Legislative Advisory: ACWA Advocacy Delivers Significant Wins as Governor Signs Sponsored Bills by ACWA Staff Oct 1, 2026 Gov. Gavin Newsom this week acted on several bills of interest to ACWA members, including signing the association’s two sponsored bills and vetoing two bills that, while well-intentioned, would have negatively impacted members’ water rights and infrastructure work. The two sponsored bills — SB 1153 and AB 2180 — will provide new clarity for water agencies related to wildfire liability and water rate-setting. ACWA led coalitions in support of both bills, and strong member engagement was essential to their success. The two laws, which take effect in 2027, are outlined below along with the governor’s final decisions on other key water bills that ACWA advocated on during the 2026 legislative session. Wildfires SB 1153 (Caballero, D-Merced) establishes that limitations in water supply or pressure during wildfires are not a substantial cause of damages. It also bolsters wildfire preparedness by requiring urban retail water suppliers in high fire risk areas to include wildfire response procedures in their existing emergency response plans by 2028. The new law recognizes that while water systems may be available to aid firefighting activities, they are designed to meet state and federal safe drinking water standards and provide water to aid in extinguishing structural fires — not to serve as wildfire suppression systems. Rate Setting AB 2180 (Ward, D-San Diego) clarifies how water agencies comply with Proposition 218 when setting water rates, helping to minimize unnecessary legal disputes and providing greater predictability for agencies while supporting California’s water-use conservation goals. The successful passage and signing of AB 2180 builds on ACWA’s previous advocacy efforts to clarify and improve Proposition 218 requirements for water agencies. Other Key Water Bills ACWA staff tracked and engaged on approximately 75 bills during the 2026 legislative session. The governor’s decisions on several other key water bills are outlined below. AB 1881/Tribal Policy Author: Assemblymember James Ramos (D-San Bernardino) Status: Vetoed What it would have done: ACWA had an oppose-unless-amended position on this bill, which would have required state governmental agencies to allow access to state public lands for the purposes of tribal religious freedoms. ACWA worked with a coalition of partner organizations to seek amendments that would exclude water from the bill’s provisions and clarify that the bill would not impact public infrastructure projects. AB 2218/Tribal Policy Author: Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) Status: Vetoed What it would have done: ACWA had an oppose-unless-amended position on this bill, which would have required state agencies to implement a policy to address historical inequities affecting California Native American tribes across a wide range of policy decisions. ACWA staff had advocated to ensure the bill included appropriate legal guardrails to protect existing water rights, highlighting concerns regarding the bill’s intent and potential implementation challenges. AB 1894/Golden Mussels Author: Assemblymember Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) Status: Vetoed What it would have done if signed into law: Co-sponsored by ACWA member agencies, this bill would have prohibited a public agency from prohibiting imported water deliveries for groundwater replenishment due to invasive mussels, if the importation complies with a specified invasive mussel control plan and unless there is substantial, documented evidence of a proven health and safety risk as a result of the invasive mussels. AB 2032/Golden Mussels Author: Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton) Status: Signed What it will do: Co-sponsored by ACWA member agencies, it will assist water managers in their response to golden mussels by streamlining rapid response actions, directing consistent interim guidance through a state task force. Given the urgency clause in the bill, it will take effect immediately. SB 1125/Water Affordability Author: Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando) Status: Vetoed What it would have done: This ACWA-supported bill would have established a statewide low-income rate assistance (LIRA) program. ACWA strongly supports state efforts to protect water affordability and has consistently advocated for a LIRA program that is workable and efficient for the public water agencies that will play a key role in administering it. State Budget The governor signed the state budget on June 29 and signed an updated and amended version into law on Sept. 18. The June budget included a one-time allocation of $25 million from the General Fund for the ACWA-supported Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (HRL) Program. This funding will support both flow commitments and the habitat and scientific investments associated with the HRL program. The amended budget includes funding related to Proposition 4 and Greenhouse Gas Reduction funds. Proposition 4 received some critical additional funding for categories including recycled water and conveyance. Related to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, ACWA has been supporting full allocations for both the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) and wildfire resilience, both of which were facing significant cuts due to funding shortfalls. The Legislature restored most of the funding on both of these programs through a variety of mechanisms. Questions For questions about ACWA state legislative advocacy, please contact ACWA Director of State Legislative Relations Julia Hall.
