(a) (1) Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, the state board may provide grants to eligible applicants to be used to provide interim relief to households in which a private water well has gone dry, or has been destroyed, due to drought, wildfire, or other natural disaster. Eligible applicants who receive funds pursuant to this section shall administer and implement that funding consistent with this section.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision:

(A) “Eligible applicant” means a county, community water system, local public agency, or nonprofit organization.

(B) “Interim relief” includes, but is not limited to, the provision of domestic water storage tanks, hauled water, and bottled water.

(b) The state board may provide up to 10 percent of the funds appropriated for these purposes to eligible applicants for planning related to permanent solutions for private water wells that have gone dry, or been destroyed, due to drought, wildfire, or other natural disaster.

(c) The state board shall not use more than 5 percent of the funds appropriated for these purposes for its administrative costs.

(d) The state board may adopt guidelines to implement this section. Those guidelines are not subject to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(e) A contract entered into under this section is exempt from Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10290) of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code. The state board may award a contract under this section on a noncompetitive bid basis as necessary to implement the purposes of this section.

(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 373, Sec. 1. (SB 513) Effective January 1, 2020.)