Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, among other things, provides for the creation by ordinance, or by ministerial approval if the local agency has not adopted an ordinance, of an accessory dwelling unit in accordance with specified standards and conditions. Existing law requires the ordinance, if adopted, to meet certain requirements, including designating areas within the jurisdiction where accessory dwelling units may be permitted. Existing law authorizes the designation of areas to be based on the adequacy of water and sewer services and the impact of accessory dwelling units on traffic flow and public safety. Existing law also requires the ordinance to require approval by the local health officer where a private sewage disposal system is being used, if required. This bill would prohibit a local agency from prohibiting an accessory dwelling unit in an area solely because the lots are served by private sewage disposal systems. The bill would prohibit a local health officer from withholding approval based on a minimum lot size requirement if the private sewage disposal system meets certain operating requirements established by the State Water Resources Control Board and the regional water quality control board for that lot size, as provided. The bill would prohibit the local health officer from requiring the installation of a new or alternative system as a condition of approval if the local health officer determines that an existing private sewage disposal system is verified to be functioning properly and has the capacity to serve the additional load of an accessory dwelling unit, except as specified. By imposing new duties on local agencies relating to the approval of accessory dwelling units, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The California Financing Law (CFL) generally regulates consumer loan lending practices by finance lenders, brokers, and program administrators. The CFL makes a willful violation of its provisions a crime. This bill would prescribe requirements on loans provided to consumers for the purpose of advancing residential real property rent payments for certain finance lenders and servicers, including prohibiting more than 2 installment payments for the loans, specifying the amount that may be charged for late fees, prescribing disclosure requirements, and prohibiting advertising 0% APR for the loan unless specified conditions are met. By expanding the scope of a crime under the CFL, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law identifies various types of property of a judgment debtor that are exempt from the enforcement of a money judgment, including material that in good faith is about to be applied to the repair or improvement of a residence, as specified. This bill would specify that this exemption would apply to the judgment debtor's principal place of residence or domicile.
(1) Existing state and federal law provides for the enforcement of laws related to elections. This bill would prohibit a peace officer from interfering with the administration of an election, as specified. This bill would authorize certain persons to enforce those prohibitions by filing a civil action, as specified. This bill would also prohibit any individual from permitting an agent of a law enforcement agency, as specified, to access, disrupt, modify, or take possession of rosters, combined rosters, or voter lists unless authorized by a court order or to investigate certain types of voting fraud. The bill would additionally require the Attorney General to provide guidance and information regarding how to respond to requests by law enforcement, as defined, to access areas where ballots are present. (2) Existing law requires an elections official, upon receiving a vote by mail ballot, to compare the signature on the identification envelope with the voter's prior signatures, and it also provides a mechanism by which a voter can verify their signature and cure this defect. Existing law provides that the processing of vote by mail ballots is open to the public and permits specified persons and organizations to observe this processing. This bill would prohibit a vote by mail observer from challenging a signature on a vote by mail ballot that has been verified by the voter. (3) Under existing law, it is a crime for a person in possession of a firearm, a uniformed peace officer, private guard, or security personnel, or any person wearing the uniform of a peace officer, guard, or security personnel, to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without authorization from the appropriate elections official. It is also a crime for a person to hire or arrange for such a person to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without authorization from the elections official. This bill would authorize the Secretary of State or Attorney General to object to authorization provided by the appropriate elections official, in which case the person stationed or posted at the polling place, or the person who hired or arranged for such a person to be stationed or posted at the polling place, is guilty of a crime. By expanding the scope of these crimes, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law authorizes the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and any local elections official in the county in which the act occurs, to bring a civil action against an individual, business, or other legal entity that commits any specified act of tampering with a voting system or voting equipment before, during, or after an election. This bill would additionally authorize the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and the appropriate local elections official to bring a civil action against a person, business, or entity that takes a package containing ballots from the custody of an elections official. (5) Existing law makes it a crime for an individual to undertake a number of enumerated actions that would result in interference with an election, including displaying a container for the purpose of collecting ballots with the intent to deceive a voter into casting a ballot in an unofficial ballot box. This bill would also make it a crime to take a package containing voted ballots out of the custody of an elections official. By expanding the scope of this crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (6) Existing law requires the elections official of any county or city using a voting system to inspect the machines or devices at least once every 2 years. This bill would prohibit an individual from permitting an agent of a law enforcement agency, as defined, to access, disrupt, modify, or take possession of certified voting technology unless authorized by a court order. To the extent this bill would establish new procedures for the conduct of elections, it would create a state-mandated local program. (7) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (8) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which, through a combination of federal, state, and county funds, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Existing law makes a family eligible for homeless assistance under the CalWORKs program if the homelessness is a direct result of domestic violence by a spouse, partner, or roommate, and authorizes that domestic violence to be verified by a sworn statement by the victim. Existing law limits homeless assistant payments, if the domestic violence is verified by a sworn statement by the victim, to two periods of not more than 16 cumulative calendar days of temporary shelter assistance and two payments of permanent housing assistance. Existing law also makes a CalWORKs applicant who provides a sworn statement of past or present domestic abuse and who is fleeing their abuser deemed as homeless and eligible for temporary shelter assistance, as specified. Existing law limits the homeless assistance payments to the CalWORKs applicant to 2 periods of not more than 16 cumulative calendar days each of temporary shelter assistance within the applicant's lifetime, and provides that these homeless assistance payments are in addition to other homeless assistance payments for which the CalWORKs applicant, if the applicant becomes a CalWORKs recipient, may later qualify. This bill would require that the above-described applicant or recipient receiving homeless assistance due to domestic violence who does not use all of the temporary shelter assistance for which they are eligible due to finding permanent housing receive the value of the remaining days of eligible temporary shelter assistance as permanent housing assistance. By increasing the duties of counties administering the CalWORKs program, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also require the State Department of Social Services to establish a one-stop reentry program that collaborates with local registrars of birth, death, and marriage and county recorders, credit bureaus, and financial institutions to assist survivors of domestic violence in, among other things, obtaining copies of their and their dependents' vital records, credit reports and credit scores from all of the major credit bureaus, and a listing of all bank, checking, investment, and other financial accounts in their name. Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program. This bill would instead provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for purposes of the bill. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law establishes various advisory boards and commissions in state government with specified duties and responsibilities. This bill would create the California Latino Commission to address the inequities faced by the Latino community in housing, education, economic mobility, labor, and health care. The commission would consist of 9 members who have demonstrated expertise in specified areas, including housing policy and advocacy and economic development. The bill would task the commission with, among other things, collecting and analyzing data, developing recommendations, and monitoring the implementation of state programs and policies affecting the Latino community, as specified. The bill would require the commission to work with other state agencies and to submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature. The bill would establish that the commission and its activities would be supported by appropriations by the Legislature from the General Fund and grants from federal and private sources. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2036.
Existing law authorizes a school district and the California State University (CSU) to establish and implement programs that address the housing needs of teachers or faculty, as applicable, and school district or CSU employees who face challenges in securing affordable housing, as specified. The act provides that it specifically creates a state policy supporting housing for teachers and school district employees, and for faculty and CSU employees, as described by specified federal law and permits school districts, CSU campuses, and developers in receipt of local or state funds or tax credits designated for affordable rental housing to restrict occupancy to teachers and school district employees, or faculty and CSU employees, as applicable, on land owned by school districts or the CSU, so long as that housing does not violate any other applicable laws. Existing law defines various terms for these purposes. This bill would authorize the University of California to establish and implement a similar program to the school district and CSU programs described above to address the housing needs of University of California faculty or employees who face challenges in securing affordable housing, as specified. The bill would provide that it specifically creates a state policy supporting housing for University of California faculty or campus or medical center employees as described by specified federal law and permits the University of California campuses or medical centers, or developers, in receipt of local or state funds or tax credits designated for affordable rental housing to restrict occupancy to University of California faculty or employees on land owned by the University of California or an auxiliary enterprise, as defined, so long as that housing does not violate any other applicable laws. The bill would define various terms for these purposes.
Existing law requires the Strategic Growth Council to develop and administer the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through projects that implement land use, housing, transportation, and agricultural land preservation practices to support infill and compact development, and that support other related and coordinated public policy objectives. Existing law specifies the types of projects eligible for funding under the program, including, among others, transit capital projects, active transportation capital projects, and transit-oriented development projects, as provided. This bill would expressly include certain transit capital projects and transit-oriented development projects near planned high-speed rail stations that meet specific criteria as eligible for funding under the program.
Existing law requires the Governor to create the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council, renamed the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, to, among other things, identify mainstream resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California and to serve as a statewide facilitator, coordinator, and policy development resource on ending homelessness in California. Existing law establishes the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program, administered by the Interagency Council on Homelessness, with respect to rounds 1 through 5, inclusive, of the program, and Department of Housing and Community Development (department) , with respect to round 6 of the program, for the purpose of providing jurisdictions, as defined, with one-time grant funds to support regional coordination and expand or develop local capacity to address their immediate homelessness challenges, as specified. Existing law requires the department, upon appropriation, to distribute certain amounts, as specified, for purposes of round 6 of the program. Existing law requires an applicant to submit an application containing specified information in order to apply for a program allocation. Existing law requires an applicant to use at least 10% of specified funds allocated for services for homeless youth populations. This bill would require a continuum of care, upon appropriation and beginning with the 2026–27 fiscal year, to annually certify that they create or maintain a youth-specific process with their respective coordinated entry system, as specified, implement a youth-specific assessment tool, create a body or identify an existing body composed of youth with lived experience of homelessness that the continuum of care and other Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program grantees must consult with regularly, and identify an array of youth-specific housing inventory. The bill would require the continuum of care to document in their application how the housing assessment is youth-specific and their prioritization policy if the continuum of care states they already maintain a youth-specific coordinated entry system. The bill would also make findings and declarations related to youth-specific programs and the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program.
The California Constitution authorizes the development, construction, or acquisition of developments composed of urban or rural dwellings, apartments, or other living accommodations for persons of low income financed in whole or in part by the federal government or a state public body, or to which the federal government or a state public body extends assistance, if a majority of the qualified electors of the city, town, or county in which the housing is proposed to be located approves the project by voting in favor thereof, as specified. This measure, the Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act, would create an account in the General Fund into which, beginning in the 2027–28 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter until September 30, 2036, a sum would be transferred from the General Fund equal to or greater than 5% of the estimated amount of General Fund revenues for that fiscal year, as specified. The measure would require the moneys in the account to be appropriated by the Legislature to the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency, and would authorize that agency to expend the moneys to fund prescribed matters related to homelessness and affordable housing, including housing and services to prevent and end homelessness. This measure would require the agency to develop a 10-year investment strategy, with input from stakeholders, that demonstrates how moneys in the account will be used to produce affordable housing and end homelessness through specific performance measures and benchmarks. On or before October 1 of each year, and until October 1, 2036, the measure would require the agency to annually report to the Legislature on its progress in meeting those performance measures and benchmarks.
