Laird Bills Advance in Assembly

Policy Committees Approve Bills on Toilet Efficiency, Fisheries Management, Flood Control, Food Stamps Access and California Coastal Trail

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) announced Assembly policy committees this week approved five bills he has authored, including:

Water Conservation/High-efficiency toilets (AB 715)—Part of Mr. Laird’s package of climate change-related bills, AB 715 would set new water flush volume standards by making use of existing high-efficiency toilet technology.  All new homes, schools, office buildings and other construction would be required to utilize high-efficiency toilets.  The average Californian uses an estimated 70 to 80 gallons of water a day indoors, with toilets accounting for approximately one-third of water use—more than any other indoor source.  The new standards are expected to save California 200 million gallons of water in the first year alone, enough water to fill 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools.  By the tenth year the new standards will be in place, the state is expected to save over 8 billion gallons of water per year—more than the total amount of bottled water that Americans consumed in 2005. Because water is pumped over hundreds of miles in California , treated, pressurized, flushed and eventually pumped to the ocean, there are also significant energy savings that will result from implementation of the bill.  The Pacific Institute estimates 19 percent of California ’s electricity is consumed by water systems.

AB 715 passed the Housing and Community Development Committee by a vote of 4-1.  It is expected to be heard next in the Appropriations Committee.

Fisheries Management (AB 1280)—The objective of AB 1280 is to promote sustainable marine fisheries.  Currently, traditional fishery management in California and much of the nation can be characterized as a “race for fish,” in which fishers catch as many fish as possible as fast as possible.  This race results in an unprofitable and depleted fishery—which hurts both the fishers and the fishery.  Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) provide an opportunity to explore innovative approaches to shifting from the traditional model.  FMPs are currently required under the Marine Life Management Act, though implementation has been significantly delayed due to a lack of funding.  AB 1280 aims to end the delay by increasing funding available for FMPs.

AB 1280 passed the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee by a vote of 9-4.  It is expected to be heard next in the Appropriations Committee.

Flood Control (AB 156)—This bill would direct the State Department of Water Resources to make myriad changes to Central Valley levee emergency preparedness and emergency response programs and planning.  The bill makes significant improvements to management of a levee system inspired by a major flood in 1907 that inundated approximately 300,000 acres in the Sacramento Valley .  AB 156 would direct the Department of Water Resources to prepare reports on the levees, obtain information from local levee districts, establish mitigation banks, provide annual warning notices to landowners, map flood-prone areas, and to undertake maintenance work on levees that is not being properly done by local districts. The bill would also require urban areas that receive state funds for levee upgrades to prepare levee safety plans that would include levee patrols, evacuation plans and dewatering plans in case the area experiences a flood.

AB 156 passed the Water, Parks and Wildlife by a vote of 10-1.  It is expected to be heard next in the Appropriations Committee.

Food Stamps and CALWorks Red Tape Reduction Act (AB 1060)—Two million Californians (68% of whom are children) are estimated to be eligible for food stamps, but are not receiving them.  Sponsored by the California Food Policy Advocates, AB 1060 aims to remove barriers and increase access to food by directing the state to move from a 3-month reporting system to a 6-month reporting system for food stamps and CalWORKS.  Since over 84% of CalWORKS recipients receive food stamps, continuing to align the reporting systems makes sense for recipients and government.  Additionally, would reduce administrative errors and remove millions of pages of paperwork from the food stamp process in California .                  

AB 1060 passed the Human Services Committee by a vote of 5-2.  It is expected to be heard next in the Appropriations Committee.

California Coastal Trail (AB 1396)—For over 30 years, federal, state, and local governments, as well as private entities, have supported the development of the Coastal Trail.  The Trail is envisioned to stretch 1,300 miles along the entire California Coast .   At this time the trail is only 40% complete.  The complexity of planning the Trail necessitates ongoing and increasing attention and resources.  AB 1396 requires Caltrans to participate in the development of the Coastal Trail, and to annually report to California ’s resource agencies on surplus properties for sale in the coastal zone. The bill also requires regional transportation planning agencies to include provisions for the Coastal Trail in coastal transportation plans.