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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator McNerney</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>McNerney</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Chapter 4.9 (commencing with Section 116774.5) to Part 12 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to water. </ns0:Title>
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<ns0:Subject>Public water systems: grants and loans: perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>The California Safe Drinking Water Act provides for the operation of public water systems and imposes on the State Water Resources Control Board various duties and responsibilities for the regulation and control of drinking water in the state.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law authorizes the state board, upon the appropriation of funds by the Legislature, to provide grants and direct expenditures to public water systems that serve small or disadvantaged communities to address emerging contaminants in those communities, consistent with federal grant terms, as provided.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would authorize the state board to fund projects, upon the appropriation of funds by the Legislature, through grants or loans to public water systems to address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water or source water. The bill
would prescribe sources from which those funds may originate and permissible activities for those projects. The bill would authorize the state board to implement the bill through a policy handbook or workplan exempt from the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act.</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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(a)
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The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
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<html:p>
(1)
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Every Californian should enjoy the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards. No single group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences and adverse health impacts arising from industrial, governmental, or commercial operations or policies.
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<html:p>
(2)
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State law declares that it is the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.
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<html:p>
(3)
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Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) continue to be used in a broad range of industrial processes and in manufacturing products because of their water- and stain-resistant, nonstick, surfactant, and other properties, including for making packaging, plastic food ware, cleaning products, ski waxes, menstrual products, metal products, propellants, coatings and paints, and much more, despite the growing body of evidence that these chemicals may leach into food, water supplies, and even the human body through exposures.
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<html:p>
(4)
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Concentrated PFAS contamination in the environment creates cumulative health burdens resulting in communities with greater health risks, such as cancer, reproductive health and fertility effects, and immune system disorders.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
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PFAS makes its way into community water supplies and wastewater. Water suppliers and wastewater treatment
operators are not responsible for the introduction of PFAS into the environment, yet these local agencies are responsible for treating our water and wastewater.
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(6)
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Enhancing the long-term sustainability of drinking water systems and wastewater systems for all communities increases our communities’ resilience and environmental safety.
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(7)
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Funding for the infrastructure to treat PFAS in water supplies, including recycled water, and wastewater systems promotes investments for communities, including, but not limited to, small or disadvantaged communities, and important contributions to help those communities create a cleaner environment.
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<html:p>
(b)
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It is the intent of the Legislature that true environmental justice be brought to our state by addressing PFAS contamination, including the continuing disproportionate environmental
burdens in the state and on passive receivers by ensuring that existing funding programs specifically recognize the need for the treatment of PFAS in water, wastewater, and recycled water.
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(c)
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It is further the intent of the Legislature that the policies of the state strive to ensure all regions of the state receive an equitable level of consideration for funding, to the extent practicable.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Chapter 4.9 (commencing with Section 116774.5) is added to Part 12 of Division 104 of the
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, to read:
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<ns0:Num>4.9.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:LawHeadingText>Drinking Water and Source Water Contaminant Funding for Public Water Systems </ns0:LawHeadingText>
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<ns0:Num>116774.5.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
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“Board” means the State Water Resources Control Board.
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<html:p>
(b)
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“Community water system” means a public water system that serves at least 15 service connections used by year-long residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-long residents of the area served by the system.
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(c)
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“Disadvantaged community” means a community with an annual median household income that is less than 80 percent of the statewide annual median household income, including a community water system solely serving a school.
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(d)
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“Federal
act” means the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300f et seq.) and acts amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto.
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(e)
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“Noncommunity water system” means a public water system that is not a community water system.
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<html:p>
(f)
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“PFAS” means perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(g)
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“Public water system” means privately and publicly owned community water systems and nonprofit noncommunity water systems, including systems utilizing point of entry or residential central treatment.
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(h)
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“Small community” means a community with a population of less than 10,000 individuals that the board determines does not have the capacity to incur debt sufficient to finance a project or activity otherwise eligible under this
chapter.
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<ns0:Num>116774.6.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
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To the extent permitted by federal law, the board may fund projects under this chapter, upon the appropriation of funds by the Legislature for this purpose, through grants or loans to address PFAS in drinking water or source water. Funds may originate from any of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
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The Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund created by Section 116760.30.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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The federal Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
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The federal Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities grant program authorized by Section 300j-19a of Title 42 of the United States Code (Section 1459A of the federal act).
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<html:p>
(b)
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Funding may be administered as grants or loans under subdivision (a) to public water systems, including, but not limited, public water systems serving small or disadvantaged communities.
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(c)
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Moneys appropriated for purposes of this chapter may be used for activities consistent with federal law, including all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
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Activities relating to source water, including, but not limited to, research and investigation to identify the presence, source, or extent of PFAS in a water system, source exploration, and new source development.
</html:p>
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(2)
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Planning and design.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
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Providing households access to drinking water services.
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<html:p>
(4)
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Public communication, engagement, and education.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
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Technical assistance.
</html:p>
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(6)
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Testing or sampling for baseline assessment.
</html:p>
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(7)
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Treatment.
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(d)
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This chapter does not expand any obligation of the state to provide resources for the provisions of this chapter.
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(e)
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The board may implement this chapter through a policy handbook or workplan. The policy handbook or workplan is not subject to the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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