20250AB__277798AMD INTRODUCED 2026-02-24 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2026-03-26 2025 AB AMD Introduced by Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials (Assembly Members Connolly (Chair), Ellis (Vice Chair), Lee, and McKinnor) LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Assembly Members Connolly (Chair), Ellis (Vice Chair), Lee, and McKinnor

An act to amend Sections 13477.5, 13480, and of the Water Code, relating to water quality. water quality State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund program: loans: outdoor eating areas: water reuse.

(1) Existing law establishes the State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund program, pursuant to which state and federal funds are continuously appropriated from the State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund to the State Water Resources Control Board for loans and other financial assistance for purposes related to the federal Clean Water Act.

Existing law establishes the State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund Administration Fund (administration fund) to provide funds, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be expended by the state board for payment of the reasonable costs of administering the State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund.

Existing law authorizes the state board to assess an annual charge for financial assistance services, not to exceed 1% of the financial assistance repayment amount and computed according to the true interest cost method, as provided, and requires those annual charges to be deposited into the administration fund. Existing law authorizes the financial service rate to be applied at any time during the term of the financial assistance and requires the rate to remain unchanged for the duration of the financial assistance.

Existing law prohibits the financial assistance rate from increasing the financial assistance repayment amount after being applied. Existing law requires the state board to, at least once each fiscal year, adjust the financial assistance service rate. Existing law requires the state board to set the total amount of revenue collected each year through the annual charges at an amount that is equal as practicable to the appropriation amount set forth in the annual Budget Act.

This bill would additionally authorize the state board to assess fees in place of an annual charge for financial assistance and would authorize the fees or annual charge to be assessed at any rate as permitted by federal law. The bill would delete the provision prohibiting the changing of the financial assistance rate during the financial assistance and the increasing of the financial assistance repayment amount. The bill would delete the requirement relating to the appropriation amount set forth in the annual Budget Act.

(2) Existing law authorizes moneys in the State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund to be used for loans that meet specified requirements, including that the loans be made at or below market interest rates and, to the extent permitted by federal law, requiring that the combined interest and loan service rate be set at a rate not to exceed 50% of the interest rate paid by the state on the most recent sale of state general obligation bonds, as provided. Existing law requires the combined interest and loan service rate to be 0% for certain applicants who provide matching funds.

This bill would delete the provision requiring that the combined interest and loan service rate be set at a rate not to exceed 50% of the interest rate paid by the state on the most recent sale of state general obligation bonds. The bill would require the loans to be made at below market interest rates.

(3) Existing law prohibits a person or public agency, including a state agency, city, county, city and county, district, or any other political subdivision of the state, from using water from any source of quality suitable for potable domestic use for nonpotable uses, including, among other locations, parks, if suitable recycled water is available, as provided.

Existing law provides that incidental amounts of spray, mist, or runoff are to be permitted to enter outdoor eating areas of parks and open spaces when irrigated with disinfected tertiary treated recycled water that complies with a specified regulation regarding irrigation. This bill would instead provide that incidental runoff is to be permitted to enter outdoor eating areas of parks and open spaces when irrigated with disinfected tertiary treated recycled water that complies with a specified regulation regarding irrigation.

The bill would define “incidental runoff” as unintended amounts of runoff, such as unintended, minimal overspray from sprinklers that escapes the area of intended use.

Existing law continuously appropriates certain funds from the State Water Quality Control Fund for expenditure by the State Water Resources Control Board for specified purposes.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>This bill would require the state board to post on its internet website the loan and grant moneys available from the State Water Quality Control Fund.</xhtml:p>"?> MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (

a) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide the State Water Resources Control Board with the authority to offer larger below-market rate loans that will help reinforce the long-term solvency of the fund and support affordable recycled water, wastewater, and water quality infrastructure in California. (

b) It is the intent of the Legislature that when the State Water Resources Control Board adopts amendments to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund policy to implement this act, the board will collaborate with stakeholders and take steps to ensure projects receiving higher interest rates incur other benefits not offered to projects receiving the lowest offered rate.

SEC.

Section 13477.5 of the Water Code is amended to read: 13477.5. (

a) The State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund Administration Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. (

b) The following moneys shall be deposited in the administration fund:

(1) Moneys transferred to the administration fund to pay the costs incurred by the board in connection with the administration of this chapter.

(2) The amounts collected for financial assistance services pursuant to subdivision (c).

(3) Notwithstanding

Section of the Government Code, any interest earned upon the moneys deposited in the administration fund. (c)

(1) For any financial assistance made pursuant to

Section 13480, the board may assess fees or an annual charge for financial assistance services with regard to the financial assistance, as permitted by federal law.

(2) Any amounts collected under this subdivision shall be deposited in the administration fund.

(3) The financial assistance service rate authorized by this subdivision may be applied at any time during the term of the financial assistance. (

d) Moneys in the administration fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature to the board, may be expended for payment of the reasonable costs of administering the fund. (

e) At least once each fiscal year, the board shall adjust the financial assistance service rate imposed pursuant to subdivision (c).

SEC. 3.

Section of the Water Code is amended to read: 13480. (

a) Moneys in the fund shall be used only for the permissible purposes allowed by the federal act or a federal grant deposited in the fund, to the extent authorized and funded by that grant. (

b) Consistent with expenditure for authorized purposes, moneys in the fund may be used for the following purposes:

(1) Loans that meet all of the following requirements: (

A) Are made at below market interest rates. (

B) Require annual payments of principal and any interest, with repayment commencing not later than one year after completion of the project for which the loan is made and full amortization not later than years after project completion unless otherwise authorized by a federal grant deposited in the fund to the extent authorized. (

C) Require the loan recipient to establish an acceptable dedicated source of revenue for repayment of a loan. (D) (

i) Contain other terms and conditions required by the board or the federal act or applicable rules, regulations, guidelines, and policies. A loan from the fund used to finance costs of facilities planning, or the preparation of plans, specifications, or estimates for construction of publicly owned treatment works shall comply with

Section 603(

e) of the federal act (33 U.S.C.

Sec. 1383(e)). (ii) Notwithstanding clause (i), if the loan applicant is a municipality, an applicant for a loan for the implementation of a management program pursuant to

Section of the federal act (33 U.S.C.

Sec. 1329), or an applicant for a loan for nonpoint source or estuary enhancement pursuant to

Section of the federal act (33 U.S.C.

Sec. 1330), and the applicant provides matching funds, the combined interest and loan service rate on the loan shall be percent. A loan recipient that returns to the fund an amount of money equal to percent of the remaining unpaid federal balance of an existing loan shall have the remaining unpaid loan balance refinanced at a combined interest and loan service rate of percent over the time remaining in the original loan contract.

(2) To buy or refinance the debt obligations of municipalities within the state at or below market rates if those debt obligations were incurred after March 7, 1985.

(3) To guarantee, or purchase insurance for, local obligations where that action would improve credit market access or reduce interest rates.

(4) As a source of revenue or security for the payment of principal and interest on revenue or general obligation bonds issued by the state, if the proceeds of the sale of those bonds will be deposited in the fund.

(5) To establish loan guarantees for similar revolving funds established by municipalities.

(6) To earn interest.

(7) For payment of the reasonable costs of administering the fund and conducting activities under Subchapter VI (commencing with

Section 601) of the federal act (33 U.S.C.

Sec. 1381 et seq.). Those costs shall not exceed percent of all federal contributions to the fund, four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) per year, or one-fifth of percent per year of the current valuation of the fund, whichever amount is greatest, plus the amount of any fees collected by the state for this purpose regardless of the source.

(8) For financial assistance toward the nonfederal share of the costs of grant-funded treatment works projects, to the extent permitted by the federal act.

(9) Grants, principal forgiveness, negative interest rates, and any other type of, or variation on the above types of, assistance authorized by a federal grant deposited in the fund.

SEC. 4.

Section of the Water Code is amended to read: 13551. (

a) A person or public agency, including a state agency, city, county, city and county, district, or any other political subdivision of the state, shall not use water from any source of quality suitable for potable domestic use for nonpotable uses, including cemeteries, golf courses, parks, highway landscaped areas, and industrial and irrigation uses if suitable recycled water is available as provided in

Section 13550. (

b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), any use of recycled water in lieu of water suitable for potable domestic use shall, to the extent of the recycled water so used, be deemed to constitute a reasonable beneficial use of that water and the use of recycled water shall not cause any loss or diminution of any existing water right. (

c) Incidental runoff shall be permitted to enter outdoor eating areas of parks and open spaces when irrigated with disinfected tertiary treated recycled water that complies with

Section 493.4 of Title of the California Code of Regulations. (

d) For purposes of subdivision (c), “incidental runoff” means unintended amounts (volume) of runoff, such as unintended, minimal overspray from sprinklers that escapes the area of intended use.

Water leaving an intended use area is not considered incidental if it is part of the facility or system design, if it is due to excessive application, if it is due to intentional overflow or application, or if it is due to negligence. <caml:Num>SECTION 1.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_ADDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:WAT:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2F%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'13402'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section is added to the <caml:DocName>Water Code</caml:DocName>, to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_9BC071A0-8695-482F-AE87-DB3BA70B71FD"><caml:Num>13402.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_BEEC1658-F955-4535-A5AE-868567FAF3FD"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>The state board shall post on its internet website the loans and grant programs that are available pursuant to this chapter.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection>"?>