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Almond Facts
MARCH | APRIL 2017
ADVOCACY REPORT
Kelly Covello, President, Almond Alliance of CA
Advocacy Report
Bill Introduction Results in More
Challenges for the Almond Industry
February 17 was the bill introduction deadline,
marking the first major benchmark for the 2017-
18 California legislative session. This year, the
legislature has introduced more bills than in
previous sessions; there are 1,687 Assembly Bills
and 808 Senate Bills for a total of 2,495 bills. This
equates to approximately 200 measures above
normal for the first year of the two-year session.
The legislature is taking on many issues important to
the almond industry. We have broken key legislation and
issues impacting the industry into major categories and
identified the lead legislation introduced.
Water
While the rain has ended the drought, there is no drought
on water legislation. The focus has been moving from water
supply and conservation to water quality. The issue of
groundwater contamination from nitrates is dominating the
agricultural water discussions. Bills have been introduced
attempting to identify a funding source for groundwater
cleanup, replacement and to provide operations and
maintenance for projects addressing contaminated basins.
Discussions include a “fertilizer tax”, a per animal unit
assessment, water bonds to provide matching funds and a
“public goods charge” for all water users.
SB 623 (Monning/de León) –
This measure is a
placeholder intending to provide funding for replacement
water for communities impacted by nitrates. This will
likely be the lead bill to incorporate a funding source and
liability protections for growers and could include concepts
such as a fertilizer tax.
SB 778 (Hertzberg) –
This is a placeholder for a broad-
based water quality fee that could be used to address
cleaning up and providing replacement water for a host of
contaminants commonly found in groundwater.
AB 1605 (Caballero) –
Placeholder legislation intended
to address regional solutions to the nitrate issue.
SB 252 (Dodd) –
This bill would require an applicant for
a new well permit in an over drafted basin to monitor the
groundwater, define the use of the water such as irrigation,
commercial or domestic and meet requirements for
regulation by the Department of Water Resources.
SB 5 (de León) –
Would enact the California
Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection,
and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018, which
would authorize the issuance of general obligation
bonds in an amount of $3.5 billion to finance a
drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection,
and outdoor access for all program.
AB 18 (E. Garcia) –
California Clean Water,
Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor
Access For All Act of 2018 authorizes the
issuance of general obligation bonds in an
amount of over $3.1 billion to finance a
clean water, climate, coastal protection,
and outdoor access for all program.
