CaliforniaVetoed proposal would fund water assistance and system upgrades
The vetoed proposal would have the Treasurer invest transferred money and let community water systems seek grants when lawmakers provide program funding.
What it does
If the Legislature transfers money into the trust, the Treasurer would invest it and send trust income to water assistance funds. The trust principal would remain invested.
If the Legislature transfers and appropriates money for the program, community water systems could seek grants for local projects that may reduce costs paid by ratepayers.
Argument forGrants could help community water systems improve water supplies or cut energy costs, which may reduce costs their ratepayers would otherwise cover.
Argument againstA 25% project share could be hard for some water systems to raise, even though the department could lower or waive it for extreme financial hardship.
More detail
The Treasurer would manage the trust and distribute its income to two water assistance funds. The funds support water bill assistance and grants for community water projects. The Legislature would first need to transfer money from the General Fund into the trust; transferred money could not be returned to the General Fund. The trust principal could not be spent. No more than 1% of its income could be used for trust administration. For the first 25 years after the Legislature’s first transfer, 45% of trust income would go to each fund and 10% would be reinvested. After that, each fund would receive 50%.
The Department of Water Resources would run a grant program for community water systems. Grants could support local projects that improve water supplies, resilience, or water quality, or reduce a community water system’s energy costs. The Legislature would need to transfer money into the fund before the department develops and runs the program. Grants would also depend on legislative appropriations from the fund. Applicants would generally need to provide at least 25% of project funding. The department could lower or waive that share for extreme financial hardship. Before adopting grant guidelines, the department would need to hold at least three public workshops and allow at least 45 days for public comment.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 30Vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom.Latest
- Sep 10Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 31
- Vote recorded AB 2739 Soria Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 30Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6939.).Major
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB2739 Soria et al. By Menjivar. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 30In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Aug 30Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.).Passed Senate
- Aug 30Ordered to special consent calendar.
- Aug 24Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 21Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 13Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).Minor
- Aug 3In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 2Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jul 2From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 1).Major
- Jul 1
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 24From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E.Q. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.Minor
- Jun 23
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Environmental Quality] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 11From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.Major
- Jun 3Referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and E.Q.Minor
- May 27In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 2739 Soria Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 26Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 5344.)Passed Assembly
- May 18Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 14From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 29In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Apr 15From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 14
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 7Re-referred to Com. on W., P., & W.Minor
- Apr 6From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on W., P., & W. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 23Re-referred to Com. on W., P., & W.Minor
- Mar 19From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on W., P., & W. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 19Referred to Com. on W., P., & W.Minor
- Feb 21From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
- Feb 20Read first time. To print.Introduced
Environment & Energy