California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions

Legislative Policies

On 9 November 2007, the CALAFCO Board of Directors adopted new Legislative Policies for the Association. Policies were adopted in the following areas:

• LAFCo Purpose and Authority
• LAFCo Organization
• Agricultural and Open Space Protection
• Orderly Growth
• Service and Local Agency Effectiveness

The Board also established Legislative Priorities for 2008. Those include:

Primary Issues

• Viability of Local Governments
• Authority of LAFCo
• Agricultural and Open Space Protection
• Water Availability

Issues of Interest

• Housing
• Transportation
• Flood Control

For a complete list of CALAFCO Legislative Policies and 2008 Legislative Priorities, please click on:

CALAFCO Legislative Policies

 

The CALAFCO adopted positions on proposed legislation are posted here during the legislative session. Click on Position Letter for the CALAFCO letter; Text will link you to a pdf of the current language.

Updated on 17 July 2008.

AB 1263 (Caballero) - This bill makes several changes to C-K-H. It 1) allows annexations under the island annexation provision for islands created by county boundary adjustments; 2) clarifies that a LAFCo is authorized to establish a schedule of fees and authorized to establish service charges against a deposit; and 3) makes non-significant language improvements to 56375 on the powers of LAFCo. Chaptered Law (3 July) w Signed into law.

AB 1998 (Silva) - This bill will move responsibility for the financial disclosure requirements in AB 745 (signed into law in 2007) from Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg to the Poitical Reform Act of 1974, and place responsibility to administer the law with the Fair Political Practices Commission. Enrolled Bill Text (7 July) w On Governor's desk for signature: Sign Bill Letter

AB 2484 (Caballero) - This bill adds to the definition of 'change of organization' the addition or divestiture of special district powers, it would require that the resolution to change district powers may only be initiated by the affected district, and that a LAFCo may not approve a new power if there is no funding source. Enrolled Bill Text (1 July) w On Governor's desk for signature: Sign Bill Letter

AB 3047 (Assembly Local Government Committee) - This is the annual CALAFCO omnibus bill which makes technical, nonsubstantive changes to the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act. Chaptered Law (3 July) wSigned into law.

SB 301 (Romero) - Eliminates the 1 July 2009 sunset on VLF subventions for incorporations and inhabited annexations and extends the formula permanently. Amended Bill Text (29 April) w Support Letter

SB 1191 (Alquist) - Would add the authority to own and provide broadband facilities and services to the list of Community Service District powers. Chaptered Law (8 July) wSigned into law.

SB 1458 (Senate Local Government Committee) - This bill is the rewrite and update of the County Service Area Law. CALAFCO was a participant on the work group which drafted the language. Enrolled Bill Text (2 July) w On Governor's desk for signature: Sign Bill Letter w Bill background information

OPPOSE

AB 2564 (Garcia) - This bill would change Irrigation District Law and would only affect the Imperial Irrigation District. It would circumvent Cortese Knox Hertzberg and LAFCo in the creation by vote of a utility district and transfer of services. It also would prevent discrimination against ratepayers living outside district boundaries. Amended Bill Text (3 April) w Opposition Letter

SB 1131 (Cox) - This bill would change the composition of the Calaveras LAFCo commission. It would add two new seats creating a nine-member commission. A third special district seat would be added and permanently assigned to the Calaveras County Water District. A second public member seat would be added would be selected only by the county and city members of the commission. Introduced Bill Text (29 January) w Opposition Letter

WATCH

SB 303 (Ducheny) - Makes numerous changes to the regional transportation plan requirements to include initial and alternative planning scenrios to address greenhouse gas reductions. Many similarities with SB 375. Puts legislative authority to "blueprint plans." Amended Bill Text (1 July)

SB 375 (Steinberg) - Makes numerous changes to transportation and regional land use planning, including the creation of "sustainable communities strategies" to guide future growth in a region. Amended Bill Text (24 March) w Letter of Concern

NO POSITION AT THIS TIME

CALAFCO Legislative Reports
Current Legislative Reports are available to members in the members section of the website (requires member log-in): Current CALAFCO Legislative Report and Summary

Greatest Hits 2008: Summary of local government-related laws passed in 2008. From the Senate Local Government Committee (July, 2008)

Legislative Links and Resources

Search Current Bills
Obtain full text of bills, resolutions, and constitutional amendments, and their status, history, votes, and analyses.

The Quick List to Legislative Citations
An annotated glossary of local government statutes - 2006 version

Official State of California Law Information
The Legislative Counsel's search engine for all California law.

Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000
The governing law for Local Agency Formation Commissions. 2007 Update. (pdf)

California Assembly Legislative Procedure
Detailed overview of the Assembly's legislative processes and procedures. 2005 edition. (pdf)

Citizen's Guide to the Legislative Process
Describes how the legislative process works; how to read a bill text; and the specifics of how a bill goes from concept to law

PDF files may be viewed with the free Acrobat Reader available at www.adobe.com.