The Bay-Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements: Ensuring Effective Legislative Oversight

Mar 18, 2026 - In a 2010 report , SWRCB concluded that “current flows are insufficient.” The report also acknowledged the need for non‑flow habitat improvements, noting that flow and physical habitat measures are not interchangeable.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163

The Bay-Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements: Ensuring Effective Legislative Oversight [Publication Details]

Mar 18, 2026 - This report discusses the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB’s) proposed—and long-overdue—update of the water quality control plan for the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which includes an alternative compliance pathway for certain water users called voluntary agreements (VAs, also known as Healthy Rivers and Landscapes).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5163

The 2025-26 Budget: May Revision Trailer Bill Proposals on the Delta Conveyance Project and Water Quality Control Plans

May 27, 2025 - By do ing so, this draft plan provides two compliance pathways —one for VA parties based on their proposed VA instream flow and habitat restoration targets, and one for non-VA parties based on the unimpaired flows approach developed by SWRCB staff.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5053

The 2024-25 Budget: Transportation Budget Solutions

Feb 23, 2024 - Cash Flow Adjustments Avoid Programmatic Impacts but Create Cost Pressures in Future Years. The proposed $2.8  billion in cash flow adjustments would help alleviate cost pressures in the near term by reducing General Fund commitments in 2023 ‑24.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4854

The 2022-23 Budget: State Water Resources Control Board—Bay-Delta Plan Update

Jan 31, 2022 - Specifically, to improve conditions for fish and wildlife, the new flow standards call for 40  percent of unimpaired flow in the rivers. The required flows can be adjusted within a range of 30  percent to 50  percent between February and June depending on other actions and conditions in the fisheries.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4506

The 2026-27 Budget: Fiscal Outlook for Schools and Community Colleges

Nov 19, 2025 - Whereas a deferral provides up ‑front state savings but creates future costs and weakens district cash flow, the advance payment is an up ‑front state cost that allows future savings and improves district cash flow.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5093

IRS Data Show Pandemic Uptick in Outmigration Continues [EconTax Blog]

Jul 31, 2024 - Net Outmigration of Taxpayer Income Flows Strongest to Southern and Western States. The IRS tracks the adjusted gross income of taxpayers who move each year. The figure below shows the net flow of taxpayer income from California since 2020.    
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/809

IRS Data Show Pandemic Uptick in Outmigration Continues [EconTax Blog]

Jul 31, 2024 - Net Outmigration of Taxpayer Income Flows Strongest to Southern and Western States. The IRS tracks the adjusted gross income of taxpayers who move each year. The figure below shows the net flow of taxpayer income from California since 2020.    
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/article/Detail/809

The 2026-27 Budget: CalWORKs

Feb 18, 2026 - Based on our understanding of how TANF funds flow to the state, California would likely start experiencing funding shortfalls and programmatic impacts within weeks of a freeze. The Legislature may wish to ask the administration at budget hearings to provide more information on the impacts of an extended funding freeze on CalWORKs, and other programs that receive TANF funding.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5122

The 2024-25 Budget: County Probation Grants to Support Temporary Increase in the Supervision Population

Feb 20, 2024 - Accordingly, we find it unlikely that counties continue to need funding to support the temporary increase in the PRCS population for cash-flow reasons. Moreover, the administration has not provided any data indicating that current 2011 realignment funding levels are such that cash-flow problems are likely to occur.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4849