Bill > AB1466

This bill modifies California's legal procedures for groundwater adjudication (a legal process to determine water rights) by making several key changes. First, it allows courts to handle claims for minor water quantities differently, giving judges more flexibility in managing cases involving small water extractions. Second, the bill introduces a presumption of accuracy for initial disclosures by parties claiming to extract 100 acre-feet or less of water annually, shifting the burden of proof to any party challenging those claims. Third, in basins with existing groundwater sustainability plans, the bill requires courts to request technical reports from groundwater sustainability agencies, which will help quantify and describe groundwater use by parties not already involved in the legal proceedings. The technical reports will be considered prima facie evidence (having a presumption of truth) of the physical facts they describe, though parties can still present evidence to challenge the reports. Additionally, the bill mandates more detailed initial disclosures, particularly for agricultural users, including information about crop types, acres irrigated, and water extraction methods over the preceding decade. These changes aim to streamline groundwater rights adjudication, reduce procedural burdens, and provide more comprehensive information about water use in California's groundwater basins.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1466