(a) The state board succeeds to and is vested with all of the authority, duties, powers, purposes, functions, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of the State Department of Public Health, its predecessors, and its director for purposes of all of the following:

(1) The Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Act (Article 3 (commencing with Section 100825) of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Division 101).

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(2) Article 3 (commencing with Section 106875) of Chapter 4 of Part 1.

(3) Article 1 (commencing with Section 115825) of Chapter 5 of Part 10.

(4) This chapter and the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Law of 1997 (Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 116760)).

(5) Article 2 (commencing with Section 116800), Article 3 (commencing with Section 116825), and Article 4 (commencing with Section 116875) of Chapter 5.

(6) Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 116975).

(7) The Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006 (Division 43 (commencing with Section 75001) of the Public Resources Code).

(8) The Water Recycling Law (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 13500) of Division 7 of the Water Code).

(9) Chapter 7.3 (commencing with Section 13560) of Division 7 of the Water Code.

(10) The California Safe Drinking Water Bond Law of 1976 (Chapter 10.5 (commencing with Section 13850) of Division 7 of the Water Code).

(11) Wholesale Regional Water System Security and Reliability Act (Division 20.5 (commencing with Section 73500) of the Water Code).

(12) Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002 (Division 26.5 (commencing with Section 79500) of the Water Code).

(b) The state board shall maintain a drinking water program and carry out the duties, responsibilities, and functions described in this section. Statutory reference to “department,” “state department,” or “director” regarding a function transferred to the state board shall refer to the state board. This section does not impair the authority of a local health officer to enforce this chapter or a county‘s election not to enforce this chapter, as provided in Section 116500.

(c) The state board shall succeed to the status of grantee or applicant, as appropriate, for any federal Drinking Water State Revolving Fund capitalization grants that the State Department of Public Health and any of its predecessors applied for.

(d) Regulations adopted, orders issued, and all other administrative actions taken by the State Department of Public Health, any of its predecessors, or its director, pursuant to the authorities now vested in the state board and in effect immediately preceding the operative date of this section shall remain in effect and are fully enforceable unless and until readopted, amended, or repealed, or until they expire by their own terms. Regulations in the process of adoption pursuant to the authorities vested in the state board shall continue under the authority of the state board unless and until the state board determines otherwise. Any other administrative action adopted, prescribed, taken, or performed by, or on behalf of, the State Department of Public Health, or its director, in the administration of a program or the performance of a duty, responsibility, or authorization transferred to the state board shall remain in effect and shall be deemed to be an action of the state board unless and until the state board determines otherwise.

(e) Permits, licenses, accreditations, certificates, and other formal approvals and authorizations issued by the State Department of Public Health, any of its predecessors, or its director pursuant to authorities vested in the state board pursuant to this section are not affected by the transfer and remain in effect, subject to all applicable laws and regulations, unless and until renewed, reissued, revised, amended, suspended, or revoked by the state board or its deputy director, as authorized pursuant to subdivision (k).

(f) Any action or proceeding by or against the State Department of Public Health, including any officer or employee of the State Department of Public Health named in an official capacity, or any of its predecessors, pertaining to matters vested in the state board by this section shall not abate, but shall continue in the name of the state board. The state board shall be substituted for the State Department of Public Health, including any officer or employee of the State Department of Public Health named in an official capacity, and any of its predecessors, by the court or agency where the action or proceeding is pending. The substitution shall not in any way affect the rights of the parties to the action or proceeding.

(g) On and after the operative date of this section, the unexpended balance of all funds available for use by the State Department of Public Health or any of its predecessors in carrying out any functions transferred to the state board are available for use by the state board.

(h) Books, documents, data, records, and property of the State Department of Public Health pertaining to functions transferred to the state board shall be transferred to the state board. This subdivision does not transfer any part of property commonly known as the Richmond Campus that is owned by the State Public Works Board.

(i) A contract, lease, license, or any other agreement, including local primacy agreements, as described in Section 116330, to which the State Department of Public Health, any of its predecessors, its director, or their agents, is a party, are not void or voidable by reason of this section, but shall continue in full force and effect, with the state board assuming all of the rights, obligations, liabilities, and duties of the State Department of Public Health and any of its predecessors as it relates to the duties, powers, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction vested in the state board pursuant to this section. This assumption does not affect the rights of the parties to the contract, lease, license, or agreement.

(j) If the Department of Water Resources entered into agreements on behalf of the State Department of Public Health or its predecessor, the State Department of Health Services, pursuant to Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 116760), the state board shall also succeed the Department of Water Resources as a party to those agreements and to all related security instruments, including, but not limited to, fiscal services agreements, deeds of trust, guarantees, letters of credit, and deposit control agreements.

(k) (1) The state board shall appoint a deputy director who reports to the executive director to oversee the issuance and enforcement of public water system permits and other duties as appropriate. The deputy director shall have public health expertise.

(2) The deputy director is delegated the state board’s authority to provide notice, approve notice content, approve emergency notification plans, and take other action pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 116450), to issue, renew, reissue, revise, amend, or deny any public water system permits pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 116525), to suspend or revoke any public water system permit pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 116625), and to issue citations, assess penalties, or issue orders pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 116650). Decisions and actions of the deputy director taken pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 116450) or Article 7 (commencing with Section 116525) are deemed decisions and actions taken by the state board, but are not subject to reconsideration by the state board except as provided in Section 116540. Decisions and actions of the deputy director taken pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 116625) and Article 9 (commencing with Section 116650) are deemed decisions and actions taken by the state board, but any aggrieved person may petition the state board for reconsideration of the decision or action. This subdivision is not a limitation on the state board’s authority to delegate any other powers and duties.

(3) The state board shall not delegate any authority, duty, power, purpose, function, or responsibility specified in this section, including, but not limited to, issuance and enforcement of public water system permits, to the regional water quality control boards.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 327, Sec. 26. (AB 1438) Effective January 1, 2018.)