State lawmakers have officially adjourned marking the end of the
2021-2022 Legislative Session. Over the last two years, 4,476
bills were introduced by state legislators. This figure
does not include various resolutions or Constitutional
Amendments.
AFTER SUSPENSE FILE, THE STAGE IS SET FOR FINAL WEEKS OF
SESSION
Last week, the Assembly and Senate dispensed with their
respective “Suspense” Files, and the stage is now set for the
final weeks of the Legislative Session which will conclude by
midnight on Wednesday, August 31st.
This week is pivotal in the Legislature as both the Senate and
Assembly Appropriations Committees are set to release hundreds of
spending bills from the so-called “Suspense File” that contain
significant fiscal impacts to the State Budget.
The Legislature came back into town this week after a month of
recess, and the frenetic race to the finish line is now on as the
Senate and Assembly will adjourn for the year by midnight on
August 31st.
Over the month of July, WMA has worked on remaining bills
affecting the mobilehome park industry.
Senate Bill 869, authored by Senator Connie Leyva, will be heard
in Housing and Community Development Committee on Wednesday, June
29th. SB 869 would require at least one person per
mobilehome park to receive appropriate training of at least 16
hours during the initial year and at least 6 hours of follow-up
training each year thereafter on rules and regulations for the
park. WMA has been a strong opponent of this measure, and the
full text of the current bill can be found at:
WATER RATE CALCULATION CHANGE IN LAW ALERT, FALLOUT FROM
AB 1061 (LEE)
The recently enacted AB 1061 (2021) amended Civil Code §798.40
for those mobile home parks (MHPs) that provide water to
submetered tenants and bill for water separately from rent. All
master-metered MHP customers served by a municipality or a mutual
water company are subject to this law. (AB 1061 does not apply to
master-metered (MM) MHPs supplying water to submetered tenants
when that MM MHP purchases its supply from a CPUC-regulated water
company.)
RENT CONTROL BILL FAILS DEADLINE, SHELVED FOR THE
YEAR
We are pleased to report that AB 2240 by Assemblymember Al
Muratsuchi (Democrat, Torrance) failed to meet the May
6th deadline to pass nonfiscal bills to their
respective floors and is dead for the year. AB 2240 contained
intent language affecting rent control protections. WMA formally
opposed and engaged in policy discussions on the bill. This is a
welcome, positive development for the industry.
UPDATE ON MANAGEMENT MEETING BILL, MEASURE TO REMOVE RENT
CONTROL EXEMPTION
WMA continues to actively engage in discussions with key
legislators to address remaining concerns regarding AB 2031
(Lee), the park management meeting requirement bill as well as SB
940 (Laird), which removes the rent control exemption for the new
construction of spaces in local rent control ordinances.
Both bills are poised to be brought up on the Assembly and Senate
floors, respectively.
NEWLY SIGNED LEGISLATION EXTENDS EVICTION MORATORIUM
THROUGH JUNE 30, 2022
The Legislature passed and the Lieutenant Governor signed a
COVID-19 eviction moratorium through June 30, 2022, but only for
tenants whose applications for rental assistance have been
submitted on or before March 31, 2022.
BILL TO EXTEND EVICTION MORATORIUM FAST-MOVING THROUGH
LEGISLATURE
As members are aware, the eviction moratorium is currently set to
expire this Thursday, March 31, 2022. However, newly amended
legislation would extend this rent relief protection by an
additional three months.
The City of Chula Vista has begun the process to create a Tenant
Protection Ordinance. These tenant protection ordinances, which
impact all landlords, have become popular in local jurisdictions
as local eviction moratoriums begin to phase out.
In the case of Chula Vista, the proposed ordinance provides just
cause protections, Ellis Act restrictions, enhanced relocation
benefits, and, the most harmful to mobilehome park owners, it
creates a cause of action for claims of harassment of tenants.
The draft language is overly vague, one-sided, and
punitive.
DON’T WAIT! HELP WMA DEFEAT HARMFUL MANAGER TRAINING
BILL
WMA needs your help! SB 869 (Leyva), the state-led, manager
training and certification bill, will be heard in the Senate
Housing Committee tomorrow. As currently drafted, SB 869 would
require on-site park managers to complete 18 hours of mandatory
training per year. It is not too late to make your voice heard
and let your state senator know that this bill is a solution in
search of a problem and is NOT NECESSARY.
WMA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ADOPTS FORMAL BILL POSITIONS ON
NOTABLE LEGISLATION
The WMA Legislative Committee reviewed all notable legislation
that directly affects the industry and recommended adopting
formal positions on those key bills that have been introduced for
2022. The corresponding legislative bill chart shows the
formal positions that WMA has taken on those critical measures.
Beginning in April, this chart will be featured monthly in the
WMA Reporter.
WMA SPONSORS LEGISLATION ADDRESSING RESIDENT VIOLATIONS,
PERMITS TO OPERATE (PTO)
Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua (Democrat, Stockton) recently
introduced AB 2002 on behalf of WMA. This bill addresses the
procedure by which the Housing and Community Development
Department (HCD) or responsible Local Enforcement Agency (LEA)
issue citations that may cause a park to lose its Permit to
Operate (PTO) when resident violations go uncorrected.
UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE BILL, OTHERS FAIL TO PASS STATE
LEGISLATURE
Numerous controversial, two-year bills failed to pass the
legislature by January 31 and are dead for the legislative
session, including AB 1400 by Assemblymember Ash Kalra, a San
Jose Democrat. The “Guaranteed Health Care For All” bill would
have established universal health care in California. Democrats
lacked the votes needed to pass the measure. The bill drew
opposition from business groups citing the estimated costs – and
potential tax increases on businesses – needed to fund the
system.
Monday was the deadline to pass all two-year or bills carried
over from last year. Those remaining bills – 214 in total -
that failed to meet Monday’s deadline are now dead for the
legislative session. February 18 is the bill introduction
deadline. WMA staff has begun identifying newly introduced
measures of interest and the WMA Legislative Committee will
subsequently adopt formal positions on all key, statewide
legislation.
Bill introduction remains steady as we approach January 31, the
legislative deadline for all two-year or holdover bills to pass,
or they are considered dead for the
session.
SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTIONS SCHEDULED TO FILL FOUR ASSEMBLY
VACANCIES
Last Friday signaled the end of another tumultuous legislative
session amidst the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and
wildfires that have ravaged the state. Before adjourning, members
engaged in rigorous debate before advancing legislation on
various issues ranging from police reform to wildfire mitigation.
Assembly Bill 861 (Bennett), the subleasing bill, remains poised
to be soon brought up on the Senate floor.
Recent amendments to AB 861 (Bennett) exempt mobilehome parks
owned by non-profit entities from the bill’s provisions. WMA
remains opposed and maintains that this is an issue in search of
a problem since the proponents have at no time provided concrete
examples justifying the need for statewide legislation.
SUBLEASING BILL STILL AWAITING ACTION ON SENATE
FLOOR
Assembly Bill 861 (Bennett) continues to await action on the
Senate Floor. WMA opposes this measure that would prevent
parkowners from leasing out homes they own in their parks unless
they allow other tenants to sublease their homes.
Amendments to this legislation are expected to exempt certain
parks operating as non-profit entities; however, the bill has not
yet been amended.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL BILL MOVES BACK TO STATE
ASSEMBLY
LEGISLATURE RETURNS FOLLOWING MONTH-LONG SUMMER
RECESS
Both legislative houses resumed business on Monday following a
month-long summer recess. August 27 is the deadline to pass all
fiscal bills to the Assembly and Senate floors. September 10 is
the deadline to pass ALL bills to the Governor and marks
the end of the legislative session.
AB 889 (GIPSON) REPORTING REQUIREMENT BILL FAILS PASSAGE,
HELD IN POLICY COMMITTEE
AB 889 (Gipson) failed to gather the votes needed to pass the
Senate Judiciary Committee late yesterday. While the bill was
granted reconsideration, the Senate Judiciary Committee will not
meet again this year. Therefore, AB 889 is effectively dead for
the 2021 legislative session.
As amended, AB 889 requires corporate landlords to report owners
to the Secretary of State.
SUBLEASING BILL RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE 15 COMMITTEE HEARING
The Senate Judiciary Committee was set to hear AB 861 (Bennett),
the harmful subleasing bill, yesterday; however, due to mounting
concerns raised by both WMA and the California Mobilehome
Parkowners Alliance (CMPA), the bill has since been rescheduled
and will be heard on Tuesday, June 15.
RENT CONTROL, WATER SUBMETER BILLS REFERRED TO SENATE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
Article Provided Courtesy of the California Apartment
Association (CAA) – Gov. Newsom today announced his intent
to pay rental housing providers 100% of rent that’s gone unpaid
because of COVID-19.
SENATOR CONNIE LEYVA’S RESTRICTIVE RENT RELIEF BILL SENT
TO APPROPRIATIONS SUSPENSE FILE
WMA is pleased to announce that Senator Connie Leyva’s SB 64 was
placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file
yesterday. Those bills identified as having significant cost to
the state are sent to the suspense file.
The bill was recently amended to remove rental repayment
provisions addressed with prior legislation and narrowed to
prevent the ability of parkowners to issue 7-day notice
violations.
