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Measure AB 709
Authors Jeff Gonzalez  
Subject Sustainable Groundwater Management Act: groundwater sustainability plans.
Relating To relating to water.
Title An act to amend Section 10733.4 of the Water Code, relating to water.
Last Action Dt 2025-10-07
State Chaptered
Status Chaptered
Active? Y
Vote Required Majority
Appropriation No
Fiscal Committee No
Local Program No
Substantive Changes None
Urgency No
Tax Levy No
Leginfo Link Bill
Actions
2025-10-07     Approved by the Governor.
2025-10-07     Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 439, Statutes of 2025.
2025-09-23     Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
2025-09-12     In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
2025-09-11     Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2895.).
2025-06-11     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-06-10     From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 10).
2025-05-21     Referred to Com. on N.R. & W.
2025-05-08     Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 69. Noes 0. Page 1485.)
2025-05-08     In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-05-01     Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
2025-04-30     From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 29).
2025-03-03     Referred to Com. on W. P., & W.
2025-02-15     From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.
2025-02-14     Read first time. To print.
Keywords
Tags
Versions
Chaptered     2025-10-07
Enrolled     2025-09-15
Introduced     2025-02-14
Last Version Text 
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		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Jeff Gonzalez</ns0:AuthorText>
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		<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 10733.4 of the Water Code, relating to water. </ns0:Title>
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			<ns0:Subject>Sustainable Groundwater Management Act: groundwater sustainability plans.</ns0:Subject>
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			<html:p>Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans, except as specified.</html:p>
			<html:p>The act requires a groundwater sustainability agency, upon adoption of a groundwater sustainability plan, to submit the groundwater sustainability plan to the department for review. If groundwater sustainability agencies develop multiple groundwater sustainability plans for a basin, the act requires, when the entire basin is covered by groundwater sustainability plans, the groundwater sustainability agencies to jointly submit to the department the groundwater sustainability plans, an explanation of how the plans satisfy specified provisions of the act, and
		a copy of the coordination agreement between the groundwater sustainability agencies. The act requires the department to evaluate a groundwater sustainability plan within 2 years of its submission and issue an assessment of the plan.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would provide that nothing in those provisions relating to making submissions to the department shall be construed to prohibit groundwater sustainability agencies that have developed multiple groundwater sustainability plans for a basin from amending the coordination agreement following department issuance of an assessment of the plans.</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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				Section 10733.4 of the 
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				 is amended to read:
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								(a)
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								Upon adoption of a groundwater sustainability plan, a groundwater sustainability agency shall submit the groundwater sustainability plan to the department for review pursuant to this chapter.
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								(b)
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								If groundwater sustainability agencies develop multiple groundwater sustainability plans for a basin, the submission required by subdivision (a) shall not occur until the entire basin is covered by groundwater sustainability plans. When the entire basin is covered by groundwater sustainability plans, the groundwater sustainability agencies shall jointly submit to the department all of the following:
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								(1)
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								The groundwater sustainability plans.
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								(2)
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								An explanation of how the groundwater sustainability plans implemented together satisfy Sections 10727.2, 10727.4, and 10727.6 for the entire basin.
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								(3)
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								A copy of the coordination agreement between the groundwater sustainability agencies to ensure the coordinated implementation of the groundwater sustainability plans for the entire basin.
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								(c)
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								Upon receipt of a groundwater sustainability plan, the department shall post the plan on the department’s internet website and provide 60 days for persons to submit comments to the department about the plan.
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								(d)
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								The department shall evaluate the
				  groundwater sustainability plan within two years of its submission by a groundwater sustainability agency and issue an assessment of the plan. The assessment may include recommended corrective actions to address any deficiencies identified by the department.
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								(e)
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								Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a groundwater sustainability agency from implementing a groundwater sustainability plan prior to evaluation and assessment of the groundwater sustainability plan by the department.
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								(f)
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								Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit groundwater sustainability agencies that have developed multiple groundwater sustainability plans for a basin from amending the coordination agreement following department issuance of an assessment of the plans.
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Last Version Text Digest Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans, except as specified. The act requires a groundwater sustainability agency, upon adoption of a groundwater sustainability plan, to submit the groundwater sustainability plan to the department for review. If groundwater sustainability agencies develop multiple groundwater sustainability plans for a basin, the act requires, when the entire basin is covered by groundwater sustainability plans, the groundwater sustainability agencies to jointly submit to the department the groundwater sustainability plans, an explanation of how the plans satisfy specified provisions of the act, and a copy of the coordination agreement between the groundwater sustainability agencies. The act requires the department to evaluate a groundwater sustainability plan within 2 years of its submission and issue an assessment of the plan. This bill would provide that nothing in those provisions relating to making submissions to the department shall be construed to prohibit groundwater sustainability agencies that have developed multiple groundwater sustainability plans for a basin from amending the coordination agreement following department issuance of an assessment of the plans.