SB 601: Water: waste discharge.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board and the 9 California regional water quality control boards regulate water quality and prescribe waste discharge requirements in accordance with the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (act) and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. Under the act, the State Water Resources Control Board is authorized to adopt water quality control plans for waters for which quality standards are required by the federal Clean Water Act, as specified, and that in the event of a conflict, those plans supersede regional water quality control plans for the same waters.

This bill would authorize the state board to adopt water quality control plans for nexus waters, which the bill would define as all waters of the state that are not also navigable, except as specified. The bill would require any water quality standard that was submitted to, and approved by, or is awaiting approval by, the United States Environmental Protection Agency or the state board that applied to nexus waters as of May 24, 2023, to remain in effect, as provided. The bill would require the state board and regional boards to include nexus waters in all federal Clean Water Act processes, including, but not limited to, the California Integrated Report and the establishment of total maximum daily loads, as specified.

(2)Existing law requires a regional board, after any necessary hearing, to prescribe requirements as to the nature of any proposed discharge, existing discharge, or material change in an existing discharge, except discharges into a community sewer system, with relation to the conditions existing in the disposal area or receiving waters upon, or into which, the discharge is made or proposed and sets forth what the requirements are to include.

This bill would require the above-described discharge requirements to, in the case of discharges from any point source to nexus waters, implement, at a minimum, the requirements of provisions implementing the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto.

(3)The act authorizes the imposition of civil penalties for violations of certain waste discharge requirements, including violation of a cease and desist order or a cleanup and abatement order, and requires that penalties imposed pursuant to these provisions be deposited into the Waste Discharge Permit Fund, to be expended by the state board, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for specified purposes related to water quality. For violations of certain other waste discharge requirements, the act imposes specified civil penalties, the proceeds of which are deposited into the continuously appropriated State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account.

This bill would require, commencing January 1, 2026, and each calendar year thereafter, the state board’s executive director to adjust civil monetary penalties, as specified, including the civil penalties for the above-described provisions. The bill would require moneys collected in accordance with these annual adjustments to be deposited into the Penalty Adjustment Account, that the bill would establish within the Waste Discharge Permit Fund, and upon appropriation by the Legislature, be expended by the state board for purposes of cleaning up and abating the effects of waste on waters of the state.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 5

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. August 13, 2026August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
2. August 29, 2025August 29 hearing postponed by committee.
3. August 20, 2025August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
4. July 16, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
5. July 10, 2025From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.S & T.M.
6. July 2, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E.S & T.M. (Ayes 8. Noes 2.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on E.S & T.M.
7. June 25, 2025From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
8. June 19, 2025Re-referred to Coms. on JUD. and E.S & T.M. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.
9. June 16, 2025Referred to Coms. on E.S & T.M. and JUD.
10. June 5, 2025In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
11. June 4, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 23. Noes 12. Page 1505.) Ordered to the Assembly.
12. May 27, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.