(a) The board, after notice and a public hearing, may designate a high- or medium-priority basin as a probationary basin, if the board finds one or more of the following applies to the basin:

(1) After June 30, 2017, none of the following have occurred:

(A)  A local agency has decided to become a groundwater sustainability agency that intends to develop a groundwater sustainability plan for the entire basin.

(B)  A collection of local agencies has formed a groundwater sustainability agency or prepared agreements to develop one or more groundwater sustainability plans that will collectively serve as a groundwater sustainability plan for the entire basin.

(C)  A local agency has submitted an alternative that has been approved or is pending approval pursuant to Section 10733.6. If the department disapproves an alternative pursuant to Section 10733.6, the board shall not act under this paragraph until at least 180 days after the department disapproved the alternative.

(2)  The basin is subject to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 10720.7, and after January 31, 2020, none of the following have occurred:

(A)  A groundwater sustainability agency has adopted a groundwater sustainability plan for the entire basin.

(B)  A collection of local agencies has adopted groundwater sustainability plans that collectively serve as a groundwater sustainability plan for the entire basin.

(C) The department has approved an alternative pursuant to Section 10733.6.

(3) The basin is subject to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 10720.7 and after January 31, 2020, the department, in consultation with the board, determines that a groundwater sustainability plan is inadequate or that the groundwater sustainability program is not being implemented in a manner that will likely achieve the sustainability goal.

(4) The basin is subject to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 10720.7, and after January 31, 2022, none of the following have occurred:

(A) A groundwater sustainability agency has adopted a groundwater sustainability plan for the entire basin.

(B) A collection of local agencies has adopted groundwater sustainability plans that collectively serve as a groundwater sustainability plan for the entire basin.

(C) The department has approved an alternative pursuant to Section 10733.6.

(5) The basin is subject to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 10720.7, and either of the following have occurred:

(A) After January 31, 2022, both of the following have occurred:

(i) The department, in consultation with the board, determines that a groundwater sustainability plan is inadequate or that the groundwater sustainability plan is not being implemented in a manner that will likely achieve the sustainability goal.

(ii) The board determines that the basin is in a condition of long-term overdraft.

(B) After January 31, 2025, both of the following have occurred:

(i) The department, in consultation with the board, determines that a groundwater sustainability plan is inadequate or that the groundwater sustainability plan is not being implemented in a manner that will likely achieve the sustainability goal.

(ii) The board determines that the basin is in a condition where groundwater extractions result in significant depletions of interconnected surface waters.

(b) In making the findings associated with paragraph (3) or (5) of subdivision (a), the department and board may rely on periodic assessments the department has prepared pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 10733). The board may request that the department conduct additional assessments utilizing the regulations developed pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 10733) and make determinations pursuant to this section. The board shall post on its Internet Web site and provide at least 30 days for the public to comment on any determinations provided by the department pursuant to this subdivision.

(c) (1) The determination may exclude a class or category of extractions from the requirement for reporting pursuant to Part 5.2 (commencing with Section 5200) of Division 2 if those extractions are subject to a local plan or program that adequately manages groundwater within the portion of the basin to which that plan or program applies, or if those extractions are likely to have a minimal impact on basin withdrawals.

(2) The determination may require reporting of a class or category of extractions that would otherwise be exempt from reporting pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 5202 if those extractions are likely to have a substantial impact on basin withdrawals or requiring reporting of those extractions is reasonably necessary to obtain information for purposes of this chapter.

(3) The determination may establish requirements for information required to be included in reports of groundwater extraction, for installation of measuring devices, or for use of a methodology, measuring device, or both, pursuant to Part 5.2 (commencing with Section 5200) of Division 2.

(4) The determination may modify the water year or reporting date for a report of groundwater extraction pursuant to Section 5202.

(d) If the board finds that litigation challenging the formation of a groundwater sustainability agency prevented its formation before July 1, 2017, pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) or prevented a groundwater sustainability program from being implemented in a manner likely to achieve the sustainability goal pursuant to paragraph (2), (3), (4), or (5) of subdivision (a), the board shall not designate a basin as a probationary basin for a period of time equal to the delay caused by the litigation.

(e) The board shall exclude from probationary status any portion of a basin for which a groundwater sustainability agency demonstrates compliance with the sustainability goal.

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 255, Sec. 15. (SB 13) Effective January 1, 2016.)