Legislative Positions

AB 1546 - Schultz, Nick - Vehicles: driving under the influence.

AB 1751 - Quirk Silva, Sharon - Missing Middle Townhome Ownership Act.

This bill, the Missing Middle Townhome Ownership Act, would authorize a development proponent to submit an application for a townhome housing development project that is subject to a prescribed ministerial approval process if the development complies with certain procedural requirements and satisfies specified objective planning standards. The bill would also require a local agency to ministerially consider, without discretionary review or a hearing, a parcel map or a tentative and final map for a townhome development project that meets all of specified requirements, including that the proposed subdivision will result in parcels and residential units that will meet prescribed densities and that the newly created parcels are no smaller than 600 square feet. The act would define “townhome” for these purposes to mean a single-family dwelling unit that is less than or equal to 3 stories of occupiable square footage and shares a common wall, as specified, or is separated from one or more neighboring units by an air gap, and would define “townhome development project” to mean a housing development project consisting entirely of residential dwelling units that satisfy this definition of townhome. The bill would authorize a local agency to disapprove a townhome housing development project, or deny the issuance of a parcel map, a tentative map, or a final map for a townhome development project, allowed under the bill’s provisions if it makes written findings based upon a preponderance of the evidence that the proposed townhome housing development project would have a specific, adverse impact, as provided in specified law, upon public health and safety and for which there is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact. The bill would authorize a local agency to adopt an ordinance to implement its provisions and would provide that the adoption of such an ordinance is not a project under CEQA.

AB 1941 - Gonzalez, Mark - Organized metal theft.

This bill would prohibit organized metal theft, described as acting in concert with one or more persons to steal metal materials from one or more of specified materials and items with the intent to sell, exchange, or return those metal materials for value, acting in concert with 2 or more persons to receive, purchase, or possess those metal materials knowing or believing it to have been stolen, acting as an agent of another to steal those metal materials as part of an organized plan to commit theft, or recruiting, coordinating, organizing, supervising, directing, managing, or financing another to undertake acts of theft of metal. The bill would make a violation of organized metal theft punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony. The bill would make related findings and declarations and state the intent of the Legislature. By creating new crimes, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

AB 1588 - Catherine Stefani - Vehicles: Sideshow Accountability and Community Safety Act.

This bill would prohibit a person from engaging in, aiding, or abetting a sideshow and would make a violation of this provision a misdemeanor. The bill would revise the definition of sideshow to include the use or operation of any motor vehicle, including, but not limited to, motorcycles or off-highway motor vehicles, as specified, to barricade, block, impede, or otherwise obstruct traffic. For a person convicted of this provision who was driving a performing vehicle, as defined, the bill would make a first conviction punishable as a misdemeanor and a 2nd or subsequent conviction a misdemeanor or felony. By creating a new crime, the bill would create a state-mandated local program.

AB 1708 - Solache, Jose Luis - Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program: round 7.

This bill would require a continuum of care receiving funding pursuant to round 7, as described above, to allocate funds to a smaller jurisdiction, defined as a city with a population under 300,000. The bill would require a smaller jurisdiction, in order to be eligible for funding, to, among other things, adopt a resolution, as specified, have a compliant housing element, and have adopted a local encampment policy, as described. The bill would require a continuum of care to accept applications for funding in accordance with specified procedures.

SB 907 - Archuleta, Bob - Driving under the influence and other driving offenses: comprehensive reform.

Existing law defines the term “violent felony” for various purposes, including, among others, enhancing the punishment for felonies pursuant to existing sentencing provisions commonly known as the “3 strikes law.” The Legislature may directly amend the three strikes law by a statute passed in each house by a 2/3 vote, or by a statute that becomes effective only when approved by the voters.

This bill would add to those crimes that are within the definition of a violent felony for all purposes, including of the three strikes law, vehicular manslaughter, as specified. By expanding the scope of an enhancement, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

SB 1292- Richardson, Laura - Enhanced curb management system.

This bill would authorize a local agency, as defined, to establish an enhanced curb management system (system) that records images of vehicles for the purpose of enforcing parking violations or automating parking payments if certain requirements are met. The bill would require the governing body of the local agency to adopt a public ordinance or resolution that would authorize the use of a system in specified locations, including, among others, passenger loading zones and commercial loading zones. The bill would require a local agency that automates parking payments by charging vehicles a fee for access to outline the fee, and any adjusted rates, in an ordinance or resolution. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.