Local government: nuisance abatement: vegetation management.

Existing law authorizes the legislative body of a city or county to establish a procedure to use a nuisance abatement lien or a special assessment to collect abatement costs and related administrative costs, including specified penalties. This bill would, until January 1, 2027, limit any fines or penalties related to nuisance abatement that are collected pursuant to these provisions to violations that apply to vegetation management, weed abatement, or defensible space maintenance. The bill would expressly authorize the legislative body to collect fines for specified violations related to the nuisance abatement using a nuisance abatement lien or a special assessment, and would require the funds collected to be used for specified purposes relating to supporting local enforcement of state and local building and fire code standards. The bill would require the city or county to create a process for granting a hardship waiver to reduce the amount of the fine, upon a specified showing by the responsible person. The bill would require the enforcing entity to provide a reasonable amount of time, as specified, to a person responsible for a continuing violation to correct or remedy the violation prior to the imposition of fines or penalties, except where the violation creates an immediate danger to health or safety.