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_ Legislative Bill Action The following are summaries of just a few of the legislative bills that are currently being acted upon by the League of California Cities. For more information about these and other bills, please visit the League website's new "Issues and Advocacy" page (www.cacitiesm issuesandadvocacO — a one -stop location to access information about legislation, policy issues and related developments. You can track information on bills (www.cacities.orgAegtrecking), locate legislators and legislative committees, send letters to legislators or the media through the online Advocacy Center, research League policy positions, access useful related links, and much more. HOUSING AND LAND USE AB 1158 (Lowenthal). RHNA Reforms, Housing Element Reviews. Alan Lowenthal, Chair of the Assembly Housing Committee, has introduced the regional housing needs assess- ments (RHNA) reforms which were agreed to in last year's housing negotiations, along with some language which requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to adopt regulations to guide their reviews of local housing elements. Key improvements to the RHNA process negotiated in the Lowenthal/Wiggins Housing Element Working Group last year include: o RHNA adopted in conjunction with regional transportation plan, on six -year cycle. o Region's growth projections are used, if within 3% of HCD number. o Region can challenge HCD methodology to ensure that state projections are demographically sound, and consistent with statutory process.. o Councils of Government (COG) performs local surveys on local jobsthousing relationship & local opportunities and constraints on additional housing production prior to developing allocation methodology. o In developing allocation methodology, COGS must consider jobs /housing balance, the number of units built in a community in each income category during the previous cycle, land protected from urban development under federal and state programs, laws and regulations which prohibit the development or expansion of necessary infra- structure, city-county agreements to direct urban development to incorporated areas, and county programs to protect prime agricultural lands. o Allow sub regional allocations within COGs, and improves the COG appeals o Successfully appealed units may be redis- tributed by COG on a per- capita basis among all jurisdictions, up to 7% of the RHNA. o Two or more local governments are autho- rized to agree to an alternate distribution of units assigned to them. With the above RHNA reforms in place, the typical criticisms over the development of state housing numbers should be significantly reduced. Regional housing and transportation plans will be prepared concurrently on a six -year cycle. HCD's demographic methodology will be detailed in statute, and subject to legal challenge by COGS. The COG growth projections will be accepted if they are within 3% of the state's number. Contro- versies within the COG allocation process will be reduced due to required surveys of local land availability, recognizing other state and federal laws which may limit development in a commu- nity, and other factors. Appeal controversies will be reduced by providing COGS the ability to distribute appealed units across the region to all jurisdictions. Cities supporting these reforms should send a letter of support, and ask their legislator to co -author this legislation. Staff: Dan Canigg, Status: Likely assignments: AsHou &ComDev & AsLG, Position: Support AB 531 (Kehoe). Ten Billion Infrastructure Bond. AB 531 enacts the Community Infrastruc- ture and Economic Development Bond Act of 2004, which, if adopted, would authorize the Visit the League's Official Web Site-- www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS /PAGE 9