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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2025-02-21</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2025-03-24</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
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<ns0:ActionDate>2025-05-23</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:ActionDate>2025-08-29</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:ActionDate>2025-09-12</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:MeasureNum>1373</ns0:MeasureNum>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Soria</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Soria</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 13160 of the Water Code, relating to water. </ns0:Title>
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<ns0:Subject>Water quality: state certification.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board and the California regional water quality control boards prescribe waste discharge requirements in accordance with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. Under federal law, any applicant seeking a federal license or permit for an activity that may result in any discharge into the navigable waters of the United States is required to first seek a state water quality certification, as specified. The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act authorizes the state board to certify or provide a statement to a federal agency, as required pursuant to federal law, that there is reasonable assurance that an activity of any person subject to the jurisdiction of the state board will not reduce water quality below applicable standards. The federal act provides that if a state fails or
refuses to act on a request for this certification within a reasonable period of time, which shall not exceed one year after receipt of the request, then the state certification requirements are waived with respect to the federal application.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require the state board, if requested by the applicant within 14 days of an initial draft certification being issued, to hold a public hearing at least 21 days before taking action on an application for certification for a license to operate a hydroelectric facility, as provided. The bill would, if a public hearing is requested on the draft certification, prohibit the authority to issue a certification for a license to operate a hydroelectric facility from being delegated. The bill would
authorize the state board to include in its fee schedule for hydroelectric facility applicants an amount up to the reasonable costs incurred by the state board in implementing these provisions.</html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 13160 of the
<ns0:DocName>Water Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>13160.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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The state board is designated as the state water pollution control agency for all purposes stated in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.) and any other existing or subsequently enacted federal water quality control law.
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(b)
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(1)
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The state board is authorized to give any certificate or statement required by any federal agency pursuant to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act or any other federal water quality control law that there is reasonable assurance that an activity of any person subject to the jurisdiction of the state board will comply with applicable requirements of that federal law or any other appropriate requirements
of state law.
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<html:p>
(2)
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(A)
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For a license to operate a hydroelectric facility, if requested by the applicant within 14 days of an initial draft certification being issued, the state board shall hold a public hearing at least 21 days before acting on the application for certification. If a public hearing is requested on the draft certification, the authority to issue that certification for a license to operate a hydroelectric facility shall not be delegated. The public hearing may be conducted as part of a regularly scheduled state board meeting, provided that the hearing is specifically noticed and allows for public comment on the certification application.
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(B)
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The state board may include in its
fee schedule for hydroelectric facility applicants, pursuant to Section 13160.1, an amount not to exceed the reasonable costs incurred by the state board in holding a public hearing or issuing a certification for a license to operate a hydroelectric facility when the authority to issue that certification could not be delegated, pursuant to subparagraph (A).
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<html:p>
(3)
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The state board may issue the certificate or statement under paragraph (1) before completion of the environmental review required under Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code if the state board determines that waiting until completion of that environmental
review to issue the certificate or statement poses a substantial risk of waiver of the state board’s certification authority under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act or any other federal water quality control law. To the extent authorized by federal law, the state board shall reserve authority to reopen and, after public notice, an opportunity for comment, and, when appropriate, an opportunity for a hearing, revise the certificate or statement as appropriate to incorporate feasible measures to avoid or reduce significant environmental impacts or to make any necessary findings based on the information provided in the environmental document prepared for the project.
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(c)
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The state board is authorized to exercise any powers delegated to the state and carry out any program a state is authorized to administer under the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.) and any amendments to that act.
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