Committee advances clarifying bill allowing GSAs to amend coordination agreements after DWR plan assessments

Assemblymember Gonzalez presented AB 709, a narrowly tailored clarification to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) that would allow groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) that share a basin and that maintain multiple groundwater sustainability plans to amend their coordination agreements after the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has completed plan assessment.

The author described the bill as a simple technical fix to provide local GSAs with the flexibility to adjust coordinated planning after DWR assessment, rather than a substantive change to SGMA’s requirements. No witnesses testified in opposition; the author committed on the record not to accept additional amendments that would broaden the bill.

Action: The committee recorded a motion to ‘‘do pass’’ AB 709; the motion carried and the bill was advanced (reported out of the committee). The chair and members discussed the limited scope and the author’s pledge not to accept amendments.

Background: AB 709 is intended to reduce procedural uncertainty for GSAs with multi‑plan coordination agreements by clarifying when and how those agreements can be amended following state assessment.

Next steps: AB 709 was advanced from committee and will proceed to the Senate Appropriations Committee or the next appropriate committee stage.