Merced County Flood Control District: local government coordination.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Esmeralda Soria

AB 2639 requires the Merced County Flood Control District to coordinate flood planning and response with other local agencies in Merced County.

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.

#mercedcountyfloodcontroldistrict #localgovernmentcoordination

Overview

AB 2639, introduced by Assembly Member Soria in the 2025-2026 California Legislature, would add a new requirement to the Merced County Flood Control District Act. The bill focuses on coordination among local flood control entities within Merced County. It includes a state-mandated-local-program component and signals legislative intent to address flooding in disadvantaged communities in future measures.

Main purpose and intent

Establish a requirement for the Merced County Flood Control District to coordinate its flood control planning and response operations with other local agencies located wholly or partially within Merced County. This includes cities and districts responsible for surface water management or flood control.

State the Legislature’s intent to enact future legislation protecting disadvantaged communities from flooding.

Key provisions and changes

Section 5.1 addition: The Merced County Flood Control District must coordinate its flood control planning and response activities with other local agencies located in Merced County. This explicitly covers agencies with responsibilities for surface water management or flood control, and is framed as a coordination duty in planning and operations.

Section 5.2 (conforming): If the Commission on State Mandates determines the bill imposes costs mandated by the state, those costs would be reimbursed to local agencies and school districts under existing Government Code procedures (Part 7 of Division 4, Title 2).

Legislative intent language: Expresses the Legislature’s intent to enact future legislation relating to the protection of disadvantaged communities from flooding.

Who and what would be affected

Primary affected entity: Merced County Flood Control District (and, by extension, local agencies within the Merced County boundaries that participate in flood management).

Other affected entities: Cities and districts within Merced County that handle surface water management or flood control responsibilities, as well as any local agencies that interact with the district on flood-related planning and response.

Indirect effects: Potentially greater alignment and coordination across multiple agencies on flood risk mitigation, emergency response, and planning efforts.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Status and timeline: Passed the Assembly on May 26, 2026 (third reading), and sent to the Senate for consideration. The bill underwent typical committee referrals and amendments during the 2025-2026 session.

Fiscal notes: The bill creates a state-mandated local program by imposing additional coordination requirements; reimbursement provisions are included if the state mandates costs (per Government Code provisions for mandate reimbursements).

Effective date details: The text does not specify an immediate effective date beyond the legislative enactment; implementation would likely follow once signed into law and any accompanying regulations are issued.

Summary takeaway

AB 2639 aims to formalize intergovernmental coordination among Merced County flood control and surface water agencies, enhancing integrated flood planning and response. It places a statutory duty on the Merced County Flood Control District to work with neighboring local agencies and signals future legislative attention to protecting disadvantaged communities from flooding, potentially accompanied by state-mandated-cost reimbursements if applicable.