2020 Bills
The State Legislature processes were very different this year due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
In order to get up to date information about GSMOL-sponsored bills for 2021, GSMOL members should subscribe to the Legislative bulletin “This Week at the Capitol” by clicking on the link that says “Sign up for our Email List” on the home page. This weekly email bulletin, paid for by GSMOL members’ dues, is a benefit of membership in our organization.
Q & A with GSMOL attorney Bruce Stanton about AB 2782
GSMOL Sponsored Bills
SB 915 (Senator Connie Leyva /Senator Bill Dodd)
SB 915 itself did not get to the Governor’s desk but some of its protections are included in AB 3088 which the Governor signed.
SB 915 would create a process to protect mobilehome park residents impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, by giving them a greater chance of remaining in their mobilehome during the pandemic and a reasonable time after.
If enacted, SB 915 would:
- Prohibit the issuance of any 60-day or 7-day notices against mobilehome park residents affected by COVID-19. These notices are unique to mobilehome park residents under the MRL.
- Allow mobilehome park residents “a reasonable amount of additional time” to pay the deferred rent or to remedy any alleged violations of park rules without facing additional rent increases, park charges or enforcement action as outlined in the MRL during the period of repayment. Currently, the deferred rent that is to be repaid and the process of that repayment remains an open question that neither the Governor’s Order nor the Judicial Council Emergency Rules of Court have addressed.
Read the bill text and other information HERE.
SB 999 (Senator Tom Umberg)
The language of SB 999 was merged into Assemblymember Mark Stone’s bill AB 2782, and GOVERNOR NEWSOM SIGNED AB 2782!!!
Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) introduced Senate Bill 999, a measure that would restore local control and stem the tide of rapidly increasing mobilehome space rent across California.
The County of Los Angeles and Golden State Manufactured Home Owners League are cosponsors of the bill, representing a strong coalition between local government and residents.
Senate Bill 999, coauthored by Assemblymember Monique Limón, would remove a loophole in state law that has effectively prevented local governments from enforcing their own rent stabilization ordinances for mobilehome residents. Current law prevents local rent stabilization ordinances from applying to any mobilehome resident with a lease longer than 12 months.Read the bill text and other information HERE.
SB 1117 (Senator Bill Monning)
SB 1117 was signed into law by Governor Newsom on September 25, 2020!
SB 1117 amends Public Utilities Code (PUC) Section 739.5 to replace “electric corporation” with “load serving entity” to eliminate statutory conflict between PUC 739.5, and California Business and Professions Code (BPC) Section 12024.2 and Civil Code (CC) Section 798.40.
The result of this conflict is that electrical corporations and other third party billers are charging sub-meter accounts in mobilehome parks at the electric corporation rate for electricity even if the park is served by a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) with a lower rate.
This results in park residents being denied savings or benefits from the CCA, enabling mobilehome park operators to pocket those savings, even though they already enjoy a “differential” profit over and above what they are charged at the master-meter.
Read the bill text and other information HERE.
AB 2690 (Assemblymember Evan Low)
AB 2690 passed the Assembly did not make it out of the Senate this year due to the shortage of time. We hope to reintroduce it in 2021.
This bill eliminates the rent stabilization ordinance (RSO) exemption for mobilehome parks and new spaces constructed after 1990.
Read the bill text and other information HERE.
AB 2782 (Assemblymember Mark Stone)
AB 2782 (INCLUDING LANGUAGE FROM SB 999) WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR NEWSOM ON AUGUST 31, 2020!Co-authors on the bill were Senator Tom Umberg, Assemblymember Monique Limon, and Assemblymember Randy Voepel.
AB 2782 would set a minimum standard at the local government level for the conversion of a mobilehome park, without preventing local governments from enacting more stringent measures.
In addition, before approval of any change of use, the local government would be required to make a finding on whether or not a mobilehome park conversion will result in a shortage of housing opportunities for low- and moderate- income households.
AB 2782 also requires that if a resident cannot obtain adequate housing in another park, then residents would be entitled to the in-place market value of their home as a result of a park closure.
Read the bill text and other information HERE.
