Tribal groups could gain direct access to Delta funding

In California, Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry’s AB 2216 would change who sits at the table when the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy decides how to move money and shape projects. One Lake County appointee and one tribal representative would join the governing board, and two liaison advisers would come from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and the San Joaquin River Conservancy.

A wider table

The bill does more than add seats. It would let the conservancy partner with tribal organizations and award them grants and loans, giving those groups a more direct role in the agency’s work.

The tribal representative would be appointed by the Governor and would still need Senate confirmation. The Lake County seat would be appointed by the county board of supervisors, which gives the county a formal voice in the conservancy’s decisions.

The fund stays fenced off

The money side stays tighter than the governance change. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Fund would remain in the State Treasury, and any spending tied to Valley activities would still depend on a specific appropriation. The bill also says costs linked to the measure would be reimbursed under the existing statutory rules.

Recorded votes show the bill cleared the Assembly floor 73-1.