Asm. David Chiu

This measure would proclaim the month of May 2018 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month.

This measure would designate May 29, 2018, as 529 College Savings Day, to raise awareness about the importance of saving for college with the help of 529 college savings plans.

This measure would recognize May 2018 as Blue Star Mothers of America Month in California, as specified.

Existing law, commonly known as the Ellis Act, generally prohibits public entities from adopting any statute, ordinance, or regulation, or taking any administrative action, to compel the owner of residential real property to offer or to continue to offer accommodations, as defined, in the property for rent or lease. Existing law qualifies this prohibition by, among other things, permitting a public entity for which rent control is in effect to require an owner who offers accommodations for rent or lease again within 10 years after they are withdrawn to first offer them to a tenant or lessee displaced by that withdrawal if that tenant or lessee makes a request in writing within 30 days after the owner has notified the public entity of an intention to offer the accommodations again. Existing law, for tenancies commenced during either the 5-year period after any notice of intent to withdraw accommodations is filed or within the 5-year period after the accommodations are withdrawn, requires accommodations to be offered and rented or leased at the lawful rent in effect at the time any notice of intent to withdraw the accommodations is filed, plus annual adjustments, as specified. Existing law sets forth various provisions that govern an owner who offers an accommodation for rent or lease again within 2 years of the date the accommodations were withdrawn from rent or lease. An owner who fails to comply with these requirements is liable for punitive damages not to exceed an amount equal to 6 months of rent. This bill would revise the circumstances under which an owner may be required to offer accommodations to displaced tenants and lessees to eliminate the requirement that the request be made in writing within 30 days of notification, as described above, and would instead make the offer contingent on the tenant or lessee advising the owner of a desire to consider an offer. The bill also would require that the rental agreement or lease to be offered be the same as that in effect at the time of the displacement. The bill would extend the time period during which the various provisions govern an owner who offers an accommodation for rent or lease again after the accommodations were withdrawn from rent or lease from 2 years to 5 years, and would reduce the time that an action may be brought under these provisions to one year from 3 years of the date when the withdrawn accommodations are offered again for rent or lease. The bill would eliminate the limit on punitive damages. Existing law declares the intent of the Legislature, in enacting the Ellis Act, to supersede any holding or portion of any holding in Nash v. City of Santa Monica (37 Cal.3d 97) to the extent that the holding, or a portion of the holding, conflicts with the act by permitting landlords to go out of business, but provides specified instances where its provisions are not intended to apply, including not allowing an owner to withdraw from rent or lease less than all of the accommodations, as specified. This bill would additionally include permitting an owner to return less than all of the accommodations to the rental market within the items these provisions are not intended to allow.

(1) The California Financing Law (CFL) provides for the licensure and regulation of finance lenders and brokers by the Commissioner of Business Oversight. The CFL prohibits anyone from engaging in the business of a finance lender or broker without obtaining a license. A willful violation of the CFL is a crime, except as specified. Under existing law, a licensee who lends any sum of money is authorized to contract for and receive charges at a maximum rate that does not exceed specified sums on the unpaid principal balance per month, ranging from 2 12% to 1%, based on the consumer loan amount, as specified. This provision, however, does not apply to any loan of a bona fide principal amount of $2,500 or more, as determined in accordance with a provision governing regulatory ceilings and evasion of the CFL. The CFL also authorizes a licensee, as an alternative to the above-described rate charges for consumer loan amounts, to instead contract for and receive charges at the greater of a rate not exceeding 1.6% per month on the unpaid principal balance or a rate not exceeding 56 of 1% per month, plus a specified percentage per month, as established by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, on advances to member banks under federal law, or if there is no single determinable rate, the closest counterpart of this rate. Under existing law, these provisions do not apply to a loan of a bona fide principal amount of $2,500 or more, as specified. The CFL authorizes a licensee to contract for and receive an administrative fee of a specified amount that varies with the bona fide principal amount of the loan, including authorizing a licensee to receive an administrative fee of $75 with respect to a loan of a bona fide principal amount in excess of $2,500. This bill would authorize a licensee, with respect to a loan of a bona fide principal amount of $2,500 or more but less than $5,000, to contract for or receive no more than moneys paid for specified insurance and for charges, inclusive of an administrative fee that does not exceed $75, which in the aggregate amount exceed an annual simple interest rate of 36%. The bill would also authorize a licensee, as an alternative to these provisions, to contract for or receive no more than moneys paid for an administrative fee that does not exceed $90 and for charges, which in the aggregate amount do not exceed an annual simple interest rate of 36% or the sum of 30.75% plus the United States Prime Rate. (2) Existing law prohibits licensees subject to the CFL from entering into a contract for a consumer loan that provides for a scheduled repayment of principal over more than the maximum terms set forth in relation to the respective size of the loan. Among other things, this provision prohibits a loan of $3,000 but less than $5,000 from exceeding a maximum term of 60 months and 15 days. This bill would increase the maximum principal loan amount under the above schedule to $10,000. The bill would also prohibit a licensee from entering into a contract for a consumer loan that is in excess of $2,500 but less than $10,000 that provides for a scheduled repayment of principal that is less than 12 months. By expanding the application of the CFL to cover more loans, the bill would expand the scope of an existing crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. (3) The CFL requires a statement showing in clear and distinct terms specified information relating to the loan to be delivered to the buyer when it is made. This bill would also require each licensee, prior to disbursement of loan proceeds in connection with certain loans exceeding $2,500 but less than $10,000, to offer a free credit education program or seminar to each borrower in accordance with certain conditions. (4) The CFL requires a licensed finance lender to permit payment to be made in advance in any amount on any contract of any loan at any time and authorizes the licensee to apply that payment first to any agreed prepayment penalty. This bill would prohibit a licensee from charging, imposing, or receiving any penalty for the prepayment of a loan, except as specified, and would make conforming changes to that effect. The bill would also make certain moneys paid to, and commissions and benefits received by, a licensee in connection with a loan that a buyer separately authorized as optional subject to adjustment and rebate if a loan contract is paid in full, as prescribed. (5) The CFL defines charges for its purposes to include aggregate interest, fees, bonuses, commissions, brokerage, discounts, expenses, and other forms of costs charged, contracted for, or received by a licensee or any other person in connection with the investigating, arranging, negotiating, procuring, guaranteeing, making, servicing, collecting, and enforcing of a loan or forbearance of money, credit, goods, or things in action, or any other service rendered. Existing law also specifies that charges do not include, among other things, fees paid to a licensee for the privilege of participating in an open-end-credit program, which fees are to cover administrative costs and are imposed upon executing the open-end loan agreement and on annual renewal dates or anniversary dates. This bill would delete the above exception for fees paid to a licensee for the privilege of participating in an open-end credit program, as specified. (6) 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 provides that an injury to property consists in depriving its owner of the benefit of it, which is done by taking, withholding, deteriorating, or destroying it. Existing law requires an action seeking relief based on an injury to property to be commenced within 3 years after the time that the cause of action has accrued. This bill would provide that the presence of lead paint on the surfaces of a residence or other building constitutes a physical injury to property. The bill would provide that an action to recover damages for that injury would not accrue until three years from the date the aggrieved party has actual knowledge of the presence of lead-based paint in or on that property, as specified. The bill would provide that receipt or knowledge of disclosures that residences built before 1978 are presumed to contain lead-based paint are not alone sufficient to establish that knowledge. The bill would make related findings and declarations. The bill would make these provisions retroactive. The bill would make these provisions severable.

Existing law governs the hiring of residential dwelling units and establishes provisions for the renewal or termination of a hiring of residential real property for an unspecified term. Existing law requires that an owner of a residential dwelling generally give at least 60 days' notice prior to termination or, in the case of a tenant or resident that has resided in the dwelling for less than one year or if certain other conditions apply, 30 days' notice prior to termination. Existing law provides that a tenant of real property is guilty of unlawful detainer in certain circumstances, including that the tenant continues in possession of the property after the expiration of the term for which it is let to him or her, as provided. This bill would prohibit a landlord from terminating a tenancy, or seeking to recover possession from a tenant who continues in possession of property after the expiration of the term for which it is let, as described above, except for cause, as set forth with particularity in the notice. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to encourage or incentivize cities to enact just cause eviction ordinances in order to prevent unnecessary displacement of tenants. The bill would state that its provisions are in addition to, and do not supersede or preempt, any other state or local law regulating the grounds for eviction or the termination of a tenancy.

This measure would urge lawmakers in Poland to reverse or revise a recent Polish law on speech related to the Holocaust, would call on Congress to join that effort, and would call for a renewed commitment to Holocaust education in California.

This measure would recognize the month of May 2018 as Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children, and particularly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, face in the foster care system, as specified.