State Water Project: water supply contracts.

Under existing law, the Department of Water Resources operates the State Water Resources Development System, known as the State Water Project, in accordance with the California Water Resources Development Bond Act to supply water to persons and entities in the state. Existing law requires the department to present to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and relevant policy and fiscal committees of both houses of the Legislature the details of the terms and conditions of a long-term water supply contract between the department and a state water project contractor and to submit a copy of one long-term contract, as prescribed. This bill would instead require the department to provide at least 10 days' notice to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature before holding public sessions to negotiate any potential amendment of a long-term water supply contract that is of projectwide significance with substantially similar terms intended to be offered to all contractors, or that would permanently transfer a contractual water amount between contractors. The bill would require the department, before the execution of a specified proposed amendment to a long-term water supply contract and not later than 60 days before final approval of such a proposed amendment, to submit to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature certain information regarding the terms and conditions of a proposed amendment of a long-term water supply contract and to submit a copy of the long-term contract as it is proposed to be amended.