Right of First Refusal Bill DEAD for the Year 

Other Bills Advance Out of Appropriations Committees

The Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees concluded their respective Suspense Files yesterday and acted on over 668 bills in the Assembly and nearly 342 bills in the Senate.  Between the two houses, 689 bills advanced and 320 were held.

Bills that were held on the Suspense File yesterday are effectively dead for the year. Here is a list of bills that are of primary interest to WMA:

AB 2539 (Connolly, D-San Rafael) – OPPOSE – DEAD FOR YEAR

Held in Committee

This bill, which was held in the Appropriations Committee, would have granted resident organizations a right of first refusal to purchase a mobilehome park and effectively delay a sale for up to eight months. It would have stopped a park owner’s constitutional right to dispose of his or her private property as he or she sees fit. 

Defeating this measure would not have been possible without the work of our legal advisors, our lobbying team, and the hundreds of WMA members who communicated their opposition via WMA’s VoterVoice program.  Congratulations! And because this bill was held in committee, it is effectively dead for the year.

To read the language of AB 2539, please click here.

AB 2022 (Addis, D-Morro Bay) – OPPOSE

Advances to Assembly Floor

This bill, which deals with how parkowners and managers operate in emergency situations, was substantially amended in committee on April 24. To secure passage of the bill out of policy committee, the author removed one of the perjury provisions and removed liability involving owners and managers when complying with the request of emergency personnel to evacuate the park and shut off utilities.

This bill was passed by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on a party-line vote, and minor amendments were made by the committee.  It will now advance to the full Assembly for consideration.  If it passes the Assembly, it will be considered by the Senate. WMA will continue to oppose this measure.

To read the language of AB 2022, please click here.

AB 2387 (Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz) – SUPPORT

Advances to Assembly Floor

This bill would exempt new spaces constructed in existing mobilehome parks from local fees and taxes not currently levied on other spaces in the park. WMA testified in support of this measure, and we continue to work with the author to ensure that areas used for recreational vehicle storage and boat storage can be converted to new housing. 

The bill limits the number of new spaces that are exempt from fees and taxes to ten percent of the permitted spaces currently allowed in the park. For example, this bill would allow for ten new spaces to be constructed in an existing 100-space mobilehome park.  As drafted, the bill involves new space construction and is silent on the number of homes placed on a space.

To read the language of AB 2387, please click here.

AB 2291 (Alanis) – SUPPORT

Advances to Assembly Floor

This bill was originally drafted in response to the California State Audit of the Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program (MRLPP). It would have suspended the annual $10 per lot fee and would have required Legal Service Providers (LSPs) to disclose to HCD how funds distributed to LSPs are being spent in dealing with MRLPP complaints.  This bill has received no opposition throughout the process so far.

To read the language of AB 2291, please click here.

AB 2247 (Wallis) – SUPPORT

Advances to Assembly Floor

This bill is a sunset extension bill that will extend the life of the Mobilehome Parks Act (MPA) — set to expire on January 1, 2025 — to January 1, 2030.  AB 2247 will also require HCD to provide residents with information regarding violations of the Manufactured Housing Opportunity and Revitalization (MORE) program, to inform them how to apply for loans and grants to correct the violation.  WMA was the primary witness in support of this legislation.

To read the language of AB 2247 without the amended language, please click here.

SB 1108 (Ochoa Bogh) – SUPPORT

Advances to Senate Floor

This bill is sponsored by WMA and would more promptly inform community owners about resident violations that could result in a suspension or revocation of a Permit to Operate (PTO) if left uncured.  This bill has received no opposition and will soon be considered by the full Senate before being transmitted to the Assembly for its consideration.

To read the language of SB 1108, please click here.

State Budget Update

Last Friday, the Governor released his May revision to the State Budget he introduced in January.  The Governor’s January projected revenue for 2024-25 has already fallen by $7 billion, and despite taking early corrective action (largely through accounting maneuvers and fund shifts) to reduce the deficit by $17 billion, the state still faces a nearly $28 billion deficit for the next fiscal year. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), which pegged the deficit in January at $73 billion, has yet to release its analysis of the Governor’s most recent proposal.

Some of the key cuts being proposed are an eight percent across-the-board cut in state employee staff, eliminating approximately 10,000 vacant positions at state agencies, and more than $700 million for housing development.

To read a quick synopsis of the May revision as chronicled by Cal Matters, please click here.

To read the revised budget submitted by the Governor to the Legislature, please click here.

The Legislature has until June 15 to pass a “balanced” budget proposal (or legislators start to forfeit their salary), and the coming weeks will be consumed with hearings and discussions on how to best close the deficit. This may end up helping WMA due to the number of bills we are opposing having significant fiscal impacts.

Capitol Update will contain more information when the LAO releases its analysis of the Governor’s spending plan, including its own revenue projections. Those projections have historically been much more accurate than the Department of Finance controlled by the Governor.

Committees Start Considering Bills Passed in House of Origin

Bills without a fiscal impact that have already passed their House of Origin will soon be set for hearings in the second house. 

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to meet on either June 4 or June 11 to consider many noncontroversial bills, and WMA’s sponsored bill AB 661 (Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin) will soon be considered for a hearing.

AB 661 would allow owners and managers of manufactured housing communities to notify tenants in their parks about planned utility shutoffs in their community by electronic communication instead of only being able to provide these notices with printed documents.  This legislation would still allow tenants to continue receiving paper notices, but it would allow them to also be notified of utility disruptions by email, text, or automated phone call.

To read the language of AB 661, please click here.

To view a list of bills being monitored and tracked by WMA and to learn about the positions WMA has taken on these legislative measures, please click here.

HCD Public Comment Period on Qualifications for LSPs Handling MRLPP Complaints Closing Soon

HCD announced that public comment will be considered on proposed emergency regulations involving the awarding of LSP contracts for handling MRLPP complaints. The rulemaking process was triggered with the passage of Assembly Bill 318, which was signed into law on October 11, 2023, requiring HCD to establish criteria for the selection of LSPs.

To learn how to submit comments by the deadline of May 23, 2024, please visit the WMA website by clicking here.

WMA is preparing comments to HCD regarding this proposed emergency regulation, but it would be helpful to include as many comments as possible from our members as HCD prepares for promulgation and implementation of this regulation.

It is an honor to serve WMA. Please feel free to reach me directly at chris@wma.org, or on my direct line at the office at 916.288.4026 if I may be of assistance or you need additional information.