AB 2412: Agriculture: State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program.
- Session Year: 2021-2022
- House: Assembly
- Latest Version Date: 2022-04-18
Existing law, the Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995, requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to establish and oversee an environmental farming program that provides incentives to farmers whose practices promote the well-being of ecosystems, air quality, and wildlife and their habitat. The act requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to convene the Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming to advise the secretary on the implementation of the Healthy Soils Program and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program, and to assist federal, state, and local government agencies, as appropriate or necessary, on issues relating to the impact of agricultural practices on air, water, and wildlife habitat, as specified.
This bill would require the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature of additional funds, to administer the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program to provide grants to agricultural operations to implement irrigation, water reclamation, water storage, or groundwater recharge systems that reduce greenhouse gases and energy use and or increase water use efficiency. The bill would require the secretary, on or before one year after receiving an appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes, in consultation with the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming, to develop guidelines for awarding grants under the program, as specified. The bill would require the secretary, on or before January 1, 2027, and biennially thereafter, to submit a report to the relevant legislative policy committees, report to the Legislature, as prescribed.
Existing law, the Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995, requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to establish and oversee an environmental farming program that provides incentives to farmers whose practices promote the well-being of ecosystems, air quality, and wildlife and their habitat. The act requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to convene the Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming to advise the secretary on the implementation of the Healthy Soils Program and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program, and to assist federal, state, and local government agencies, as appropriate or necessary, on issues relating to the impact of agricultural practices on air, water, and wildlife habitat, as specified.
This bill would require the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature of additional funds, to administer the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program to provide grants to agricultural operations to implement irrigation, water reclamation, water storage, or groundwater recharge systems that reduce greenhouse gases and energy use and increase water use efficiency. The bill would require the secretary, on or before one year after receiving an appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes, in consultation with the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming, to develop guidelines for awarding grants under the program, as specified. The bill would require the secretary, on or before January 1, 2027, and biennially thereafter, to submit a report to the relevant legislative policy committees, as prescribed.
(a)For purposes of this section, grant program means the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program established by the department from moneys made available pursuant to Chapter 2 of the Statutes of 2014.
(b)Upon appropriation by the Legislature of additional funds for the grant program, the department shall administer the grant program pursuant to the guidelines established in subdivision (c) to provide financial assistance in the form of grants to agricultural operations to implement irrigation, water reclamation, water storage, or groundwater recharge systems that reduce greenhouse gases and energy use and or increase water use efficiency, subject to both of the following:
(1)The department shall prioritize financial assistance for farms and ranches of 500 acres or less and small farmers or ranchers and for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as defined in Section 512.
(2)The department may consider and prioritize projects that provide cobenefits, including, but not limited to, improved water quality, groundwater recharge, on-farm water storage, and surface water efficiency.
(c)(1)On or before one year after the date an appropriation by the Legislature is received for the purposes of this section, the secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming, panel, shall develop and adopt guidelines for awarding funds under the grant program.
(2)The guidelines prepared pursuant to this subdivision shall include all relevant conservation practice standards issued by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture and may be amended from time to time to promote the funding of projects that include include, but are not limited to, any of the following conservation practices: goals:
(A)Combustive system improvements for agricultural irrigation engines.(B)Irrigation systems and micro-irrigation.(C)Sprinkler systems.(D)Irrigation systems that are surface or subsurface, or both.(E)Irrigation water management.(F)Pumping plants.(G)Irrigation and drainage tailwater recovery.(H)Irrigation field ditches.(I)Irrigation land leveling.(J)Ponds and pond sealing or lining with compacted soil, geomembrane or geosynthetic clay, or concrete.(K)Irrigation pipelines.(L)Irrigation reservoirs.(A)Reductions in water use.
(B)Reclamation of water.
(C)Storage of water.
(D)Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
(d)On or before January 1, 2027, and biennially thereafter, the secretary shall provide submit a report to the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, that includes a review of the guidelines established pursuant to subdivision (c), a list of projects awarded financial assistance pursuant to the program, and a review of the effectiveness of those projects in implementing irrigation, water reclamation, water storage, or groundwater recharge systems that reduce greenhouse gases and energy use and increase water use efficiency to the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, the Assembly Agriculture Committee, the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife, and the Senate Appropriations Committee. awarded projects.
(a)For purposes of this section, grant program means the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program established by the department from moneys made available pursuant to Chapter 2 of the Statutes of 2014.
(b)Upon appropriation by the Legislature of additional funds for the grant program, the department shall administer the grant program pursuant to the guidelines established in subdivision (c) to provide financial assistance in the form of grants to agricultural operations to implement irrigation, water reclamation, water storage, or groundwater recharge systems that reduce greenhouse gases and energy use and increase water use efficiency, subject to both of the following:
(1)The department shall prioritize financial assistance for farms and ranches of 500 acres or less and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as defined in Section 512.
(2)The department may consider and prioritize projects that provide cobenefits, including, but not limited to, improved water quality, groundwater recharge, on-farm water storage, and surface water efficiency.
(c)(1)On or before one year after the date an appropriation by the Legislature is received for the purposes of this section, the secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming, shall develop and adopt guidelines for awarding funds under the grant program.
(2)The guidelines prepared pursuant to this subdivision shall include all relevant conservation practice standards issued by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture and may be amended from time to time to promote the funding of projects that include any of the following conservation practices:
(A)Combustive system improvements for agricultural irrigation engines.
(B)Irrigation systems and micro-irrigation.
(C)Sprinkler systems.
(D)Irrigation systems that are surface or subsurface, or both.
(E)Irrigation water management.
(F)Pumping plants.
(G)Irrigation and drainage tailwater recovery.
(H)Irrigation field ditches.
(I)Irrigation land leveling.
(J)Ponds and pond sealing or lining with compacted soil, geomembrane or geosynthetic clay, or concrete.
(K)Irrigation pipelines.
(L)Irrigation reservoirs.
(d)On or before January 1, 2027, and biennially thereafter, the secretary shall provide a report that includes a review of the guidelines established pursuant to subdivision (c), a list of projects awarded financial assistance pursuant to the program, and a review of the effectiveness of those projects in implementing irrigation, water reclamation, water storage, or groundwater recharge systems that reduce greenhouse gases and energy use and increase water use efficiency to the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, the Assembly Agriculture Committee, the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife, and the Senate Appropriations Committee.
|
Date
|
Status
|
|---|---|
| May 19, 2022 | In committee: Held under submission. |
| May 11, 2022 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file. |
| Apr 26, 2022 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 26). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Apr 19, 2022 | Re-referred to Com. on W.,P., & W. |
| Apr 18, 2022 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on W.,P., & W. Read second time and amended. |
| Apr 6, 2022 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on W.,P., & W. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 6). Re-referred to Com. on W.,P., & W. |
| Mar 3, 2022 | Referred to Coms. on AGRI. and W.,P., & W. |
| Feb 18, 2022 | From printer. May be heard in committee March 20. |
| Feb 17, 2022 | Read first time. To print. |
This list shows positions taken on this bill by organizations on the date displayed, which is linked to the original source.
Positions by individuals are not included.
Bill Author
Bill Co-Author(s):