Bill > AB709

This bill amends the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), a California law designed to manage groundwater resources in high- and medium-priority basins. The bill specifically clarifies that when multiple groundwater sustainability agencies have developed separate groundwater sustainability plans for a single basin, they can modify their coordination agreement after the Department of Water Resources (DWR) completes its assessment of those plans. Under the existing law, groundwater sustainability agencies must jointly submit their plans to the department, including an explanation of how the plans collectively meet certain requirements and a copy of their coordination agreement. The bill ensures that these agencies retain flexibility to adjust their coordination agreement even after the department's review, without interpreting this adjustment as a violation of the existing statute. This provision helps maintain collaborative groundwater management while allowing agencies to refine their approach based on the department's assessment and evolving local conditions.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB709