Sen. Darrell Steinberg

Existing law, until January 1, 2013, and as applied to mortgages and deeds of trust recorded between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2007, that are secured by owner-occupied residential real property containing no more than 4 dwelling units, requires a mortgagee, trustee, beneficiary, or authorized agent to contact the borrower, as defined, prior to filing a notice of default, in order to assess the borrower's financial situation and explore options for the borrower to avoid foreclosure. Existing law requires the notice of default to include a specified declaration from the mortgagee, beneficiary, or authorized agent regarding its contact with the borrower. This bill would, until January 1, 2013, extend those requirements for those types of dwellings to apply to mortgages or deeds of trust recorded prior to January 1, 2009, if the loans are required to be reviewed under federal Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) guidelines, or between January 1, 2003, and January 1, 2009, if the loans are not required to be reviewed under HAMP guidelines. The bill would require a mortgagee, beneficiary, or authorized agent, within a specified time period prior to the filing of a notice of default, to provide the borrower with written information regarding loan modifications and a specified notice regarding the borrower's rights during the foreclosure process, subject to specified exceptions. The bill would require an unspecified state entity to make that notice available in English and specified languages. The bill would further revise the borrower contact requirements described above by requiring a mortgagee, beneficiary, or authorized agent to make reasonable borrower solicitation efforts, as specified, to explore options for the borrower to avoid foreclosure. The bill would prohibit a mortgagee, trustee, beneficiary, or authorized agent from filing a notice of default until the borrower has been evaluated and determined to be ineligible for a loan modification or the borrower has failed to submit an application prior to the passing of the deadline. The bill would specify minimum time periods in which the borrower may submit an application or supplemental information for a loan modification, and would require the mortgagee, beneficiary, or authorized agent, if it denies the application, to send a denial explanation letter within a specified time period. These requirements would not apply to a mortgagee, beneficiary, or authorized agent that has no loan modification option available to the borrower or to a grandfathered party, as defined. This bill would further require, until January 1, 2013, with respect to those properties described above, that a mortgagee, beneficiary, or authorized agent, concurrently with the filing of a notice of default, record a declaration of compliance that attests to specified facts relating to its borrower solicitation and foreclosure avoidance efforts, except as provided. The bill would authorize the borrower to bring an action within one year of the trustee sale to void the foreclosure or request an injunction if, among other things, the mortgagee, beneficiary, or authorized agent records a notice of default without completing reasonable borrower solicitation efforts, or to recover specified damages if the mortgagee, trustee, beneficiary, or authorized agent fails to record a declaration of compliance or materially comply with specified provisions, if specified conditions exist. The bill would provide that a mortgagee, trustee, beneficiary, or authorized agent shall have no civil liability if it satisfies specified requirements prior to the initiation of legal action by the borrower.

Existing law provides that the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or the Board of Parole Hearings or both may, for specified reasons, recommend to the court that a prisoner's sentence be recalled, and that a court may recall a prisoner's sentence. This bill would authorize a prisoner who was under 18 years of age at the time of committing an offense for which the prisoner was sentenced to life without parole to submit a petition for recall and resentencing to the sentencing court, and to the prosecuting agency, as specified. The bill would establish certain criteria, at least one of which shall be asserted in the petition, to be considered when a court decides whether to conduct a hearing on the petition for recall and resentencing and additional criteria to be considered by the court when deciding whether to grant the petition. The bill would require the court to hold a hearing if the court finds that the defendant's statement is true, as specified. The bill would apply retroactively, as specified. This bill would incorporate amendments to Section 1170 of the Penal Code proposed by AB 2263, contingent on the prior enactment of that bill.

This measure would urge the President and the Congress of the United States to immediately enact the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2009.

This measure would designate May 2010 as Foster Care Month.

This measure would designate Friday, May 7, 2010, as California Peace Officers' Memorial Day and would urge all Californians to use that day to honor California peace officers.

This measure would designate April 2010 as Autism Awareness Month, would affirm the Legislature's commitment to the important issues related to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) , would emphasize that each and every individual with an ASD is a valued and important member of our society, would recognize and commend the parents and relatives of individuals with ASDs for their sacrifice and dedication in providing for the special needs of individuals with ASDs, would recognize and commend the work of all nonprofit organizations that are contributing to the well-being of individuals with autism and their families, and would stress the need to identify children with ASDs and to begin early intervention services immediately after a child has been diagnosed with an ASD.

This measure would designate March 2010 as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.