‘Short” Week Had More Committees Working Overtime

This past week was a busy one for the Senate and Assembly. In the Assembly, 13 committees held hearings, and in the Senate 16 committee hearings were held. The May 2 deadline is quickly approaching for hearing more than 2,300 bills before they are sent to the Appropriations Committee or the Floor of the Senate or Assembly. If bills do not pass their policy committees in the coming weeks, they either die or become “two-year” bills, meaning they will be taken up again in 2026.

WMA Supported and Opposed Bills Scheduled for Hearings Next Week

Next Wednesday, two bills opposed by WMA (AB 635 and AB 925) will be heard in the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee, and one bill supported by WMA (SB 525) will be heard in the Senate Insurance Committee.

AB 635 (Ahrens, D-Sunnyvale) would make the Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program (MRLPP) permanent, in addition to requiring the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to refer up to a total of 25 alleged violations of the Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL) to the office of the Attorney General that are the most “severe, deleterious, and materially and economically impactful” cases.  This is being done even though the authority of HCD to determine which cases are “severe and deleterious” was removed under AB 318 (signed into law in 2023).

To read the text of AB 635, click here.

AB 925 (Addis, D-Morro Bay) would increase the annual Permit to Operate (PTO) fee from $4 per space to $10 per space, in addition to requiring parks to adopt an emergency preparedness plan that contains several ambiguities around parkowners’ responsibility. AB 925 is strikingly similar to Addis’ AB 2022 that was vetoed by the Governor last year. Further, AB 925 fails to account for the mandatory park manager training that will soon be taking place.  One of the required course subjects for the mandatory training is emergency preparedness.

To read the text of AB 925, click here.

If you would like to submit your opposition to AB 635 and AB 925, please call the following offices of lawmakers serving on the Housing and Development Committee to urge a “NO” vote on these measures. The calls can be very short, and here is a draft script:

“Hello, this is [INSERT NAME] calling from [MOBILEHOME PARK].  On April 9^th, AB 635 and AB 925 will be heard in the Housing Committee, and both of these bills only make it more difficult to provide housing for people living in mobilehome parks.  AB 635 makes the MRLPP permanent, even though it is vastly underutilized. AB 925 raises fees and is similar to a bill the Governor vetoed last year.  Please vote NO on both these bills.”

• Assemblymember Matt Haney (Chair) – 916.319.2017
• Assemblymember Anamarie Avila Farias – 916.319.2015
• Assemblymember Jessica Caloza – 916.319.2052
• Assemblymember Robert Garcia – 916.319.2050
• Assemblymember Ash Kalra – 916.319.2025
• Assemblymember Alex Lee – 916.319.2024
• Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva – 916.319.2067
• Assemblymember Buffy Wicks – 916.319.2014
• Assemblymember Lori Wilson – 916.319.2011

SB 525 (Jones, R-Santee) would require the FAIR Plan — the insurer of last resort for property insurance, to offer coverage to manufactured homes and mobilehomes in California.  Current law does not require the FAIR Plan to offer homeowner’s coverage to people living in mobilehome parks, and SB 525 will help residents achieve coverage in case of fires or other disasters.

To read the text of SB 525, click here.

Other Key Bills Still Await Action

WMA has taken positions of “Support” or “Oppose” on 20 bills this legislative session.  We anticipate the bulk of bills sponsored by WMA to be taken up on April 23 or May 7.  These WMA-sponsored bills include the following:

• AB 391 (Michelle Rodriguez, D-Pomona)
• AB 760 (Tri Ta, R-Westminster)
• AB 768 (Anamarie Avila Farias, D-Antioch)
• AB 813 (Jose Solache, D-Los Angeles)
• AB 874 (Anamarie Avila-Farias, D-Antioch)

Only AB 874 is keyed “fiscal” and has been double-referred to the Assembly Local Government Committee and the Assembly Housing and Development Committee.  This bill must pass both committees by May 2.

To view the list of bills being monitored by WMA, please visit the Government Affairs section of the WMA website at WMA.org, and click on the Bills of Interest link. You can also visit the page from this link at wma.org/bills-interest.

Another Special Election Coming in California

On Tuesday, Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Corona) resigned from the Assembly to accept a position as the new United States Attorney for the Central District of California.  Essayli has been a vocal critic of the policies advocated by the Governor and legislative Democrats. Essayli represented the 63^rd Assembly District, comprised of Corona, Lake Elsinore and Menifee in Riverside County.  Prior to his tenure in the Assembly, the Republican lawmaker was a federal prosecutor for the same Central District he will now be running.

The Governor will soon call a special election to be held this summer to replace Essayli in this safe Republican seat, which is 39.2% Republican and 33.6% Democrat.  President Trump defeated President Biden here in 2024 with 54.9% of the vote.  As one of the safest Republican seats in the state, there will be no shortage of candidates running to replace Essayli.

To read a news story about the Essayli appointment, click here.

Legislative Park Tours Continue

WMA remains committed to organizing legislative park tours across California, providing lawmakers with first-hand insight into the manufactured housing industry. These tours serve as a vital opportunity for legislators to engage directly with the mobilehome community, fostering a deeper understanding of the industry’s challenges and contributions. Since the start of the year, WMA has conducted seven park tours statewide, building bipartisan relationships and advocating for policies that support the industry.

Below is a list of upcoming park tours.  If you are interested in attending one of these tours, please contact Ray Perez at ray@wma.org.

April 4, 2025 – Assemblymember Leticia Castillo (San Bernardino)

April 11, 2025 – Assemblymember Avila-Farias (Antioch)

April 16, 2025 – Assemblymember Juan Carillo (Palmdale)

April 25, 2025 – Assemblymember Catherine Stefani (South San Francisco)

May 2, 2025 – Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez (Pomona)

These tours play a crucial role in strengthening legislative awareness and support for the manufactured housing community.  WMA wishes to thank the many parkowners and managers who have attended these tours to educate lawmakers about manufactured housing communities in California.

General Remarks

Over the coming few weeks, the Legislature will be running on all cylinders. With a policy deadline of May 2 for bills with a fiscal impact and May 9 for bills without a fiscal impact, there are only a small number of days remaining to hold hearings. You may have received a “Red Alert” message from WMA urging action on two bills being heard in the Assembly next week, please be on the lookout for more opportunities to engage in the process.

It is important for lawmakers to hear directly from WMA members in addition to the lobbying team.  Please be sure to visit our website at wma.org and click on “bills of interest” in the Government Affairs section to learn about the bills being monitored by WMA.

It is an honor to represent WMA in the State Legislature, and I want to thank everyone who has spent time writing letters, calling their legislators, participated in our park tours and have contributed to the WMA PAC. These all help create a legislature that is more supportive of our industry, and WMA’s successes are directly due to the support our members provide.  If you have any questions, please email me at chris@wma.org or call me on my direct line at 916.288.4026.