KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to California

AB-709 • 2026

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act: groundwater sustainability plans.

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act: groundwater sustainability plans.

Taxes Water
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Jeff Gonzalez
Last action
2025-10-07
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 439, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not specify an effective date for the bill.

Groundwater Management Plans

This law updates rules about how groundwater sustainability agencies can manage and plan for sustainable use of water in high- or medium-priority basins, allowing amendments to coordination agreements after receiving an assessment from the department.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires groundwater sustainability agencies to submit their plans to the Department of Water Resources for review.
  • Allows multiple agencies managing parts of a basin to amend their coordination agreement after receiving an assessment from the department.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Groundwater sustainability agencies managing high- or medium-priority basins
  • The Department of Water Resources

Terms To Know

groundwater sustainability plan
A detailed plan created by a groundwater sustainability agency to manage and sustainably use water in a specific area.
Department of Water Resources
The state agency responsible for managing California's water resources, including reviewing and assessing groundwater management plans.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if agencies do not comply with the new rules.
  • Does not provide details on how amendments to coordination agreements will be reviewed or approved by the department.
  • The effective date is not provided in the official summary.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-07 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 439, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-07 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-23 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-12 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.

  5. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2895.).

  6. 2025-06-11 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  7. 2025-06-10 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 10).

  8. 2025-05-21 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on N.R. & W.

  9. 2025-05-08 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  10. 2025-05-08 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 69. Noes 0. Page 1485.)

  11. 2025-05-01 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

  12. 2025-04-30 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 29).

  13. 2025-03-03 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on W. P., & W.

  14. 2025-02-15 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.

  15. 2025-02-14 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 709, Jeff Gonzalez.
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act: groundwater sustainability plans.
Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater basins designated as high- or medium-priority basins by the Department of Water Resources to be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans, except as specified.
The act requires a groundwater sustainability agency, upon adoption of a groundwater sustainability plan, to submit the groundwater sustainability plan to the department for review. If groundwater sustainability agencies develop multiple groundwater sustainability plans for a basin, the act requires, when the entire basin is covered by groundwater sustainability plans, the groundwater sustainability agencies to jointly submit to the department the groundwater sustainability plans, an explanation of how the plans satisfy specified provisions of the act, and
a copy of the coordination agreement between the groundwater sustainability agencies. The act requires the department to evaluate a groundwater sustainability plan within 2 years of its submission and issue an assessment of the plan.
This bill would provide that nothing in those provisions relating to making submissions to the department shall be construed to prohibit groundwater sustainability agencies that have developed multiple groundwater sustainability plans for a basin from amending the coordination agreement following department issuance of an assessment of the plans.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF