City of Sacramento
Law and Legislation Committee Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2025-00653 6/24/2025
Legislative Advocacy Correspondence
File ID: 2025-00653
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive and file.
Contact: Consuelo Hernandez, Director of Governmental Affairs, (916) 808-7395, [email protected], Office of the City Manager Presenter: None.
Attachments:
1-Legislative Advocacy Correspondence
Date Bill/Subject Author Description of Issue Position Notes/Status 5/27/25 SB 466 Caballero Drinking Water: Hexavalent Chromium: Civil Liability: Exemption Support Senate Rules Committee 5/14/25 SB 682 Allen
Environmental health: product safety: perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances Support Senate Appropriations Committee 5/2/25 AB 564 Haney Cannabis Excise Tax: Rate Increase Repeal Support Assembly Revenue and Taxation
Committee
4/30/25 AB 1232 Avila Farias
Administrative Procedure Act: Proposed Regulations: Cost of Living Impact on Residents of the State. Support Assembly Judiciary Committee 4/30/25 SB 516 Ashby California Capital City Downtown Revitalization Act Support 4/24/25 SB 370 Ashby California Music Festival Preservation Grant Program Support 4/24/25 SB 466 Caballero Drinking Water: Hexavalent Chromium: Civil Liability: Exemption Support 4/23/25 SB 720 Ashby Safer Streets Act Support Senate Judiciary Committee 4/22/25 SB 639 Ashby Extension of Urban Level of Flood Protection Deadline Co-sponsor Senate Local Government Committee 4/22/25 AB 532 Ransom Water rate assistance program Support Coalition letter 4/17/25 SB 454 McNerney State Water Resources Control Board: PFAS Mitigation Program Support Coalition letter 4/9/25 AB 476 M. González Metal Theft Support if Amended Position Letters 2025-2026
4/9/25 AB 1232 Avila Farias
Administrative Procedure Act: Proposed Regulations: Cost of Living Impact on Residents of the State. Support
Assm. Economic Development, Growth &
Household Impact Committee
4/9/25 SB 431 Arreguin
Assault and Battery: Public Utility Employees and Essential Infrastructure Workers Support
3/28/25 SB 720 Ashby Safer Streets Act Support
Senate Transportation Committee. Would
create an opt-in automated red light traffic
enforcement system.
3/26/25 SB 639 Ashby Extension of Urban Level of Flood Protection Deadline Co-sponsor Senate Committee on Natural Resources
and Water
3/10/25 SB 456 Ashby Community Beautification Act Support Would exempt muralists from having to
obtain a contractor's license
3/10/25 H.R. 1267
Gluesenkamp
Perez & Maloy Water Systems PFAS Liability Protection Act Support 3/6/25 AB 516 Kalra Clarifying Veterinary Technician and Assistant Duties Support Coalition letter 3/6/25 SB 602 Cortese Expanding Veterinary Access in Shelters Support Coalition letter 3/10/25 AB 514 Petrie-Norris Emergency Water Supplies Support Coalition letter 3/4/25 State Budget Request to Amend Governor's Budget Proposal re Proposition 4 Support Coalition letter expressing concern re
Governor's proposal to backfill General
Fund commitments with Prop 4 funds
3/3/25 State Budget California Film and Tax Credit expansion Support 2/14/25
WaterSense
Program
Letter to U.S. EPA requesting continued funding and operation of the WaterSense program Support Coalition letter
May 2, 2025
Assemblymember Mike Gipson
Chair, Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation
1020 N Street, Room 167A
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 564 (HANEY) CANNABIS EXCISE TAX: RATE INCREASE REPEAL - SUPPORT
Dear Assemblymember Gipson:
On behalf of the City of Sacramento (City), I write in support of AB 564 (Haney). AB 564 would repeal language requiring the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) to increase the cannabis excise tax rate to compensate for the estimated revenue lost as a result of the suspension of the cannabis cultivation tax.
The legal cannabis industry in California is being negatively impacted by taxes, fees, and other regulation compliance costs, driving licensed cannabis businesses out of the market. Fully licensed, legal businesses in California capture just 40% of the state’s entire market, while the underground illicit market accounts for 60% of the overall market. Lower rates will encourage customers to patronize the legal marketplace, supporting both businesses and providing tax revenue in our community. On the contrary, raising taxes on legal products will drive more consumers away from the regulated market and toward illegal shops, websites, and delivery services where products are sold at a fraction of the price and remain untested, unsafe, and untaxed.
Increasing the state excise tax will have a negative impact on the City’s local businesses. Over 70% of our gross receipts for cannabis businesses last fiscal year came from non- cultivation so an increase in the state excise tax would hit our local industry hard. This would also contradict equity efforts by placing disproportionate strain on our small and diverse business owners.
For the reasons stated above, the City respectfully requests your support of AB 564. If there are any questions about the City’s position, please contact Consuelo Hernandez, Director of Governmental Affairs, at 916- 808-7395 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Chair, Law and Legislation
Committee
Office of Sacramento City Councilmember Caity Maple
New City Hall, 915 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 808-7005 | Email: [email protected]
May 14, 2025
The Honorable Anna Caballero, Chair
Senate Appropriations Committee
State Capitol, 412
Sacramento, CA 95814
Subject: SB 682 (Allen): Support
Dear Senator Caballero and Members of the Committee,
The California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) is proud to co-sponsor and strongly support SB 682 (Allen), which seeks to eradicate harmful forever chemicals from products unwittingly used by consumers in their daily lives. The undersigned coalition strongly endorses this vital policy effort to reduce human health impacts and environmental exposure to these chemicals. Consistent with our coalition’s core missions of both protecting public health and the environment and maintaining affordable essential public services, SB 682 is the most cost-efficient method for reducing baseline concentrations of PFAS in our water, wastewater and waste management processes.
In recent years, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become a topic of public concern due to their high mobility and resistance to breaking down naturally as well as the persistent detection of PFAS compounds in people’s bodies and in the environment. A statewide source control approach is necessary to systematically remove PFAS from the stream of commerce, including in products which have a direct pathway to our watersheds and waste management systems.
Often referred to as “forever chemicals,” PFAS chemicals are both ubiquitous and indestructible. Removing PFAS at the end of their life cycle does not address the problem of ongoing exposure to the general public to PFAS from everyday products. In limited cases, PFAS can be removed from water and wastewater through advanced treatment technology. However, there is currently no technologically feasible method for the large- scale destruction of PFAS compounds. Instead, once removed, PFAS residuals are merely displaced to another waste stream to cycle back through the waste management process or transferred to a different environmental media. This is why SB 682’s focus on stopping PFAS at its source is vital.
While in some very limited cases, the source of PFAS contamination can be identified and addressed through industrial pre-treatment programs or other similar mechanisms, this is not generally the case. In 2020, the State Water Resources Control Board issued a statewide monitoring and reporting order that required wastewater agencies to monitor and report for PFAS in influent, effluent and biosolids. Monitoring data from this effort demonstrates that domestic discharges (residential and commercial influent) is the predominant pathway of PFAS entering wastewater systems, meaning that products people are using in their homes and businesses are contributing PFAS to wastewater systems through everyday uses that are not controllable through local enforcement or industrial pretreatment programs.
Moreover, regulatory efforts are underway that could have serious consequences for clean water agencies and their ratepayers. Last year, USEPA adopted Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for 6 PFAS chemicals in drinking water, and the State Water Resources Control Board has stated its intent to begin a proceeding this year to adopt a statewide MCL for PFAS consistent with the adopted Federal MCL. Drinking water MCLs are highly consequential for the regulated water community, including wastewater agencies, as they are often incorporated “by reference” into existing Basin Plans, thus imposing de facto limits for discharges to certain bodies of water. Removing PFAS from the stream of commerce before it enters our waterways and waste treatment systems is the most cost- effective way to address this issue.
Finally, as local public agencies begin the process of preparing for implementation of new and proposed PFAS regulations, affordability of essential services is a critical consideration. USEPA estimates that for drinking water systems to comply with the newly imposed Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for a handful of PFAS chemicals will result in annual cost impacts surpassing $1 billion. Water industry leaders contend these costs are likely much higher and could surpass $3 billion annually, and do not account for financial impacts beyond the drinking water system requirements. These are all costs that will be borne by California utility ratepayers.
For these reasons, the meaningful and comprehensive source control and pollution prevention strategy presented in SB 682 is the most cost effective and appropriate approach to reducing PFAS pollution in the environment.
CASA strongly supports SB 682 and urges your support when it is heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Sincerely,
Jessica Gauger
Director of Legislative Advocacy & Public
Affairs
California Association of Sanitation Agencies
Melissa Sparks-Kranz
Legislative Advocate
League of California Cities
Brenley McKenna
Managing Director
WateResue CA
Nick Blair
Senior Policy Advocate
Association of California Water Agencies
Karen Cowan
Executive Director
California Stormwater Quality Association
Lorien Fono
Executive Director
Bay Area Clean Water Agencies
Andrea Abergel
Director of Water
California Municipal Utilities Association
Aaron Avery
Director of State Legislative Affairs
California Special Districts Association
Michael Moore
General Manager/CEO
East Valley Water District
Jackie Zipkin
General Manager
East Bay Dischargers Authority
Greg Thomas
General Manager
Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District
Joe Mouawad, P.E.
General Manager
Eastern Municipal Water District
Jordan Damerel, PE
General Manager/District Engineer
Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District
Shivaji Deshmukh, P.E.
General Manager
Inland Empire Utilities Agencies
Robert C. Ferrante
Chief Engineer & General Manager
Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
Dave Pedersen
General Manager
Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
Mike McCullough, MPA
Director of External Affairs
Monterey One Water
Rob Thompson
General Manager
Orange County Sanitation District
Teresa Herrera, P.E.
Manager
Silicon Valley Clean Water
Mark Tomko
General Manager
Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District
Jason Dafforn, P.E.
General Manager
Valley Sanitary District
Craig D. Miller, P.E.
General Manager
Western Municipal Water District
Jason A. Martin
General Manager
Rancho California Water District
Roger S. Bailey
General Manager
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
Krista Bernasconi
Mayor
City of Roseville
Steve Jepsen
Executive Director
Clean Water SoCal
Kimberly A. Thorner
General Manager
Olivenhain Municipal Water District
Glenn Berch, P.E.
General Manager
Jurupa Community Services District
Carlos Quintero
General Manager
Sweetwater Authority
David Newman
Mayor
City of Thousand Oaks
Caity Maple
Councilmember – District 5
City of Sacramento
Sarah Zarate
Director
City of San Jose
Jan R. Lee
General Manager
Dublin San Ramon Services District
May 27, 2025
Senator Mike McGuire
Chair, Senate Rules Committee
1021 O Street, Room 8518
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: SB 466 (CABALLERO) DRINKING WATER: HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM: CIVIL LIABILITY:
EXEMPTION – SUPPORT
Dear Senator McGuire:
On behalf of the City of Sacramento (City), I write to express our support of SB 466 (Caballero), which seeks to prohibit a public water system from being held liable in any civil action related to hexavalent chromium in drinking water while implementing a state board-approved hexavalent chromium maximum contaminant level (MCL) compliance plan.
Public water systems operate under the California Safe Drinking Water Act and are regulated by the State Water Resources Control Board, who develop primary drinking water standards, and public water systems must comply. Some newly developed drinking water standards are extremely expensive to achieve, like hexavalent chromium. SB 466 helps provide “peace of mind” for a public water system in the process of complying with the hexavalent chromium drinking water standard by knowing that they will be able to avoid civil lawsuits related to the standard. This is especially important because public water systems are bound under Proposition 218 to have the entire cost of service to be evenly borne by all ratepayers evenly, and therefore costs to comply with drinking water standards directly impact the ratepayer’s bill. If civil liability is brought against the water system, those costs further exacerbate cost of compliance.
SB 466, if enacted, would better allow the City to meet our water quality and water supply requirements in a cost-effective manner for our customers. For the reasons contained in this letter, the City is pleased to support SB 466. If there are any questions about the City’s position, please contact Brian Sanders, Policy & Legislative Specialist at [email protected], or 916-420-0239.
Sincerely,
Chair, Law and Legislation
Committee
Office of Sacramen to City Councilmember Caity Maple
New City Hall, 915 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 808-7005 | Email: [email protected]