AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 25, 2025

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 17, 2025

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 24, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 21, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 1, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 24, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

91

CHAPTER 320

Statutes of 2025

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

Introduced by Senator Caballero

February 19, 2025

An act to add Section 116341 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to drinking water.

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

The California Safe Drinking Water Act provides for the operation of public water systems and imposes on the State Water Resources Control Board various duties and responsibilities for the regulation and control of drinking water in the State of California. The act requires the state board to adopt primary drinking water standards for contaminants in drinking water based upon specified criteria, and requires a primary drinking water standard to be established for hexavalent chromium. Existing law authorizes the state board to grant a variance from primary drinking water standards to a public water system.

This bill would prohibit a public water system that meets the total chromium maximum contaminant level (MCL) enforceable standard for drinking water in California from being determined, held, considered, or otherwise deemed in violation of the primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium while implementing a state board approved compliance plan or while state board action on the proposed and submitted compliance plan is pending, except as provided.

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

SECTION 1.

Section 116341 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

116341.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (e) and subject to subdivision (b), a public water system shall not be determined, held, considered, or otherwise deemed in violation of the primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium while implementing a state board approved compliance plan. A public water system that has submitted a compliance plan for approval shall not be determined, held, considered, or otherwise deemed in violation of the primary drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium while state board action on the proposed and submitted compliance plan is pending.

(b) This section only applies to a public water system that meets the total chromium maximum contaminant level (MCL) enforceable standard for drinking water in California.

(c) This section does not affect the state’s requirements for establishing drinking water standards for contaminants in drinking water. This section does not apply to any contaminants other than hexavalent chromium.

(d) This section shall not apply if a hexavalent chromium MCL compliance plan is rejected by the state board.

(e) This section does not affect the authority of the state board or the Attorney General to enforce any applicable law or regulation regarding hexavalent chromium, including a state board-approved hexavalent chromium MCL compliance plan.