AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 5, 2025
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
98
Introduced by Senator Richardson
February 21, 2025
An act to add Section 116886 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to drinking water.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: yes
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
Existing law prohibits a person from using any pipe, pipe or plumbing fitting or fixture, solder, or flux that is not lead free in the installation or repair of any public water system or any plumbing in a facility providing water for human consumption, except when necessary for the repair of leaded joints of cast iron pipes. Existing law requires a community water system to compile an inventory of known lead user service lines in use in its distribution system and identify areas that may have lead user service lines in use in its distribution system, as provided. Existing law authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to apply these requirements to, and enforce them against, public water systems and community water systems, as specified.
This bill
would require a public water system, including community water systems and noncommunity
water systems, that provides service to residents of the owner of a public housing unit that is owned or managed by a city, county, city and county, or city, county, or city and county housing authority, to provide information to those the residents of the public housing unit regarding any applicable existing program that offers free testing of the water for lead. Because a local government would be required to
provide a higher level of service by implementing its provisions, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 116886 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:
116886.
(a) A public water system, including community water systems and noncommunity water systems, that provides service to residents of The owner of a public housing unit that is owned or managed by a city, county, city and county, or city, county, or city and county housing authority, shall provide information to those
the residents of the public housing unit regarding any applicable existing program that offers free testing of the water for lead.
SEC. 2.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.