Suspense File Hearing Determines Bills to Move Forward
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Last Friday, the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees held their “suspense file” hearings to determine the bills that move forward and those that stop for the year. Here’s how this somewhat opaque, fast-paced hearing process works.
Bills that reach a certain cost threshold are automatically referred to the suspense file when they get to the Appropriations Committee. The suspense file is a cost-control function of the Legislature’s fiscal committees. The Chairs of the Appropriations Committees, in consultation with legislative leaders, examine the cost implications of each bill on suspense. Then, they determine which bills move forward based on their policy priorities. The suspense file hearing is one of the most highly anticipated procedural actions in each Legislative Session. See which of CASA’s positions and bills made it off suspense.
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Legislative and Regulatory
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EPA Extends Deadline to Apply for a WIFIA Water Infrastructure Loan
There’s still time to apply for a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt recently announced an extended deadline of July 31, 2018 of submit letters of interest for WIFIA loans. Administrator Pruitt also sent a letter highlighting the deadline extension to governors of 56 states and territories as well as tribal leadership.
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America’s Water Infrastructure Act Moves out of Senate Committee
Last week, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works unanimously approved the America’s Water Infrastructure Act (S. 2800). This legislation includes CASA-endorsed provisions to allocate $100 million per year for two years for a new federal program. It will leverage power of the WIFIA program to provide additional assistance to State Revolving Fund program.
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SB 1383 CASA Continues to Weigh in on CalRecycle Regulations
We recently submitted comments to CalRecyle on their draft proposed regulations to implement SB 1383. The legislation set targets to reduce methane emissions 40 percent below 2013 levels by 2030. The legislature also set targets to divert 50 percent of organic waste from landfills by 2020 and 75 percent by 2025 to achieve the targets.
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Air Resources Board Sets Workshop to Review Latest LCFS Draft Regulation
The California Air Resources Board released proposed regulatory changes to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard program. The board will hold a public workshop on a new, unseen draft of the regulation on June 11 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the CalEPA building in Sacramento. You can participate in person, via webinar or phone.
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CASA Seeks New Analyst to Join Team
We’re hiring! CASA is looking for a new legislative and regulatory analyst to join our staff. The position will provide advocacy and administrative support to the association’s regulatory and legislative affairs programs.
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Now’s the Time to Reserve Your Spot at our Annual Conference
We have an impressive line up of speakers for our annual conference Themed “The New Basics” set for August 8-10 in Monterey. Join us to hear from:
- Keynote speaker Chad Pregracke, founder and president of Living Lands and Water, and author of From the Bottom Up: One Man’s Crusade to Clean America’s Rivers.
- Director Christine Riccardi, Office of Infrastructure Protection at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Director Riccardi will address cybersecurity tips, breaches, risks and awareness.
- Dr. Andrew Benedek, chairman and CEO for Anaergia, a global leader in the production of clean energy, fertilizer and recycled water from organic waste streams. Dr. Benedek’s presentation will hone in on the latest innovations in the wastewater sector.
Our new communications committee will host a panel discussion on social media trends and best practices. See our program for more information. Register today. Hotels book fast in Monterey in summer!
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Save the Date: CASA Asset Management Workshops September 17-18
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This fall, CASA will host two workshops on asset management on Sept. 17 at the Inland Empire Utilities Agency and Sept. 18 at the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District. Effective asset management of wastewater infrastructure is an increasingly important topic. These workshops will help agencies learn from recent case studies and develop strategies to manage assets. More details to follow.
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