Capitol Update – September 7, 2023
By Chris Wysocki
PARK TOURS COMING SOON TO AN AREA NEAR YOU
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.
To see a list of upcoming tours, please visit the following link:
FINAL WEEK APPROACHING FOR 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The Legislature will adjourn for the year on September 14 this year, and hundreds of bills still await action. Last Friday, the Assembly and Senate Appropriations committees announced which fiscal bills would move forward, and the following bills WMA has been actively lobbying made it out of committee:
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.
Two other bills that WMA was supporting were held in committee, meaning they are effectively dead for the year. The holding of these bills was disappointing, and WMA will work next year to reintroduce these measures.
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.
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 yesterday 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 604 (Lee, D-San Jose) PASSES SENATE AND SENT TO GOVERNOR
This bill would extend the provisions of Assembly Bill 1061, authored by Assemblymember Lee in 2021, to water companies regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. The bill passed the Senate on a 30-7 vote and is on its way to the Governor. WMA will urge the Governor to veto the bill.
Thank you to the more than 1,000 WMA members who reached out to legislators on this legislation. WMA will be working with the author and Assemblymember Josh Hoover (R, Folsom) next year to develop legislation that may ultimately allow mobilehome parks to turn their water systems over to local water agencies to effectively get the manufactured housing communities industry out of the water business.
To read the current version of Assembly Bill 604, please click here.
INSURANCE DEAL IN THE WORKS IN FINAL WEEKS OF THE 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
It’s no secret to anyone who owns property in California that insurance is becoming more difficult and expensive to secure. A working group in the Legislature is quickly crafting language to be voted on by September 14 to encourage more insurance companies to stay in the state by giving them modest rate increases. Proponents of the legislation point to insurance companies paying out over $40 billion in property claims from fires and other natural disasters without an ability to raise premiums above the current limits imposed by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.
Whether or not a so-called “deal” can come together in the final days of session remains to be seen, but the Legislature is finally taking steps to address the issue. A good summary of end-of-session issues can be found in an article written by veteran Capitol journalist Dan Walters at CalMatters. Please click here to read the article.
REGISTER FOR WMA CONVENTION & EXPO TODAY!
Registration is currently open for the upcoming WMA Convention & Expo to be held at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno, NV from October 23 – October 26. To learn about the events, seminars, and Golf Tournament benefiting the Frank J. Evans Charitable Trust, please click the following link.
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. Please click here for the Zoom link.
GENERAL REMARKS
As always, please email me at chris@wma.org or call my direct line at 916.288.4026 with any questions. It is an honor to serve WMA.
