CA AB747

Creates an Administrative Hearings Office within the State Water Resources Control Board, effective July 1, 2019, composed of attorneys qualified as hearing officers with knowledge and experience in water law.

Requires the Administrative Hearings Office to preside over hearings on complaints for water use violations, proposed cease and desist orders, and permit or license revocations, but excludes cases that combine these matters with other non-enumerated issues.

Establishes that hearing officers must adopt final orders within 90 days for administrative civil liability cases, and prepare proposed orders for other matters that the board may then adopt, modify, or reject within 90 days.

Authorizes the board to assign additional work to hearing officers for nonadjudicative matters, mediations, and investigations, provided such work does not conflict with their primary responsibility for timely resolution of enumerated water rights matters.

Applies the Administrative Adjudication Code of Ethics to all hearing officers and exempts complex proceedings involving novel legal issues, multiple parties, or court references from the standard 90-day timeframes.