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State Water Board asks for staff and funds to plug permitting gaps after Sackett ruling

Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy · May 7, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The State Water Resources Control Board requested 12 permanent positions and $2.6 million ongoing to handle permitting and enforcement work the Board says federal agencies no longer cover after the 2023 Sackett decision; the LAO endorsed a high bar but recommended statutory changes to improve state enforcement tools.

The State Water Resources Control Board told a Senate subcommittee it needs more staff to fill permitting and enforcement responsibilities left by a narrowing of federal jurisdiction in the 2023 Sackett decision.

Chair Joaquin Esquivel said the board requested $2.6 million in 2026-27 and 12 ongoing positions from the Waste Discharge Permit Fund to conduct essential permitting and enforcement work. "These resources are really critical…

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