Human-Right-to-Water Bill Package Gains Momentum in Capitol

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Latest Victory in Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee

Sacramento, Calif. — In a special hearing today, the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee passed AB 685, the human-right-to-water bill which would establish in law a state policy that every Californian has a human right to clean, affordable, and accessible drinking water for their basic human needs. After hearing moving testimony from safe water advocates and residents of California communities without access to safe drinking water, the committee voted 5-3 in favor. A broad-based coalition of faith-based, human rights, environmental, consumer rights, and environmental justice groups celebrated the latest legislative victory for the human right to water package moving through the legislature. 

Debbie Davis, Policy Director of the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water said, "Today, California is one step closer to being the first state in the nation to establish this historic policy which would help everyone have access to clean, affordable water at their tap."  

AB 685, introduced by Assemblyman Mike Eng is the lead policy bill in package of six human-right-to-water bills. Four of the five other bills in the package — AB 938 (V.M.Perez), AB 983 (Perea), AB 1221 (Alejo) and SB 244 (Wolk) have also won support in their house of origin and received bipartisan support in the latest round of policy committees votes.    

More than 11.5 million Californians rely on water from suppliers that experienced at least one violation of State Drinking Water Standards as reported to the Department of Public Health in 2004. As many as 8.5 million Californians rely on supplies that experienced more than five instances of unsafe levels in a single year.

Cosponsoring organizations include the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, Community Water Center, Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, Food and Water Watch, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, Southern California Watershed Alliance, Winneman Wintu Tribe, Urban Semillas, Catholic Charities Diocese of Stockton and Clean Water Action.

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