Bill Talk: Lawmakers are back in town
A weekly update from Cal Cities, sorting through the state bill buzz
By Cal Cities Staff
Welcome back to Bill Talk! Lawmakers are back in Sacramento for a 30-day sprint to the end of the session. Legislators have until Aug. 14 to get their bills through appropriations. Many of those measures will wind up on the committees’ dreaded suspense file, a rapid-fire fiscal culling. After that, it’s two weeks of floor votes, and the session is over, leaving a very narrow window to block (or modify) bills before they reach Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
Keep an eye out over these next few weeks for action alerts from your regional public affairs managers. Cal Cities recently issued two action alerts, one on a bill that overhauls the California Voting Rights Act and another that rolls back cost savings created by the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act.
- Brian Hendershot, Cal Cities Advocate managing editor
Unfunded mandate relief on suspense
Before the summer recess, the Senate Appropriations Committee placed a Cal Cities-supported bill, AB 2640 (Hadwick), on its suspense file. The measure prevents the state from clawing back reimbursement funds from a city while still owing that same city money for other state-mandated costs. The state has accrued a significant backlog of funds owed to cities for work performed to carry out state-mandated projects. Even after the state issues a reimbursement, the State Controller may reduce it by disallowing previously approved payments years after the fact. AB 2640 is a modest but important step towards modernizing the state mandate reimbursement process.
- Ben Triffo, legislative advocate
Insurance protections for wildfire survivors advances
AB 2038 (Harabedian), a home insurance bill, is on the Senate Appropriations’ suspense file. The measure extends existing home insurance policies for two years for properties in or adjacent to a fire perimeter after a declared state of emergency signed by the Governor and three years in the case of a total loss of an insured structure. With the hearing date approaching on Aug. 13, Cal Cities is urging cities to submit a letter of support to help advance the measure.
- Serena Scott, legislative affairs analyst
Impact fee bill could reduce fees for some ADUs by 75%
Assembly Appropriations passed SB 1117 (Cervantes) on Aug. 5. The bill dramatically limits the amount of impact fees cities can collect for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) larger than 750 square feet on single-family lots. According to a Senate Housing Committee analysis, the bill would frequently result in a fee reduction of approximately 75%.
Cal Cities opposes the bill, as the need for infrastructure and public services does not go away if fees are reduced. In fact, cities already have limited funding to cover upfront costs of essential public goods to support livable, equitable, and thriving communities. By sharply reducing these fees, the bill would shift a greater share of the cost of serving new development onto existing residents and other ratepayers. The bill heads to the Assembly Floor next.
- Brady Guertin, legislative advocate
Well-intended bill would expose cities to new litigation
SB 747 (Wiener) is on the Assembly’s suspense file. This bill allows Californians to sue government officials or employees who violate their constitutional rights. The measure is in response to the high-profile cases of excessive force and other abuses by federal immigration agents. Cal Cities does not believe the bill will achieve its intended goal and instead expose cities to increased litigation, liability, and administrative burdens. Cal Cities opposes the bill; a city sample letter is available online.
- Serena Scott, legislative affairs analyst
Cal Cities-supported bills would create a more proactive approach to homelessness
Two homelessness prevention bills supported by Cal Cities are headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Aug. 3. AB 1899 (Caloza) creates the Office of Youth Homelessness Prevention to develop a comprehensive framework to address youth homelessness; AB 1924 (Gabriel) requires the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to develop and publicly issue a more general statewide homelessness prevention strategy.
Both measures require the creation of comprehensive homelessness prevention strategies, including guidance and technical assistance for local agencies. They also seek to create coordinated statewide strategies that shift the focus from responding to homelessness to preventing it in the first place.
- Caroline Grinder, legislative advocate
Co-sponsored public safety measures head to appropriations
The Senate Appropriations Committee placed AB 1941 (González, Mark), a measure co-sponsored by Cal Cities that strengthens penalties for individuals who collaborate to steal metal materials, on its suspense file. These thefts damage critical city infrastructure and pose significant public safety risks. To help ensure its success, cities should submit a letter of support before Aug. 13 using Cal Cities’ sample city support letter.
Another Cal Cities bill, SB 758 (Umberg), is up for fiscal review by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Aug. 5. The measure prevents smoke shops and other specified tobacco retailers from selling nitrous oxide. Recreational use of nitrous oxide can lead to serious adverse health events, including death. A city sample letter is available online; submit before Aug. 13.
- Serena Scott, legislative affairs analyst
Proposed ALPR limits threaten critical investigatory tool as bill advances
On Aug. 5, the Assembly Appropriations Committee will hear SB 1013 (Cervantes), which limits automated license plate recognition (ALPR) data access, retention, sharing, and vendor defaults. Cal Cities is especially concerned with the 30-day retention limit and is opposed to SB 1013 unless it is amended to address the data retention timeline.
Many crimes are not reported within 30 days of them occurring; limiting data retention to this timeframe could prevent law enforcement from accessing critical evidence needed to investigate and solve crimes. Cities should consider weighing in by submitting an oppose unless amended letter before Aug. 13.
- Serena Scott, legislative affairs analyst
Sponsored recovery housing bill faces fiscal hurdle
The Cal Cities-sponsored SB 490 (Umberg) is up on Aug. 5 in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. 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. A support sample letter is available here.
More information on Cal Cities’ advocacy on recovery housing can be found in this recently published Cal Cities Advocate article.
- Caroline Grinder, legislative advocate
Cal Cities seeking changes on tribal bills
Cal Cities is opposed and seeking amendments on three tribal bills: AB 2218 (Kalra), SB 1326 (Wahab), and AB 1881 (Ramos). AB 2218 expands the state’s tribal water policy without protecting existing water rights holders. SB 1326 gives tribes a greater role in identifying tribal cultural resources and requires the adoption of mitigation measures from cities, developers, and others. AB 1881 makes it easier for a tribal member or tribe to file legal action over access to state lands and challenge any state permit or decision.
Cal Cities is seeking changes to ensure that any statewide tribal water policy and changes to tribal consultation under CEQA can be implemented by local agencies and cities that are public water suppliers. State policy implementation impacts cities that coordinate, receive funding, and are permitted by the state. The changes are aimed at decreasing the exposure that cities face with legal challenges and costs.
AB 2218 is on the Senate’s suspense file. SB 1326 and AB 1881 will likely land on suspense as well, following appropriations hearings on Aug. 5 and Aug. 10, respectively.
- Melissa Sparks-Kranz, 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, 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.