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Y- )qro <br />Legislative Bill Action <br />................................ ............................... <br />general plans statewide to identify 20 -year urban <br />growth boundaries, and adopt inclusionary zoning <br />statewide. While many local governments have <br />adopted growth limits and over 100 local jurisdic- <br />tions have imposed local inclusionary housing <br />ordinances, the League opposed the one- size -fits- <br />all approach outlined in AB 1268 These provi- <br />sions, however, were stripped from the bill in the <br />Assembly Appropriations Committee, and re- <br />placed with intent language. The bill will go to the <br />floor as a spot bill. Staff: Dan Carrigg, Status: <br />AsmFlr. Position: Watch. <br />SB 619 (Ducheny). Land Use Authority. No <br />Public Hearings /Litigation. Although recent <br />amendments have improved this bill over its <br />earlier versions —with the previous "no public <br />hearings" language reduced to intent language <br />and the provisions related to attorneys fees and <br />damages redrafted —two significant issues re- <br />main. First, the League is concerned with provi- <br />sions of SB 619 that authorize a lawsuit to be filed <br />and mandate attorney fees against a local govem- <br />ment that fails to provide an annual report on the <br />status of its general plan to the Department of <br />Housing and Community Development (HCD) and <br />the Governor's Office of Planning and Research <br />(OPR). This provision has the potential to create <br />an extensive new enforcement process in housing <br />element law related to the submittal and substan- <br />tial compliance of annual reports by local govern- <br />ments. Further, it is also ironic that since 1994, <br />HCD has not complied with the statutory mandate <br />to develop forms to submit these reports. SB 619 <br />would create an atmosphere where "any inter- <br />ested person" could file lawsuits and collect <br />attorney's fees over the tardiness of a report. <br />Finally, given the status of the state budget, the <br />state is not reimbursing local governments for the <br />mandated costs to complete these reports. <br />In addition, SB 619 would modify the definition <br />of discrimination to include denial "or conditioning" <br />of a residential development based in "whole or in <br />part" on the occupancy of the development by <br />persons and families of low and moderate in- <br />come. As written, this language appears to imply <br />a city could be engaged in discrimination if it <br />requires a certain percentage of a housing devel- <br />opment be reserved for persons and families of <br />low and moderate income as a condition of devel- <br />opment approval –in other words, if the locality has <br />an inclusionary zoning ordinance. The League <br />maintains that this language should be clarified to <br />prevent this provision from inadvertently being <br />applied to inclusionary zoning ordinance require- <br />ments. SB 619 is currently pending on the Senate <br />floor, and cities are urged to share their opposition <br />to the bill with their legislators, and the Assembly <br />Housing Committee. Staff: Dan Carrigg, Status: <br />SenFlr, Position: Oppose Unless Amended. <br />SB 18 (Burton). Sacred Sites. In its current <br />form, SB 18 simply makes several minor changes <br />to the existing law that outlines the authority vested <br />in the Native American Heritage Commission. <br />However, the legislation is a spot bill which could <br />be used to incorporate language reminiscent of <br />last year's SB 1828 (Burton), which was vetoed by <br />the Governor in 2002. SB 1828 would have <br />imposed a number of new, problematic notification <br />requirements on lead agencies considering <br />projects near Native American sacred sites, and <br />would have curtailed local land use authority. <br />Earlier this year, the Administration circulated a <br />draft proposal, that was rejected by the tribes. A <br />new version is currently circulating. While it's <br />unclear what could be included in SB 18 this year, <br />the bill was recently approved by the Senate <br />Committee on Natural Resources and Wildlife. It <br />now awaits action on the Senate floor, and cities <br />are strongly urged to monitor this legislation as it <br />moves along. Staff: Dan Carrigg, Status: SenFlr, <br />Position: Actively Monitor for Changes. <br />AB 51 (Simitian). General Plans, Distribu- <br />tion of Child Care Facilities. AB 51 requires <br />cities and counties to address the distribution of <br />child care facilities as part of the land use element <br />in their general plans. The bill is essentially a <br />reintroduction of AB 2954, which was vetoed last <br />year by the Governor. The Building Child Care <br />Collaborative established by the State Department <br />of Education recommended that cities and coun- <br />PAGE 10/PRIORITY FOCUS Visit the League's Official Web Site -- www.cacities.org <br />