AB 794: California Safe Drinking Water Act: emergency regulations.

Existing law, the California Safe Drinking Water Act (state act), requires the State Water Resources Control Board to administer provisions relating to the regulation of drinking water to protect public health. The state boards duties include, but are not limited to, enforcing the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (federal act) and adopting and enforcing regulations. Existing law authorizes the state board to adopt as an emergency regulation, a regulation that is not more stringent than, and is not materially different in substance and effect than, the requirements of a regulation promulgated under the federal act, with a specified exception.

This bill would provide that the authority of the state board to adopt an emergency regulation pursuant to these provisions includes the authority to adopt requirements of a specified federal regulation that was in effect on January 19, 2025, regardless of whether the requirements were repealed or amended to be less stringent. The bill would prohibit an emergency regulation adopted pursuant to these provisions from implementing less stringent drinking water standards, as provided, and would authorize the regulation to include requirements that are more stringent than the requirements of the federal regulation. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2026, the state board to adopt an emergency regulation and to initiate a primary drinking water standard for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, as provided. The bill would make other changes to proceedings initiated upon the adoption of an emergency regulation to establish a public health goal and primary drinking water standards, as specified.