The proposed bill would amend current statutes regarding groundwater transportation fees and the use of general county funds for water improvement programs. Under current law, county boards of supervisors (BOS) are prohibited from using general county monies for grants under water improvement programs. The bill introduces an exception allowing counties that establish a water improvements program to use general county funds for specific grants related to these programs. Additionally, it stipulates that fees collected from groundwater transportation must be deposited into the county general fund, and counties can designate a portion of these fees for water improvement programs benefiting qualified residential property owners within the relevant groundwater basin.

Furthermore, the bill clarifies that counties must separately account for the groundwater transportation fees and mandates that any excess funds beyond the designated amount for water improvements must also be deposited into the county general fund. The bill also updates terminology, changing "sub-basin" to "subbasin," and makes technical and conforming changes to ensure consistency within the statutes. Overall, these updates aim to enhance the management and allocation of groundwater resources at the county level.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 11-254.09, 45-556