Bill Commons

CA AB 1466

enacted

Groundwater adjudication.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 1466 pass?

Yes. CA AB 1466 has been enacted into law as of 2025-10-11. Latest recorded action (2025-10-11): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 643, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA AB 1466 about?

(1) Existing law establishes procedures for the comprehensive adjudication of groundwater rights in civil court. Under existing law, if the court finds that claims of right to extract or divert only minor quantities of water, as defined, would not have a material effect on the groundwater rights of other parties, the court may exempt those claimants from the proceedings, except as specified. Existing law further prescribes that a judgment in a comprehensive adjudication to determine rights to extract groundwater in a basin is not binding on, among others, claimants whose claims have been exempted. This bill would authorize a court, in lieu of the exemption process described above, to treat persons with claims of right to extract or divert only minor quantities of water separately from other parties to the comprehensive adjudication. The bill would require the court to hold a hearing within a specified time to determine whether to exempt or treat those claimants separately and to establish a procedure to register and administer such claims. (2) Existing law, in a comprehensive adjudication of groundwater rights in civil court, requires a party to serve on the other parties and the special master, if appointed, an initial disclosure that includes certain information within six months of the party's appearance in a comprehensive adjudication, except as specified. Existing law requires that information to include a description of the general purpose for which the groundwater has been used and the area in which the groundwater has been used. This bill would require the court to presume the accuracy of the facts asserted by a party in the initial disclosure described above if the party claims an annual extraction of not more than 100 acre-feet of water. The bill would provide that a party who challenges the facts asserted in an initial disclosure that qualifies for this presumption has the burden of proving the inaccuracy of those facts. The bill would, if the groundwater has been used for an agricultural use, require the initial disclosure to include information regarding the type of crops grown and the number of acres irrigated during the preceding 10 years. (3) Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans, except as specified. Existing law authorizes any local agency or combination of local agencies overlying a groundwater basin to decide to become a groundwater sustainability agency for that basin and imposes specified duties upon that agency or combination of agencies, as provided. This bill would require the court to, in any adjudication in a basin where one or more groundwater sustainability agencies have adopted a groundwater sustainability plan that has been approved by the department, request that the groundwater sustainability agency provide a technical report, to the extent that the agency is able to do so at a reasonable effort and expense. The bill would require such a report to, at a minimum, quantify and describe the groundwater use of parties that have not otherwise appeared before the court, as provided. The bill would provide for the payment or reimbursement of costs related to the technical report, as provided. The bill would permit the court during the pendency of the report to award interim or partial payments to be made by the parties, upon a motion with proper notice, as specified, by a groundwater sustainability agency, and following a hearing. The bill would provide that the technical report shall be prima facie evidence of the physical facts found in the report, as provided.

Who sponsors CA AB 1466?

Hart is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1466.

Description

(1) Existing law establishes procedures for the comprehensive adjudication of groundwater rights in civil court. Under existing law, if the court finds that claims of right to extract or divert only minor quantities of water, as defined, would not have a material effect on the groundwater rights of other parties, the court may exempt those claimants from the proceedings, except as specified. Existing law further prescribes that a judgment in a comprehensive adjudication to determine rights to extract groundwater in a basin is not binding on, among others, claimants whose claims have been exempted. This bill would authorize a court, in lieu of the exemption process described above, to treat persons with claims of right to extract or divert only minor quantities of water separately from other parties to the comprehensive adjudication. The bill would require the court to hold a hearing within a specified time to determine whether to exempt or treat those claimants separately and to establish a procedure to register and administer such claims. (2) Existing law, in a comprehensive adjudication of groundwater rights in civil court, requires a party to serve on the other parties and the special master, if appointed, an initial disclosure that includes certain information within six months of the party's appearance in a comprehensive adjudication, except as specified. Existing law requires that information to include a description of the general purpose for which the groundwater has been used and the area in which the groundwater has been used. This bill would require the court to presume the accuracy of the facts asserted by a party in the initial disclosure described above if the party claims an annual extraction of not more than 100 acre-feet of water. The bill would provide that a party who challenges the facts asserted in an initial disclosure that qualifies for this presumption has the burden of proving the inaccuracy of those facts. The bill would, if the groundwater has been used for an agricultural use, require the initial disclosure to include information regarding the type of crops grown and the number of acres irrigated during the preceding 10 years. (3) Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans, except as specified. Existing law authorizes any local agency or combination of local agencies overlying a groundwater basin to decide to become a groundwater sustainability agency for that basin and imposes specified duties upon that agency or combination of agencies, as provided. This bill would require the court to, in any adjudication in a basin where one or more groundwater sustainability agencies have adopted a groundwater sustainability plan that has been approved by the department, request that the groundwater sustainability agency provide a technical report, to the extent that the agency is able to do so at a reasonable effort and expense. The bill would require such a report to, at a minimum, quantify and describe the groundwater use of parties that have not otherwise appeared before the court, as provided. The bill would provide for the payment or reimbursement of costs related to the technical report, as provided. The bill would permit the court during the pendency of the report to award interim or partial payments to be made by the parties, upon a motion with proper notice, as specified, by a groundwater sustainability agency, and following a hearing. The bill would provide that the technical report shall be prima facie evidence of the physical facts found in the report, as provided.

Introduced
2025-02-21
Latest action
2025-10-11 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 643, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Hartauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-02-21

    Introduced. To print.

    introduction

  2. 2025-02-22

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

  3. 2025-02-24

    Read first time.

    reading-1

  4. 2025-03-17

    Referred to Coms. on W. P., & W. and JUD.

    referral-committee

  5. 2025-04-01

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on W. P., & W. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  6. 2025-04-02

    Re-referred to Com. on W. P., & W.

    referral-committee

  7. 2025-04-09

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 9. Noes 4.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  8. 2025-04-22

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  9. 2025-05-07

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (May 7).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  10. 2025-05-08

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  11. 2025-06-04

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 50. Noes 20. Page 2074.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  12. 2025-06-05

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1,referral-committee

  13. 2025-06-18

    Referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and JUD.

    referral-committee

  14. 2025-06-26

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  15. 2025-07-09

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  16. 2025-07-16

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (July 15).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee

  17. 2025-07-17

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  18. 2025-08-13

    In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  19. 2025-08-25

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

    committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  20. 2025-08-26

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  21. 2025-09-04

    Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  22. 2025-09-08

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  23. 2025-09-10

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 35. Noes 5. Page 2823.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  24. 2025-09-10

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  25. 2025-09-11

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 69. Noes 1. Page 3331.).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  26. 2025-09-23

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  27. 2025-10-11

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  28. 2025-10-11

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 643, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

Versions

  • 02/21/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-21Compare
  • 04/01/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-04-01Compare
  • 06/26/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-06-26Compare
  • 07/17/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-07-17Compare
  • 09/04/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-09-04Compare
  • 09/15/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-15Compare
  • 10/11/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-11Compare
  • AB1466Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]

    2025-04-08 · pass · 9-4

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Bennett: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Bains: no
    • Jeff Gonzalez: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • Macedo: no

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-04-22 · pass · 9-3

    Member-level votes (12)
    • Kalra: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Dixon: no
    • Macedo: no
    • Sanchez: no

  • Do pass.

    2025-05-07 · pass · 11-4

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Calderon: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Tangipa: no
    • Sanchez: no
    • Ta: no
    • Dixon: no

  • AB 1466 Hart Assembly Third Reading

    2025-06-04 · pass · 50-20

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Lackey: no
    • Chen: no
    • Castillo: no
    • Macedo: no
    • Alanis: no
    • Sanchez: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • Hoover: no
    • Davies: no
    • Flora: no
    • Dixon: no
    • Ellis: no
    • Bains: no
    • Wallis: no
    • DeMaio: no
    • Patterson: no
    • Ta: no
    • Gallagher: no
    • Hadwick: no
    • Jeff Gonzalez: no
    • Michelle Rodriguez: other
    • Nguyen: other
    • Ramos: other
    • Harabedian: other
    • Valencia: other
    • Soria: other
    • Blanca Rubio: other
    • Krell: other
    • Arambula: other

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]

    2025-07-08 · pass · 5-2

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Limón: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Seyarto: no
    • Grove: no

  • Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-07-15 · pass · 11-2

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Caballero: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Valladares: no
    • Niello: no

  • 3rd Reading AB1466 Hart By Laird

    2025-09-10 · pass · 35-5

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Umberg: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Jones: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Strickland: no
    • Grove: no
    • McNerney: no
    • Hurtado: no
    • Alvarado-Gil: no

  • AB 1466 Hart Concurrence in Senate Amendments

    2025-09-12 · pass · 69-1

    Member-level votes (80)
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Bains: no
    • Johnson: other
    • Hoover: other
    • Muratsuchi: other
    • Arambula: other
    • Lackey: other
    • Blanca Rubio: other
    • Jeff Gonzalez: other
    • Castillo: other
    • Flora: other
    • Ta: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1466

Attribution

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