APA CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, April 2017

By John Terell, AICP, Vice President Policy and Legislation

Sande George, APA California Lobbyist

Lauren De Valencia y Sanchez, APA California Lobbyist

To view the full list of hot planning bills, copies of the measures, up-to-the minute status and APA California letters and positions, please continue to visit the legislative page on APA California’s website at www.apacalifornia.org.

Plenty of Ideas on How to Fix California’s Housing Crisis

Bills are moving quickly through their first round of committee hearings in the Legislature and there are plenty of bills still moving that advocate various solutions to produce more affordable housing in this state – some good ideas, and some not. APA California convened a housing task force last fall to develop a list of housing production concepts and continues to advocate for those concepts, which are located on the APA California website. APA also is part of a coalition of organizations asking for a package deal: funding for housing, infrastructure and planning along with appropriate local housing approval changes. This is definitely the year of housing legislation, with most of the focus as always on cities and counties as the “barrier” to new housing being built, and a new disturbing call for the RHNA numbers to operate as “production” mandates.

As bills are set for hearing, APA California has been sending letters to the authors in support or opposition of their measures.  As always, we would appreciate letters from members or their employers that are consistent with those positions. To review the letters, and for more information on all of the housing bills, please go to the legislative tab on APA’s website at apa.ca.org.

Transportation Package Announced by the Governor and Leadership
The Governor and both Senate and Assembly Leaders announced the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, which would invest $52.4 billion over the next decade – split equally between state and local investments as follows:
Fix Local Streets and Transportation Infrastructure (50 percent)

• $15 billion in “Fix-It-First” local road repairs, including fixing potholes
• $7.5 billion to improve local public transportation
• $2 billion to support local “self-help” communities that are making their own investments in transportation improvements
• $1 billion to improve infrastructure that promotes walking and bicycling
• $825 million for the State Transportation Improvement Program local contribution
• $250 million in local transportation planning grants.

Fix State Highways and Transportation Infrastructure (50 percent)

• $15 billion in “Fix-it-First” highway repairs, including smoother pavement
• $4 billion in bridge and culvert repairs
• $3 billion to improve trade corridors
• $2.5 billion to reduce congestion on major commute corridors
• $1.4 billion in other transportation investments, including $275 million for highway and intercity-transit improvements.

 Ensure Taxpayer Dollars Are Spent Properly with Strong Accountability Measures:

• Constitutional amendment to prohibit spending the funds on anything but transportation
• Inspector General to ensure Caltrans and any entities receiving state transportation funds spend taxpayer dollars efficiently, effectively and in compliance with state and federal requirements
• Provision that empowers the California Transportation Commission to hold state and local government accountable for making the transportation improvements they commit to delivering
• Authorization for the California Transportation Commission to review and allocate Caltrans funding and staffing for highway maintenance to ensure those levels are reasonable and responsible
• Authorization for Caltrans to complete earlier mitigation of environmental impacts from construction, a policy that will reduce costs and delays while protecting natural resources.

This transportation investment package is funded by everyone who uses California’s roads and highways:

• $7.3 billion by increasing diesel excise tax 20 cents
• $3.5 billion by increasing diesel sales tax to 5.75 percent
• $24.4 billion by increasing gasoline excise tax 12 cents
• $16.3 billion from an annual transportation improvement fee based on a vehicle’s value
• $200 million from an annual $100 Zero Emission Vehicle fee commencing in 2020.
• $706 million in General Fund loan repayments.

Details on Important Hot Bills

The list of bills for which APA has submitted letters to date is below. All position letters will be posted on the APA California website “Legislation” page, which can be found here:  https://www.apacalifornia.org/legislation/legislative-review-teams/position-letters/. Position letters will continue to be posted here as they are written – please feel free to use these as templates for your own jurisdiction/company letters. 

HOUSING

AB 352 – Square Footage of Efficiency Units

Position: Support as Amended

Location: Assembly Local Government Committee

AB 565 – Alternative Building Regulations for Artists’ Housing

Position: Support if Amended

Location: Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee

* We haven’t written a letter yet because we are working with the author’s office and committee staff on this bill.

AB 686 – CA Affirmatively Further Fair Housing Law

Position: Support if Amended

Location: Assembly Judiciary Committee

AB 852 – Housing Approval Data in Annual Report

Position: Support

Location: Assembly Local Government Committee

AB 886 – Safe Creative Live & Work Act

Position: Oppose Unless Amended

Location: Assembly Local Government

AB 1404 – Use of Categorical Infill Exemption for Urbanized Counties

Position: Support

Location: In Assembly Appropriations Committee

AB 1505 – Inclusion of Affordable Rental Units in Inclusionary Housing Policies

Position: Support

Location: Assembly Local Government Committee

SB 2 – Permanent Source of Funding for Affordable Housing

Position: Support

Location: Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense File

SB 35 – New Ministerial (By Right) Approval Process for Housing

Position: Support if Amended

Location: Senate Governance and Finance Committee

(Working with author/no letter yet)

SB 166 – Expansion of No-Net Loss to Loss of Affordability

Position: Oppose Unless Amended Location: Senate Governance and Finance Committee

(Working with author/no letter yet)

SB 167 – Housing Accountability Act

Position: Oppose unless Amended

Location: Senate Transportation and Housing Committee

PERMITTING

SB 649 – Small cell facilities permitting

Position: Oppose

Location: Senate Governance and Finance Committee

All Hot Bills

To view the full list of hot planning bills, copies of the measures, up-to-the minute status and APA California letters and positions, please continue to visit the legislative page on APA California’s website at www.apacalifornia.org.