Housing

AB 325 (Alejo) – Opposition Removed
As Amended August 6, 2013

AB 325, by Assembly Member Luis Alejo, would expand the statute of limitations to sue a county or city, challenging the adoption of a housing element or a number of related local ordinances. 

After months of negotiations, CSAC along with our local government partners, have come to a final compromise on the measure which removes our mutual opposition to the proposal. The final compromise will change the existing statute of limitations in the following ways:

For HCD-certified housing elements, 9-months to file a notice of deficiency, 60-days for the local agency to respond, and 6-months to file a lawsuit.  
For self-certified housing elements, 2-years to file a notice of deficiency, 60-days for the local agency to respond, and 1-year to file a lawsuit.  
For ordinances, 6-months to file a notice of deficiency, 60-days for the local agency to respond, and 6-months to file a lawsuit.  

Finally, our final compromise also includes an agreement with the sponsors not to seek further amendments to the statute of limitations for at least three years.

CSAC has removed our opposition to AB 325.

Transportation

AB 755 (Ammiano) – Opposition Removed
As Amended August 6, 2013

AB 755, by Assembly Member Tom Ammiano, would require that project study reports (PSRs) for any new projects involving the construction or reconstruction of a bridge – identified in a regional transportation plan, interregional transportation improvement program, or the state highway operation and protection program – include a document demonstrating that a suicide barrier was a feature considered during the project’s planning process.

As most recently amended, AB 755 would now limit the application of the measure to the construction of new bridges and the replacement of existing bridges with a history of documented suicides. CSAC is supportive of these amendments as we believe it’s unnecessary to apply the new mandate to all 24,000 plus bridges in the state in order to achieve the bill’s goal of trying to reduce the incidence of suicide.

CSAC has removed our opposition to AB 755.  

Native American Issues

AB 52 (Gatto) – Concerns
As Amended September 5, 2013

AB 52, by Assembly Member Mike Gatto, would treat “tribal cultural resources” differently than any other resource with regards to the CEQA process. The measure was amended further this week to address some of the concerns raised by CSAC and our local government partners. At the time of this writing, it’s unclear whether the amendments fully address CSAC’s concerns and we will continue to work with the author’s office and sponsors to determine and minimize, to the extent possible, the impacts on local land use authority. 

The bill has not yet been set for a policy committee hearing; however, a rule waiver is possible and the bill has the potential to move quickly in the remaining days of the legislative session.