State Legislative Update - June 1, 2023

You Did It! SB 466 Stopped In Senate

SB 567 Narrowly Passes

You did it! Thanks to your response to SCRHA's Action Alerts, we were able to stop SB 466 (Wahab) on the Senate Floor. The bill was several votes shy of the 21 needed to pass. Unfortunately, SB 567 (Durazo) narrowly received the needed votes to move out of the Senate to the Assembly. 

Senate Bill 466 would have eliminated a key rent control exemption for newer construction provided for via the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. Costa-Hawkins exempts properties constructed after 1995 (or from an earlier date if local rent control went into effect prior to 1995) from local rent control ordinances. SB 466 would, after 28 years following the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, have subjected multifamily rental properties with 5 or more units to local rental control laws. 

While we are thrilled to have stopped that bill, another very dangerous bill, SB 567, received just enough votes to pass out of the Senate. SB 567 would alter the no-fault just cause components of the Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482). It would also allow for three times the damages for violations of the law and allow multiple jurisdictions to bring action against a housing provider. While the bill has been amended to be far less offensive than when introduced, it still upends AB 1482, a law that was only in effect for a few months before the pandemic hit. 

SB 267 (Eggman) also passed out of the Senate as well. The bill would prohibit the use of a person's credit history as part of the rental application process if they receive a government subsidy, like Section 8, unless the housing provider offers an alternative means of proving financial responsibility.

AB 12 (Haney), which would limit security deposits to no more than the equivalent of one month's rent also passed out of the Assembly. SCRHA will work to stop the bill in the Senate. 

SB 466 is now a two-year bill, meaning it can come back in January should the author choose to push the legislation again. SB 567 and SB 267 now move over to the Assembly where SCRHA will continue to work to kill the bills. 

Stay tuned for more updates and opportunities to make your voice heard!