California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions

Legislative Policies

On 15 January 2010, the CALAFCO Board of Directors adopted updated 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 2010. Those include:

Primary Issues

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

Issues of Interest

• Housing
• Transportation
• Regional Transporatation Plans
• Flood Control
• Annexation of Inhabited Territory

For a complete set of CALAFCO Legislative Policies and 2010 Legislative Priorities, please click:

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; Click on introduced bill or amended bill for the current language.

Updated on 28 July 2010.

AB 419 (Caballero) - Clarifies that a Board of Supervisors or City Council has 45 days to place on item on a ballot for election once notified by a LAFCo. Requires elections official to place the item on the next general election if the Board or Council does not act within 45 days. Signed Into Law (6 July 10) ♦ CALAFCO Support Letter.

AB 1668 (Knight) - A similar bill to AB 18 (Knight) in 2009 that was vetoed by the Governor. Among other things it would bring consistency to the number of council members up for election at the first election following incorporation. Signed Into Law (6 July 10) ♦ CALAFCO Support Letter.

AB 2795 (Assembly Local Government Committee) - Annual omnibus bill sponsored by CALAFCO. Makes a variety of technical, non substantive changes to Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg. Signed Into Law (6 July 10). CALAFCO Support Letter.

SB 894 (Senate Local Government Committee) - Annual omnibus bill from the Senate which makes a number of technical, non substantive changes to a wide variety of local government laws. Includes several reference changes supported by CALAFCO. Amended Bill (7 June 10). CALAFCO Support Letter.

SB 1023 (Wiggins) - Provides an expedited process for the reorganization of specified Resort Improvement Districts and Municipal Improvement Districts into Community Service Districts. Enrolled Bill (25 June 10). ♦ CALAFCO Support Letter. Awaiting action by Governor

OPPOSE

SB 211 (Simitian) - Allows the Board of Supervisors to create the Santa Cruz Regional Open Space District exempt from the LAFCo process and without an identified funding source. Amended Bill (4 September 09) ♦ CALAFCO Opposition Letter. This bill was gutted and amended to a non-LAFCo item

WATCH

AB 711 (Charles Calderon) - This bill would approriate $45,000 from the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Fund to the Controller to provide a loan to the East Los Angeles incorporation proponents to fund the fiscal study. The legislation is consistent with all provisions of C-K-H. Signed Into Law (7 June 2010). Bill takes effect immediately.

AB 853 (Arambula) - This bill would require LAFCo to identify "disadvantaged inhabited communities" in each county and to assess water, wastewater, and fire protection deficiencies in each community when preparing a Sphere of Influence update or MSR. Allows LAFCo discretion in determining what size or population constitutes a disadvantage community. Allows 25% of the registered votes to petition the Board of Supervisors to submit an application to LAFCo for annexation. Does not change the current CKH annexation process or requirements. Takes effect 1 July 2011. Additional amendments requested by CALAFCO are expected in Appropriations Committee. Amended Bill (1 July 10) ♦ CALAFCO Watch Letter.

AB 1859 (Norby) - This adds approval of redevelopment agency project area to the powers of LAFCo. Would require LAFCo review of finances for any new or expanded RDA project area. Amended Bill (8 April 10). Died in committee.

SB 194 (Florez) - The Community Equity Investment Act of 2009. Focuses on infrastructure and municipal services for disadvantaged unincorporated communities. Specifies how certain community development block funds shall be used to address these communities. Requires cities and counties to establish citizen advisory committees to provide input on the use of funds. Amended Bill (15 June 10) ♦ CALAFCO Letter of Interest.

SB 1174 (Wolk) - Establishes the Future Sustainable Communities Pilot Project. It authorizes a city or county with a disadvantaged inhabited community inside or near its boundary to apply to the Strategic Growth Council for funds to update its general plan to facilitate transformation of the area to a sustainable community. Provides for funding pilots in five cities and five counties. Amended Bill (21 June 2010).

SB 1232 (Romero) - Would extend the validity period for signatures collected for the East Los Angeles incorporation to 29 October 2010 and beyond. Only applies to this specific incorporation. Amended Bill (13 April 2010). Died in committee.

NO POSITION AT THIS TIME

AB 1109 (Blakeslee) - Would authorize a LAFCo to be able to identify nonperforming districts and terporarly assign the administration of a district to another local agency. Amended Bill (13 April 09). Died in committee.

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

Legislative Summary: Handout from the 2009 Annual Conference by Peter Detwiler

Greatest Hits 2010: Summary of local government-related laws passed in 2010. From the Senate Local Government Committee (July, 2010)

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 - 2009 edition.

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. 2009 Update. (pdf)

Legislative Analyst's Office
California's nonpartisan fiscal and policy advisor. Publications on a wide variety of legislative issues.

California Assembly Legislative Procedure
Detailed overview of the Assembly's legislative processes and procedures. 2007 edition. (pdf)
Legislative Lifecycle Chart

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)

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

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