Health & Saf. Code, § 116768.5

(a) On or before July 1, 2020, the board shall develop and adopt a policy for developing the fund expenditure plan that includes all of the following elements:

(1) A requirement that the board consult with an advisory group to aid in meeting the purposes of the fund expenditure plan as established in Section 116768. The advisory group shall include representatives of the following:

(A) Public water systems.

(B) Technical assistance providers.

(C) Local agencies.

(D) Nongovernmental organizations.

(E) Residents served by community water systems in disadvantaged communities, state small water systems, and domestic wells.

(F) The public.

(2) Identification of key terms, criteria, and metrics, and their definitions.

(3) A description of how proposed remedies will be identified, evaluated, prioritized, and included in the fund expenditure plan.

(4) The establishment of a process by which members of a disadvantaged community may petition the board to consider ordering consolidation.

(5) A requirement that the board hold at least one public hearing before adopting a fund expenditure plan.

(b) The board, in consultation with the Department of Finance, shall annually adopt a fund expenditure plan. The board shall adopt a handbook and may update it at least once every three years.

(c) On or before March 1, 2021, and every March 1 thereafter, the board shall provide to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the chairpersons of the fiscal committees in each house of the Legislature the most recently adopted fund expenditure plan. The board may submit the fund expenditure plan as required by this subdivision either in the Governor’s Budget documents or as a separate report.