AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 5, 2025

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 22, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

95

CHAPTER 266

Statutes of 2025

[ Approved by Governor October 3, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 3, 2025. ]

Introduced by Assembly Member Irwin

February 10, 2025

An act to amend, repeal, and add Section 52 of the Metropolitan Water District Act (Chapter 209 of the Statutes of 1969), relating to metropolitan water districts.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: no   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Under the Metropolitan Water District Act, the board of a metropolitan water district is required to consist of at least one representative from each member public agency, as prescribed. The act authorizes each member public agency to appoint additional representatives not exceeding one additional representative for each 5% of the assessed valuation of property taxable for district purposes within the entire district that is within the boundaries of that member public agency.

This bill would, until January 1, 2030, authorize a representative of a member public agency that is entitled to designate or appoint only one representative to the board of directors to assign a proxy vote authorization to a representative of another member public agency to be exercised when the assigning representative is unable to attend a meeting or meetings of the board, as provided. The bill would require the proxy vote authorization to be memorialized by a written instrument, as specified. The bill would prohibit a proxy vote authorization from authorizing the assumption of the assigning representative’s officer position at the designated meeting and would limit a proxy vote authorization’s effectiveness to no more than 6 board meetings in a calendar year. The bill would declare that all provisions of the act apply to the representative assigned the proxy vote authorization and that all conflict of interest laws that apply to the assigning representative also apply to the representative assigned a proxy vote authorization.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 52 of the Metropolitan Water District Act (Chapter 209 of the Statutes of 1969), as amended by Section 1 of Chapter 71 of the Statutes of 2019, is amended to read:

Sec.52.

(a) In addition to one representative, any member public agency may designate and appoint one additional representative for each full 5 percent of the assessed valuation of property taxable for district purposes within the entire district that is within the member public agency, in which event all representatives present at a meeting of the board of directors when a vote is taken shall cast, or may abstain from casting, an equal share of the total vote to which the member public agency is entitled.

(b) A member public agency shall not have fewer than the number of representatives the member public agency had as of January 1, 2019. This subdivision does not affect Section 55.

(c) (1) A representative of a member public agency entitled to designate or appoint only one representative may assign a proxy vote authorization to a representative of another member public agency that shall be exercised when the assigning representative is unable to attend a meeting or meetings of the board and pursuant to this subdivision. A proxy vote authorization permits the assigned representative to cast votes on behalf of the assigning representative only for the assigned meeting or meetings designated by the assigning representative. The proxy vote authorization shall be memorialized by a written instrument as required by the district and filed with the district’s board secretary one business day in advance of the meeting and the written instrument shall be maintained with the district records.

(2) A proxy vote authorization shall not authorize the assumption of the assigning representative’s officer position at the meeting or meetings designated by the assigning representative. A proxy vote authorization shall be valid for the designated assigned meeting or meetings of the board, except committee meetings, and shall be effective for no more than six board meetings in any calendar year.

(3) All provisions of this act, including Section 56, shall apply to the representative assigned the proxy vote authorization. All laws relating to conflicts of interest that apply to the assigning representative shall also apply to the representative assigned a proxy vote authorization. A conflict of interest held by either the assigning representative or the assigned representative applies equally to the assigned representative relative to a proxy vote authorization for any conflicted item.

(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.

SEC. 2.

Section 52 is added to the Metropolitan Water District Act (Chapter 209 of the Statutes of 1969), as amended by Section 1 of Chapter 71 of the Statutes of 2019, to read:

SEC. 52.

(a) In addition to one representative, any member public agency may designate and appoint one additional representative for each full 5 percent of the assessed valuation of property taxable for district purposes within the entire district that is within the member public agency, in which event all representatives present at a meeting of the board of directors when a vote is taken shall cast, or may abstain from casting, an equal share of the total vote to which the member public agency is entitled.

(b) A member public agency shall not have fewer than the number of representatives the member public agency had as of January 1, 2019. This subdivision does not affect Section 55.

(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2030.