Committee advances SB 997 to give North Fork Kings GSA lien authority under SGMA

Sen. Caballero introduced SB 997 to grant lien authority to the North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), addressing an enforcement gap created when the GSA was formed by special legislation rather than through a joint powers authority.

Alexis Silvera, deputy general manager for the North Fork Kings GSA, said the GSA already maintains an approved groundwater sustainability plan and is likely to be the first in the Kings Subbasin to implement groundwater allocations. "Because North Fork Kings was established through special legislation…we do not currently have the same authority available to many other GSAs formed as JPAs to enforce fees and penalties through liens," Silvera said. SB 997 would provide comparable authorities so the agency can implement SGMA and achieve sustainability goals.

Supporters from local water interests, rural county representatives, the California State Association of Counties and California Farm Bureau testified in favor, saying the authority would improve the GSA’s ability to administer allocations and ensure compliance.

Committee members expressed support; a motion to send SB 997 to the Judiciary Committee was made and seconded and a roll call was taken. The clerk recorded ayes and the chair announced the bill was passed to the Judiciary Committee for further consideration.

The measure is narrowly framed to affect the North Fork Kings district; no new statewide enforcement mechanism was proposed. The bill’s formal authority change would allow the GSA to use liens to collect unpaid fees, aligning its enforcement tools with many JPAs. The committee did not set dollar figures or list specific penalties in the hearing; such details would be covered in the bill text and subsequent analyses.