AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 2, 2023
california legislature—2023–24 regular session
ASSEMBLY BILL No. 966
Introduced by Assembly Member Davies
February 14, 2023
An act to add and repeal Section 67.5 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, relating to public postsecondary education. shoreline erosion control.
legislative counsel’s digest
AB 966, as amended, Davies. Public postsecondary education:
University of California: research funding. Division of Boating and Waterways: report to the Legislature: shoreline erosion control and public beach programs.
Existing law establishes the Division of Boating and Waterways within the Department of Parks and Recreation to, among other things, study and monitor beach erosion and means for the stabilization of beaches and shoreline areas.
Existing law generally authorizes the division to cooperate with all relevant agencies of government for purposes of beach erosion control and stabilization of beaches and shoreline areas. Existing law, subject to funding availability, including the division’s management of any federal funds, requires the division to prepare plans for and construct erosion control or stabilization projects as its studies and investigations indicate to be necessary for beach erosion control or stabilization of beaches and shoreline areas, and specifically authorizes several projects.
This bill would require the division to, no later than January 1, 2025, and in cooperation with the State Coastal Conservancy, prepare and 98 ATTACHMENT 2
submit a joint report to the Legislature on shoreline erosion control and public beach restoration programs, as specified. The bill would require the report, among other things, to detail and discuss existing programs, evaluate the need for continued projects and program application requirements, and identify the beaches of the state that contain a critically eroded shoreline, as this bill would define the term.
This bill would repeal its provisions on January 1, 2026.
Existing law establishes the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The University of California provides instruction to students at its 10 campuses, which are located in Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that would enable the University of California, Irvine, to continue its research of beaches, including beach topography, erosion, sand depletion, and flood protection.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
line 1 SECTION 1. Section 67.5 is added to the Harbors and line 2 Navigation Code, to read:
line 3 67.5. (a) The division shall, in cooperation with the State line 4 Coastal Conservancy and pursuant to Section 9795 of the line 5 Government Code, prepare and submit a joint report to the line 6 Legislature no later than January 1, 2025, on shoreline erosion line 7 control and public beach restoration programs that does all of the line 8 following:
line 9 (1) Details the restoration, nourishment, and enhancement line 10 activities undertaken through these programs.
line 11 (2) Discusses and evaluates the need for continued shoreline line 12 erosion and public beach restoration projects.
line 13 (3) Reports on the effectiveness of these programs in addressing line 14 that need.
line 15 (4) Discusses ways to increase natural sediment supply in order line 16 to decrease the need to nourish the state’s beaches, including, but 98 AB 966 — 2 —
line 1 not limited to, an analysis of specific locations where structures line 2 may be removed or modified.
line 3 (5) Evaluates if application requirements for the programs needs line 4 to be altered to allow for more applicants.
line 5 (6) Identifies the beaches of the state that contain a critically line 6 eroded shoreline.
line 7 (b) For the purposes of this section, “critically eroded line 8 shoreline” means a segment of the shoreline where natural line 9 environmental processes or human activity have caused or line 10 contributed to erosion and recession of the beach or dune system line 11 to such a degree that upland development, recreational interests, line 12 wildlife habitat, or important cultural resources are threatened line 13 or lost. Critically eroded shorelines may also include peripheral line 14 segments or gaps between identified critically eroded areas that, line 15 although they may be stable or slightly erosional now, their line 16 inclusion is necessary for continuity of management of the coastal line 17 system or for the design integrity of adjacent beach management line 18 projects.
line 19 (c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2026, line 20 and as of that date is repealed.
line 21 SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact future line 22 legislation that would enable the University of California, Irvine, line 23 to continue its research of beaches, including beach topography, line 24 erosion, sand depletion, and flood protection.
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98 — 3 — AB 966