Gov. Brown Signs Bill To Ban Brown Lawn Fines In SoCal

GLENDALE (CBSLA.com) — Residents across Southern California no longer need to worry about receiving fines for having dead lawns during drought conditions.

On Monday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that prohibits local governments, cities, counties and agencies from fining homeowners for having brown lawns.

Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown, of San Bernardino, was behind this bill.

"It is sad that it took a law to protect homeowners who have tried diligently to conserve water," said Assemblywoman Brown. "However, this is a needed step in order to ensure that California manages its water resources efficiently during the drought."

Prior to drought conditions, city officials reportedly went to yards to impose fines on homeowners for not maintaining their lawns.

According to a legislative analysis, residents in several cities recently reported being fined during strict water conservation efforts.

Brown mandated the conservation efforts to cut water use by 25 percent across Southern California in order to avoid paying penalties.

In 2014, he also signed a measure that barred homeowners associations from punishing residents for unwatered lawns.

California is now in it's fourth year of ongoing drought conditions.