20250SB__046691CHP INTRODUCED 2025-02-19 AMENDED_SENATE 2025-03-24 AMENDED_SENATE 2025-05-01 AMENDED_SENATE 2025-05-21 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-06-24 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-07-17 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-08-25 PASSED_ASSEMBLY 2025-09-02 PASSED_SENATE 2025-09-11 ENROLLED 2025-09-16 CHAPTERED 2025-10-03 APPROVED 2025-10-03 FILED 2025-10-03 SB CHP CHP Introduced by Senator Caballero (Coauthors: Assembly Members Macedo and Soria) LEAD_AUTHOR SENATE Caballero COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Macedo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Soria

An act to add

Section to the Health and Safety Code, relating to drinking water. drinking water Drinking water: primary standard for hexavalent chromium: exemption. The California Safe Drinking Water Act provides for the operation of public water systems and imposes on the State Water Resources Control Board various duties and responsibilities for the regulation and control of drinking water in the State of California.

The act requires the state board to adopt primary drinking water standards for contaminants in drinking water based upon specified criteria, and requires a primary drinking water standard to be established for hexavalent chromium. Existing law authorizes the state board to grant a variance from primary drinking water standards to a public water system.

This bill would prohibit a public water system that meets the total chromium maximum contaminant level (MCL) enforceable standard for drinking water in California from being determined, held, considered, or otherwise deemed in violation of the primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium while implementing a state board approved compliance plan or while state board action on the proposed and submitted compliance plan is pending, except as provided. MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section is added to the Health and Safety Code , to read: 116341. (

a) Except as provided in subdivision (

e) and subject to subdivision (b), a public water system shall not be determined, held, considered, or otherwise deemed in violation of the primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium while implementing a state board approved compliance plan. A public water system that has submitted a compliance plan for approval shall not be determined, held, considered, or otherwise deemed in violation of the primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium while state board action on the proposed and submitted compliance plan is pending. (

b) This

section only applies to a public water system that meets the total chromium maximum contaminant level (MCL) enforceable standard for drinking water in California. (

c) This

section does not affect the state’s requirements for establishing drinking water standards for contaminants in drinking water. This

section does not apply to any contaminants other than hexavalent chromium. (

d) This

section shall not apply if a hexavalent chromium MCL compliance plan is rejected by the state board. (

e) This

section does not affect the authority of the state board or the Attorney General to enforce any applicable law or regulation regarding hexavalent chromium, including a state board-approved hexavalent chromium MCL compliance plan.