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SB-466 • 2026

Drinking water: primary standard for hexavalent chromium: exemption.

Drinking water: primary standard for hexavalent chromium: exemption.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Caballero
Last action
2025-10-03
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 320, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on how long exemptions last or what happens if compliance is not met after implementing a plan, leaving this information uncertain.

Drinking Water: Hexavalent Chromium Exemption

This law allows public water systems in California to avoid being seen as breaking the rules about hexavalent chromium if they are working on a plan approved by the state board and meet the total chromium standard.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows public water systems that follow the total chromium limit for drinking water to not be considered out of compliance with the hexavalent chromium rule while implementing an approved compliance plan or waiting for approval from the State Water Resources Control Board.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public water systems in California
  • The State Water Resources Control Board

Terms To Know

hexavalent chromium
A form of the chemical element chromium that can be harmful to human health when found in drinking water.
maximum contaminant level (MCL)
The highest amount of a substance allowed in drinking water by law.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify the exact conditions under which an exemption is granted beyond meeting the total chromium MCL and having an approved compliance plan.
  • Does not provide details on how long the exemption lasts or what happens if a public water system does not meet the hexavalent chromium standard after implementing the plan.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-03 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 320, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-03 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-22 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2928.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  6. 2025-09-03 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  7. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 2817.) Ordered to the Senate.

  8. 2025-08-25 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to third reading.

  9. 2025-08-25 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended.

  10. 2025-08-21 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  11. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 20).

  12. 2025-07-17 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  13. 2025-07-16 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (July 15).

  14. 2025-07-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  15. 2025-06-24 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.S & T.M.

  16. 2025-06-05 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on E.S & T.M. and JUD.

  17. 2025-05-28 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  18. 2025-05-28 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 1275.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  19. 2025-05-22 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  20. 2025-05-21 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to second reading.

  21. 2025-05-21 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended.

  22. 2025-05-20 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  23. 2025-05-19 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

  24. 2025-05-09 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 19.

  25. 2025-05-01 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  26. 2025-04-30 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0. Page 941.) (April 29).

  27. 2025-04-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 866.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  28. 2025-04-11 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 29 in JUD. pending receipt.

  29. 2025-04-04 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 23.

  30. 2025-04-02 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Coms. on E.Q. and JUD.

  31. 2025-03-24 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  32. 2025-02-26 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

  33. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.

  34. 2025-02-19 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 466, Caballero.
Drinking water: primary standard for hexavalent chromium: exemption.
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.

Current Bill Text

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