(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), this chapter does not apply to the adoption or revision of state policy for water quality control and the adoption or revision of water quality control plans and guidelines pursuant to Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code.

(b) (1) Any policy, plan, or guideline, or any revision thereof, that the State Water Resources Control Board has adopted or that a court determines is subject to this part, after June 1, 1992, shall be submitted to the office.

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(2) The State Water Resources Control Board shall include in its submittal to the office all of the following:

(A)A clear and concise summary of any regulatory provisions adopted or approved as part of that action, for publication in the California Code of Regulations.

(B) The administrative record for the proceeding. Proposed additions to a policy, plan, or guideline shall be indicated by underlined text and proposed deletions shall be indicated by strike-through text in documents submitted as part of the administrative record for the proceeding.

(C) A summary of the necessity for the regulatory provision.

(D) A certification by the chief legal officer of the State Water Resources Control Board that the action was taken in compliance with all applicable procedural requirements of Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code.

(3) Paragraph (2) does not limit the authority of the office to review any regulatory provision which is part of the policy, plan, or guideline submitted by the State Water Resources Control Board.

(4) The office shall review the regulatory provisions to determine compliance with the standards of necessity, authority, clarity, consistency, reference, and nonduplication set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 11349.1. The office shall also review the responses to public comments prepared by the State Water Resources Control Board or the appropriate regional water quality control board to determine compliance with the public participation requirements of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.). The office shall restrict its review to the regulatory provisions and the administrative record of the proceeding. Sections 11349.3, 11349.4, 11349.5, and 11350.3 shall apply to the review by the office to the extent that those sections are consistent with this section.

(5) The policy, plan, guideline, or revision shall not become effective unless and until the regulatory provisions are approved by the office in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 11349.3.

(6) Upon approval of the regulatory provisions, the office shall transmit to the Secretary of State for filing the clear and concise summary of the regulatory provisions submitted by the State Water Resources Control Board.

(7) Any proceedings before the State Water Resources Control Board or a California regional water quality control board to take any action subject to this subdivision shall be conducted in accordance with the procedural requirements of Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code, together with any applicable requirements of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.), and the requirements of this chapter, other than the requirement for review by the office in accordance with this subdivision, shall not apply.

(8) This subdivision shall not provide a basis for review by the office under this subdivision or Article 6 (commencing with Section 11349) of any such policy, plan, or guideline adopted or revised prior to June 1, 1992.

(c) Subdivision (a) does not apply to a provision of any policy, plan, guideline, or revision, as applied to any person who, as of June 1, 1992, was a party to a civil action challenging that provision on the grounds that it has not been adopted as a regulation pursuant to this chapter.

(d) Copies of the policies, plans, and guidelines to which subdivision (a) applies shall be maintained at central locations for inspection by the public. The State Water Resources Control Board shall maintain, at its headquarters in Sacramento, a current copy of each policy, plan, or guideline in effect. Each regional water quality control board shall maintain at its headquarters a current copy of each policy, plan, or guideline in effect in its respective region. Any revision of a policy, plan, or guideline shall be made available for inspection by the public within 30 days of its effective date.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 1060, Sec. 37. Effective January 1, 2001.)