CAPITOL UPDATE
By Chris Wysocki
AB 2002 Passes Out of Senate Housing Committee
Assembly Bill 2002, authored by Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua and sponsored by WMA, passed out of the Senate Housing Committee on a vote of 8-0 with one abstention. This bill deals with PTO revocations and establishes a Mobilehome Repair Grant Fund. This bill was further amended in committee, and WMA continues to work on further amendments to the bill. The bill now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee. We are excited about the opportunity to work with the author to make it the best bill possible. For an updated copy of the bill, please visit:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2002
SB 940 Passes Out of Assembly Housing & Community Development Committee
Senate Bill 940, authored by Senator John Laird from Santa Cruz, passed out of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee on 6-0 vote with two Assemblymembers not voting. Significant amendments were agreed to in committee, and while the changes will make the bill less onerous, WMA remains opposed.
Primary arguments on why legislators should oppose SB 940 center on the lack of attainable housing in the state, and SB 940 sends a message that new space construction is not to be encouraged in manufactured housing communities. To view a copy of the bill as passed, please visit the following website, but note that it will be amended before heading to the Assembly Floor to adopt changes that were discussed in committee.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB940
SB 869 Set for Hearing on June 29th
Senate Bill 869, authored by Senator Connie Leyva, deals with manager training. This bill has been referred to committee and will be heard on June 29th. WMA has been a strong opponent of this measure, and the full text of the current bill can be found at:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB869
State Budget Update
This week, the Legislature passed a State Budget of approximately $300 Billion that will likely be signed into law by Governor Newsom by the end of the month. In terms of housing policies, WMA worked with stakeholders and administration officials to secure $100 million for park improvements. Initial concerns were that this money would only be available to resident owned parks, but discussions with HCD suggests this money will be made available to all parkowners in the state. It is important to note that the Governor has a “Blue Line” veto authority to strip items out of the passed budget, and WMA continues to discuss this item with Administration officials.
To view the budget bill that was passed this week, please visit:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB154
More analysis will be forthcoming and it should be remembered that many so-called “Budget Trailer Bills” are still in the works. These “Trailer Bills” often contain policy matters that generally bypass the traditional committee process and receive little attention from the public.
Election Day is Finally Over
Even though the Primary Election was held on Tuesday, June 7th, state law allows for votes to be received for seven days (until June 14th) after the election provided the ballots are postmarked by Election Day.
Election results must be certified by the Secretary of State by July 15th.
All 80 seats in the Assembly and 20 of the 40 seats in the Senate were up for Primary Elections yesterday. To learn more about the results of the primary election and sign up to get updates, please visit:
https://electionresults.sos.ca.gov/
In addition to state races, please visit your County Registrar of Voters website. A full listing of county registrar sites can be found at:
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices
The 2022 General Election will also include several ballot measures, and it appears that spending will be significant as advertisements are already on statewide television highlighting issues ranging from bail reform to gaming issues. As the Legislature enters its final weeks of session, many bond measures may also be on the ballot that will be closely watched by the public.
Correction on Utility Upgrade – AB 1061 changes effective in January 2022; not June 2022
In last week’s Capitol Update, I reported that master-metered mobilehome parks subject to the provisions of AB 1061 should pay special attention to the rate changes that must be implemented by June 2022. The changes being referenced took effect in January of 2022, not in June. I apologize for the confusion, but I wanted to make sure you realized that the changes imposed by AB 1061 went into effect in January instead of June. On a side note, it is always helpful to consult with your park attorney on matters involving issues like these and we encourage you to attend our New Laws Seminar at our upcoming Convention in October.
Chris Wysocki is WMA’s State Legislative Advocate. He can be reached at chris@wma.org.
