Section 8578.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 8578.
in effect(a)
For the purposes of this section, “ex parte communication” means any oral or written communication outside of a noticed board meeting concerning matters, other than purely procedural matters, regarding any of the following:
(1)
An application that has been submitted to the board and has been determined to be complete by the executive officer.
(2)
An enforcement action.
(3)
Any other quasi-judicial matter requiring board action, after the matter has been placed on the board’s agenda and notice of the meeting has been provided pursuant to Section 11125 of the Government Code.
(b)
(1)
A board member appointed pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 8551 shall not participate in an ex parte communication with any person or organization with an interest in board decisions, nor any person representing a person or organization with an interest in board decisions, excluding a staff member of the board acting in his or her official capacity, who intends to influence the decision of a board member on a matter before the board.
(2)
If an ex parte communication occurs, the board member shall notify the interested party that a full disclosure of the ex parte communication shall be entered in the board’s record.
(3)
Communications cease to be ex parte communications when the board member or the person who engaged in the communication with the board member fully discloses the
communication and requests in writing that it be placed in the board’s official record of the proceeding.
(c)
Notwithstanding Section 11425.10 of the Government Code, the ex parte communications provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Article 7 (commencing with Section 11430.10) of Chapter 4.5 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) do not apply to proceedings of the board to which this section applies.
References
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 11125.
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 11425.10.
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 11430.10.
referencesCal. Water Code - WAT § 8551.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026