Bill Talk: Some last-minute horse-trading
A weekly update from Cal Cities, sorting through the state bill buzz
By Cal Cities Staff
Lawmakers, lobbyists, and writers are counting the seconds until summer recess starts later this week. Last week saw a flurry of last-minute haggling in preparation for the November election and a final state budget, along with dozens of policy committee hearings.
Californians will decide on 14 statewide policy proposals this November. Among them is an initiative that raises the vote threshold for citizen-initiated special taxes. Legislative leaders placed the proposal on the ballot in an 11th-hour deal that removed two other high-profile measures from the ballot. Cal Cities does not have a position on the ballot measure yet. However, in a statement on Friday, Carolyn Coleman, Cal Cities executive director and CEO, noted: “When cities’ ability to raise revenue is eroded, the need for services doesn’t go away. The ultimate losers are California residents who depend on those services every day."
Other measures on the ballot include an $11.25 billion affordable housing bond and changes to the state’s environmental review law, commonly known as CEQA.
State leaders also ironed out which pot of money in the state budget goes where. The final budget (pending one or two trailer bills) largely resembles the deal struck between lawmakers earlier this month. A full analysis from Cal Cities is coming soon.
A bit of housekeeping: Lawmakers go on break starting July 2, and so does Bill Talk. Keep an eye out in Cal Cities Advocate for Cal Cities’ summer coverage of the biggest bills for cities. Bill Talk will resume in early August.
- Brian Hendershot, Cal Cities Advocate managing editor
High-profile homelessness reporting bill gets meaningful changes
In the face of robust opposition from cities across the state, SB 866 (Blakespear) was amended ahead of its hearing in the Assembly Housing Committee on July 1. The amendments narrow the bill's scope to only data within a jurisdiction's control and move the reporting requirements from a city’s housing element to its annual progress report.
These changes better align the bill with existing reporting requirements and ensure that a city's ability to report this data will not be tied to its efforts to achieve a compliant housing element. The amendments also apply the requirements to all jurisdictions, including counties, creating a more consistent statewide framework.
While SB 866 still creates new reporting requirements without additional funding, these changes are a significant, meaningful improvement at a critical stage in the legislative process. In light of the amendments, Cal Cities removed its opposition to the bill. Cal Cities will continue to advocate for increased funding to support cities of all sizes in their efforts to address homelessness.
- Caroline Grinder, legislative advocate
Streamlined wildfire vegetation management bill to be heard today
The Assembly Natural Resources Committee on June 29 approved SB 1370 (Stern), a bill that consolidates the state review of vegetation management projects for wildfire safety through the California Natural Resources Agency and California Environmental Protection Agency. Eligible projects include hazardous/dead vegetation removal, strategic fuel breaks, defensible space, and vegetation removal along ingress and egress roadways and around electrical utility lines.
Last year, Cal Cities sponsored legislation to streamline permits for such wildfire projects through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This bill includes the agency in the consolidated review. A support sample letter is available online.
- Melissa Sparks-Kranz, legislative advocate
E-Bike modifications and permitting caps are being contested
Cal Cities is supporting several bills aimed at addressing the growing number of high-powered devices marketed as e-bikes, including SB 1167 (Blakespear) — approved by Assembly Transportation on June 29. The bill clarifies that electric two-wheeled devices capable of operating at speeds beyond the legal limits for electric bicycles are not e-bikes and instead must be regulated as motor-driven cycles or mopeds, depending on their specifications.
Also up this week are two permitting bills. Recently advanced out of the Assembly Housing and Economic Development Committee, SB 222 (Wiener) is in the Assembly Local Government Committee on July 1. The measure requires cities to automate permitting and arbitrarily caps HVAC and water heater installation permits. AB 1820 (Schiavo) — set for a July 1 hearing in Senate Local Government — caps the fees that permitting agencies can impose on electric vehicle charging station installations. Cal Cities opposes both measures.
- Damon Conklin, legislative advocate
Air quality and landfill bills amended
Cal Cities has changed its position on two environmental bills in response to new amendments. SB 1075 (Reyes) would have forced cities and counties to consider air quality over all other environmental factors when considering commercial and industrial projects. The author amended the bill to remove the land use permitting provisions and focus on regional emission reduction plans under the California Air Resources Board’s purview. With these changes, Cal Cities moved to neutral.
AB 28 (Schiavo), already on the Senate Floor, was gutted and amended to more tightly regulate elevated temperature events at landfills through emergency regulations. Landfills, including municipal landfills, that do not submit data or implement a corrective action plan could be subject to a $100,000 daily fine. Cal Cities is now opposed unless amended on the bill, up on July 1 in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. Senate rules prevent the author from making additional changes to AB 28 since it was pulled back to the committee from the Senate Floor. However, Cal Cities is seeking commitments from the author to take amendments on the floor should the bill move forward.
- Melissa Sparks-Kranz, legislative advocate
Legislation advances home hardening certification program
Cal Cities is supporting AB 1934 (Bennett), which would require Cal Fire to create a certification program for home hardening by Jan. 1, 2027. Cal Cities is part of a working group fleshing out the program’s details, which could place homeowners in different tiers for specific home hardening efforts that correspond to higher insurance discounts. The intent is to make it easier for homeowners to harden their homes, protect their property from wildfire, and receive discounts from insurance companies. The Senate Natural Resources Committee passed the bill on July 1.
- Jolena Voorhis, legislative advocate
Two ADU bills ask cities to do more with less
Cal Cities and a coalition of several local government groups remain opposed to SB 1117 (Cervantes). The bill dramatically limits the amount of impact fees cities can collect for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) larger than 750 square feet. For example, if a project applicant proposes a 1,000-square-foot unit, cities could only charge impact fees for 250 square feet. This example would result in a 75% reduction in impact fees that cities must legally use to provide essential infrastructure and public services to support new housing development.
To further complicate matters, lawmakers are also considering AB 956 (Quirk-Silva). Also opposed by Cal Cities, the measure requires cities to automatically approve two detached ADUs in single-family zones — potentially with little in the way of money for expanded essential services. Lawmakers can cut funding for essential public services like fire and water, but the need for infrastructure and services does not go away.
Assembly Local Government will hear SB 1117 on July 1; Senate Local Government will hear AB 956 on July 1.
- Brady Guertin, legislative advocate
Youth sports bill amended
AB 387 (Alanis) was amended last week to address opposition from Cal Cities and parks and recreation organizations. Originally, the bill required public facilities used for youth sports to procure and maintain automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and make them accessible during all youth sports practices and matches. Cal Cities has been working on the bill since last year to address concerns about the exorbitant cost of requiring AED installations in public parks.
The amendments taken this week remove the mandate on local agencies and instead encourage collaboration with youth sports leagues to ensure access to AEDs. In light of these changes, Cal Cities removed its opposition to the bill.
- Caroline Grinder, legislative advocate
Cal Cities bill would help maintain local roads and services
On July 1, the Assembly Local Government Committee will hear SB 922 (Laird). Sponsored by Cal Cities, the bill seeks to clarify that cities may recover the cost of street maintenance and repair caused by public service operations, such as waste hauling, through service-related fees and charges.
A recent court decision created uncertainty over this longstanding and predictable practice. By reaffirming existing practices, SB 922 would restore clarity, reduce unnecessary litigation, and provide greater certainty for local agencies and service providers alike.
- Ben Triffo, legislative advocate
Assembly bill may allow downzoning to occur
In the Senate Local Government Committee on July 1, lawmakers will review AB 1751 (Quirk-Silva), a bill that requires cities to automatically approve townhome development projects in multifamily residential zones and underutilized single-family zones that are less than three stories tall. A townhome project could qualify even if the site is planned for higher density in a city’s certified housing element.
This could allow downzoning to occur and create new challenges for cities if a proposed townhome project decreases the amount of planned density in a multifamily zone. Cal Cities moved to oppose the bill after it was unable to secure changes requiring developers to follow local development standards.
- Brady Guertin, legislative advocate
Nitrous oxide measures advance
SB 758 (Umberg) advanced out of Assembly Public Safety on June 30. The Cal Cities-sponsored bill prohibits all licensed cigarette and tobacco retailers (except grocery stores) from selling nitrous oxide. SB 758 is in response to the surge in the recreational use of nitrous oxide across California cities. A city sample letter is available online.
Assembly Public Safety also approved SB 936 (Blakespear), which increases fines and enforcement for the illegal sale of nitrous oxide. Cal Cities supports the measure.
- Jolena Voorhis, legislative advocate
Sponsored recovery housing bill set for hearing
The Cal Cities-sponsored SB 490 (Umberg) moved out of the Senate Health Committee on June 30. The bill requires the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to conduct timely investigations of sober living homes accused of providing treatment services that violate state licensure law. If the department fails to meet these deadlines, counties could work with the department to conduct site visits and enforce licensure laws themselves. SB 490 also requires DHCS to conduct follow-up site visits to ensure unlawful activity has stopped.
SB 490 seeks to implement recommendations from a 2024 State Auditor report that found DHCS did not always conduct site visits when investigating unlicensed facilities and did not always follow up after completing investigations to ensure unlicensed facilities ceased operations.
- Caroline Grinder, legislative advocate
A quick reminder
Bill Talk is a weekly breakdown of the biggest bills, policy committee hearings, and legislative deadlines that city leaders need to know about. To get this list on Monday morning, contact your regional public affairs manager. To access old Bill Talks, visit the archive page. To see all tracked bills by issue area or priority, visit the Bill Search page.