Summary
SB-910 extends the existing authority for municipal water districts to apply to LAFCo (Local Agency Formation Commission) to provide water service to certain Indian lands outside district boundaries from January 1, 2027, to January 1, 2032.
Background
Currently, a municipal water district can only provide water service inside its own boundaries. To serve areas outside, they must go through LAFCo's full approval process. In 2017, AB-1361 was passed to create a special exception for tribal lands. At a tribe's request, a district can apply to LAFCo to serve "Indian lands" outside the district on the same terms and rates as other customers, without formally annexing the land. LAFCo must approve the application and may impose reasonable conditions. The tribe must (1) follow federal and tribal laws, (2) obtain all required approvals, and (3) pay the same rates as other customers. AB 2081 (Garcia, 2022) extended this authority through January 1, 2027.
Without this exception, the framework takes years. Tribes must navigate federal agencies and internal approval processes; municipal water districts must design and fund infrastructure; and LAFCos still review agreements and can add conditions. Additionally, since the application authority ends in 2027, tribes that are still negotiating with nearby districts could lose this pathway just as they are close to an agreement, risking collapsed deals and continued lack of reliable water service.
A simple extension to the deadline for applications from January 1, 2027, to January 1, 2032, will preserve all existing requirements including eligibility criteria, tribal conditions, equal rates for service, and LAFCo oversight while making no changes to who may participate or how projects are reviewed. Districts remain voluntary participants, and any service approved before 2032 may continue beyond that date under LAFCo approved terms. This narrow extension keeps a balanced tool in place for current and future projects to be completed.
Proposal
SB-910 extends the sunset date for municipal water districts to apply to serve tribal lands from January 1, 2027, to January 1, 2032, preserving a framework that allows tribes to access reliable water service without sacrificing sovereignty and while being treated the same as existing customers.