Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund: tribes.

Existing law establishes the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund in the State Treasury to help water systems provide an adequate and affordable supply of safe drinking water in both the near and long terms. Existing law continuously appropriates to the State Water Resources Control Board moneys deposited in the fund for the development, implementation, and sustainability of long-term drinking water solutions, among other things. Existing law requires the state board to expend moneys in the fund for grants, loans, contracts, or services to assist eligible recipients. Existing law includes within the list of "eligible recipients," public agencies, nonprofit organizations, public utilities, mutual water companies, federally recognized California Native American tribes, specified nonfederally recognized Native American tribes, administrators, groundwater sustainability agencies, community water systems, and technical assistance providers. This bill would specify that any waiver of tribal sovereignty that is required by the state board for a tribe that is an eligible recipient to access funding from the fund shall be narrowly drafted to serve both the individual needs of the tribe and make the funding agreement enforceable. The bill would require the state board to include its designated tribal liaison, as defined, in all discussions with eligible recipients, except as specified. The bill would require the state board to consider the extent that funds for safe drinking water projects from the programs administered by the state board are distributed to eligible recipients to provide assistance to federally recognized California Native American tribes or specified nonfederally recognized Native American tribes and make diligent efforts to ensure the distribution of funds to those tribes. The bill would require the state board to expend those funds, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for grants, loans, contracts, or services to assist those tribes. The bill would require the state board to post on its internet website, and update annually, the number of inquiries for funding received from tribes, the number of applications for funding received from tribes, and the total amount of funding granted to tribes each year.