APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES MEET – DECISION DATE IS SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

As the Legislature prepares for its final three weeks of session, the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees are making decisions on whether more than 500 bills currently on “Suspense File” should move forward.  Legislative measures on this file have significant fiscal impacts to state or local governments.

Several bills monitored by WMA will have their fates decided when the Appropriations Committees meet on September 1^st.  These bills include:

Assembly Bill 318 (Addis, D-Morro Bay)

This bill, which is opposed by WMA, would extend the Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program (MRLPP) for another three years.  Given that WMA led efforts to require the State Auditor to conduct a thorough review of the MRLPP, WMA has recommended a one-year extension of the program to allow the Auditor to complete its audit, which should be concluded by the end of 2023. To read the current contents of Assembly Bill 318, please click here.

Assembly Bill 319 (Connolly, D-San Rafael)

This legislation, which is supported by WMA, would require inspectors with the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to file statements of economic interest forms with the Fair Political Practices Commission and extend the sunset of the Mobilehome Parks Act by one year.  To read the current version of Assembly Bill 319, please click here.

Assembly Bill 1093 (Jim Patterson, R-Fresno)

This legislation will simplify the property tax collection process for homes sold in manufactured housing communities. Many mobilehome sales do not involve escrow accounts as they are often all-cash sales, which is an issue for property tax clearance. 

Assembly Bill 1093 is an attempt to give local tax collectors accurate data for sales of manufactured homes. The Senate Governance and Finance Committee passed this legislation on Monday, August 21st on consent, and it will be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee when the Legislature returns in August.  To read the current version of Assembly Bill 1093, please click here.

Assembly Bill 1334 (Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz)

This bill, which is supported by WMA, will encourage construction of new spaces in existing manufactured housing communities by exempting up to ten percent of new development from local fees and taxes. As attainable housing continues to be a significant challenge in California, Assembly Bill 1334 will enable parkowners to increase the supply of housing opportunities across the state. To read the current version of this bill, please click here.

VOTERVOICE CAMPAIGN URGING OPPOSITION TO Assembly Bill 604

Assembly Bill 604 (Lee, D-San Jose) bypassed the Senate Appropriations Committee and referred directly to the Senate Floor for consideration. This bill would extend the provisions of Assembly Bill1061, authored by Assemblymember Lee in 2021, to water companies regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.  WMA strongly opposes this measure and will continue to lobby against its passage. To read the current version of Assembly Bill 604, please click here.

When this occurred, WMA launched a VoterVoice campaign to encourage WMA members to write to their Senators and urge opposition to this bill.  The bill has not yet been voted on, so please consider participating in this campaign.  To learn how to do this, please click here.

PARK TOURS COMING SOON

Many more park tours have been scheduled for the coming months, picking up from park tours in the spring. WMA, parkowners, and managers use park tours as an opportunity to educate policy makers about the benefits associated with the manufactured housing industry. If you are interested in hosting a park tour with your state legislator, please reach out to our legislative assistant Ray Perez at ray@wma.org.

Please click the following link to view the WMA 2023 legislative tours interest form.

 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3pLBndosAx3EUy_qHIXiijt8giqkI4MXs_qqp0b5Tq2Zllw/viewform?usp=sf_link

REGISTER FOR WMA CONVENTION & EXPO TODAY!

Registration is currently open for the upcoming WMA Convention & Expo to be held at the Peppermill Hotel in Reno NV, October 23 - 26.  To learn about the events, seminars, and golf tournament benefiting the Frank J. Evans Charitable Trust; please click here.

WMA COFFEE TALK – SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

WMA hosts a Zoom chat on the first Thursday of each month (subject to change). These informal discussions focus on trending, pertinent topics. This free event does not require registration.

During our video chats, special guests will share information and answer questions. Please note that the next Coffee Talk will be held on the second Thursday of September, September 14, 2023, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Longtime WMA member Jonathan Saul will discuss key points regarding the implementation of electric vehicle charging stations in mobilehome parks. The Zoom link will be posted a few days prior to the event, but please click on the following link to get up-to-date information.

GENERAL REMARKS

The Legislature must adjourn by September 14.  That is the last day for bills being considered in 2023 to pass and be sent to the Governor. The Governor will have until October 14 to either sign or veto measures sent to his desk.  A thorough discussion of new laws signed by the Governor will take place at the WMA Convention & Expo on Tuesday, October 24, at 3:00 pm.