Bill > AB794

This bill modifies California's Safe Drinking Water Act to enhance the State Water Resources Control Board's ability to adopt emergency regulations related to drinking water standards. Specifically, the bill allows the board to adopt requirements from federal drinking water regulations that were in effect on January 19, 2025, even if those requirements have since been repealed or modified. The bill prohibits the emergency regulations from implementing less stringent drinking water standards and restricts maximum contaminant levels from being more stringent than federal regulations. The bill requires the state board to adopt an emergency regulation and initiate a primary drinking water standard for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by December 31, 2026. The regulation can include more stringent monitoring requirements, and its adoption is considered an emergency action exempt from typical administrative review processes. When adopting such emergency regulations, the board must also work with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to establish public health goals for any new contaminants and initiate proceedings to create primary drinking water standards. The goal is to ensure California's drinking water regulations remain protective of public health while aligning with federal standards.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB794