AFTER SUSPENSE FILE, THE STAGE IS SET FOR FINAL WEEKS OF SESSION

Last week, the Assembly and Senate dispensed with their respective “Suspense” Files, and the stage is now set for the final weeks of the Legislative Session which will conclude by midnight on Wednesday, August 31^st.

Last Thursday, the Assembly Appropriations Committee considered 323 bills and released 244 of them (75.5%) to be considered on the Assembly Floor. 

Similarly, the Senate Appropriations Committee considered 491 bills and released 368 of them (75%) to be considered on the Senate Floor.

MANAGER TRAINING BILL AMENDED AND SENT TO ASSEMBLY FLOOR

Of primary interest to WMA members is SB 869 (Leyva, D-Chino) dealing with mobilehome parkowner training. This bill was significantly amended to allow a 3^rd Party such as WMA to provide the necessary training. The amendments also reduced the requisite number of hours of training to be between 6 and 8 hours of training in the first year. The legislation, if passed and signed by the governor, will become effective on May 1, 2025. WMA remains staunchly opposed to the measure and will continue our lobbying efforts to defeat this legislation.

To view the current language and learn about the status of SB 869, please click on the following link:

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB869

SAN DIEGO REGIONAL EQUITABLE AND FRIENDLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING AGENCY BILL HELD IN SUSPENSE

SB 1105 (Hueso, D-San Diego County) would have allowed San Diego County to place various financing measures on the ballot to increase Parcel Taxes, Gross Receipts Business License Taxes, Special Business Taxes, Special Taxes on Real Property, Documentary Transfer Taxes, Commercial Linkage Fees, General Obligation Bonds, Revenue Bonds, Mortgage Revenue Bonds, and Private Equity Bonds to fund housing needs in San Diego County. WMA joined a coalition of business owners to oppose this measure, and it was held on Suspense by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

WMA will continue to monitor this bill to ensure that it does not “re-surface” in another bill or budget trailer bill in the final weeks of session.

To view the language and learn about the status of SB 1105, please click on the following link:

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB1105

SB 940 (LAIRD, D-SANTA CRUZ) MOBILEHOME PARKS:  LOCAL ORDINANCES

SB 940 was amended to provide a 15-year exemption from local rent control ordinances for new parks and new spaces built in parks upon a certificate of occupancy. WMA remains opposed to this measure as the legislation fails to incentivize new construction of spaces in existing parks. The bill passed the State Assembly on a vote of 45-21. On Monday, the bill was passed by the Senate on a 26-10 vote and now heads to the Governor’s desk. WMA remains opposed to this measure and is in communication with the Governor’s office about a potential veto of the bill. To keep apprised of the status of SB 940, please visit the following website:

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB940

HUNDREDS OF BILLS STILL AWAIT ACTION BY ASSEMBLY AND SENATE

Nearly 1,000 bills still await action by the Assembly and Senate for consideration before final sine die adjournment. The next two weeks are perhaps the most significant ones in the Legislative session as last-minute deals are crafted in the late nights of the last days of the legislative session. Given the sheer volume of proposals demanding attention, these next weeks are the last chances for legislators to advance their priorities. Thankfully, the voters put into the Constitution a provision that requires at least 72 hours for people to review final legislative text before bills are voted upon.

In short, hold onto your hats as it’s going to be a frenetic race to the finish line on August 31^st.