims for minor water users. Establishes automatic accuracy presumption for water users claiming less than 100 acre-feet per year. Requires groundwater agencies to provide technical reports on water usage for non-participating parties. Mandates electronic submission of water usage disclosures with updates required for material changes.

Creates the Tule East Groundwater Sustainability Agency to manage groundwater resources in Tulare County. Establishes a five-member board including representatives from water districts and agricultural interests. Authorizes the agency to impose fees on groundwater extraction to fund sustainability programs. Requires coordination with other local agencies to develop and implement groundwater management plans.

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.

Makes technical changes to update obsolete references and clarify provisions in various water and natural resources codes.

Authorizes local water suppliers to create assistance programs for low-income households struggling with water bills. Allows water suppliers to fund assistance through voluntary customer contributions and existing resources. Requires water suppliers to report annually on their assistance programs starting January 2028. Targets aid to households earning below 200% of the federal poverty level or those at risk of bill arrears.

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.

Requires public hearings for hydroelectric facility certifications when applicants request them within 14 days. Mandates that public hearings must occur at least 21 days before the state board takes action on certifications. Authorizes the state board to charge fees to cover the costs of required public hearings. Allows certification before environmental reviews if waiting risks federal authority waiver.

Exempts tribal lands from property taxes when used exclusively for conservation and cultural preservation through 2032. Eliminates transfer taxes on tribal land acquisitions that restrict commercial use through 2031. Requires tribes to maintain detailed conservation management plans to qualify for tax benefits. Mandates annual reporting on exempted properties to track program effectiveness starting March 2028.

Streamlines state park property acquisitions by allowing purchases up to $1 million without state approval until 2033. Increases the threshold for state real estate transactions requiring approval from $150,000 to $750,000. Requires public meetings and notifications before acquiring park properties valued over $500,000. Mandates the Parks Department to report to the Legislature on property acquisitions made without state approval.

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.

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 courts to align groundwater adjudication decisions with existing sustainability plans and pumping limits. Mandates consolidation of legal challenges to groundwater plans with ongoing basin adjudications. Establishes a 90-day deadline to legally challenge groundwater agency decisions. Requires courts to consider impacts on small farmers and disadvantaged communities in water rights decisions.

Expands public access to private lands for wildlife recreation by increasing landowner compensation rates through 2031. Requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to provide grants to nonprofits and others supporting the SHARE program. Mandates a comprehensive program evaluation report to the Legislature by October 2029. Increases landowner payments to $52 per acre or $87 per participant daily, with annual inflation adjustments.

Requires development of state guidelines for using captured stormwater to irrigate urban public spaces by December 2026. Mandates safety standards for stormwater irrigation to protect public health and reduce potable water usage. Establishes a public comment process before finalizing stormwater irrigation recommendations.