FLOOR SESSION AGENDA - Regular Session:Check-in Session - 9:00 a.m.

SB 765, as it passed the Senate, established the giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas) as the official state snake, and made related findings and declarations.

The Assembly amendments make nonsubstantive changes to those findings and declarations.

Vote: 21. Substantial substantive change: no.

SB 757, as it passed the Senate, authorized, until January 1, 2035, the legislative body of a city or county to collect fines for specified violations related to nuisance abatement using a nuisance abatement lien or a special assessment and required those fines and penalties to be used for specified housing purposes relating to supporting local enforcement of state and local building and fire code standards.

The Assembly amendments instead require those fines and penalties to be used to fund efforts within city or county government, as applicable, to streamline the issuance of permits for housing development or to establish a revolving loan fund for specified housing purposes.

SB 757, as it passed the Senate, required the city or county to create a process for granting a hardship waiver to reduce the amount of the above-described fine upon a specified showing by the responsible person. SB 757, as it passed the Senate, also required the enforcing entity to provide 30 days, as specified, to a person responsible for a continuing violation to correct or remedy the violation prior to the imposition of penalties, except as provided.

The Assembly amendments also require the hardship waiver to totally waive fines and penalties for persons with income equal to or less than 200% of the federal poverty line and require the enforcing entity to provide 60 days to correct or remedy continuing violations.

Vote: 21. Substantial substantive change: yes.

SB 611, as it passed the Senate, reenacted, with certain changes, certain previous law that prohibited a court in an action or proceeding to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the acts or decisions of the local agency, including a charter city, in adopting an update to a community plan on the grounds of noncompliance with CEQA from, on the basis of that noncompliance, invalidating, reviewing, voiding, or setting aside the approval of a development project that meets certain requirements, as specified.

The Assembly amendments apply the bill’s provisions to local jurisdictions, as defined, instead of agencies, and apply the bill’s provisions to an update to a community plan that is adopted on or after January 1, 2025.

Vote: 27. Substantial substantive change: yes.

SB 392, as it passed the Senate, authorized the East Bay Regional Park District (Park District) to establish and administer the East Bay Hills Conservation Program to address resource and recreational goals of the East Bay Hills, as defined. SB 392, as it passed the Senate, required the East Bay Hills to be acknowledged as an area of statewide significance in local planning documents developed or updated on or after January 1, 2026, affecting land use within the East Bay Hills.

The Assembly amendments require the East Bay Hills to be acknowledged as an area of statewide significance in land use policy documents, instead of local planning documents, as specified. The Assembly amendments prohibit the program from being construed as an expansion of the Park District’s rights or powers as they relate to local land use authority on lands in the East Bay Hills.

Vote: 21. Substantial substantive change: yes.

SB 440, as it passed the Senate, established, until January 1, 2030, for contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2026, a claim resolution process, as specified, applicable to any claim by a contractor or subcontractor, as described, in connection to a work of improvement or site improvement, except as specified. SB 440, as it passed the Senate, defined a claim for these purposes as a timely and separate demand by the contractor or subcontractor, as described, sent by registered mail or certified mail with receipt requested, for, among other things, payment of additional compensation by an owner for approved changes to the contractor’s scope of work in connection with a work of improvement or site improvement, whether disputed or undisputed. SB 440, as it passed the Senate, required the claimant to furnish all claims within 60 days of the basis for which the claim being discovered and required the claimant to include, among other things, the reason for the claim. SB 440, as it passed the Senate, required a contractor bringing a claim under these provisions to bear the burden of proof, by a preponderance of the evidence, to demonstrate that any disputed claim was agreed upon by the owner or project manager, as specified. SB 440, as it passed the Senate, exempted the construction of a residential or multifamily dwellings or Type V construction, as defined, from these provisions.

The Assembly amendments recast these provisions to instead define a claim for these purposes as a separate demand by the contractor or subcontractor, as described, sent by registered mail or certified mail with receipt requested, for, among other things, payment by the owner of money or damages arising from work done by, or on behalf of, the contractor pursuant to the contract for a work of improvement or site improvement project and payment for which is not otherwise expressly provided or to which the claimant is not otherwise entitled. The Assembly amendments require the claimant to furnish reasonable documentation to support the claim. The Assembly amendments delete the requirement that a contractor or subcontractor bringing a claim under these provisions bear the burden of proof, as described above. The Assembly amendments delete the exemption for construction of multifamily dwellings, and instead exempt the construction of a residential project if the project is not mixed use and does not exceed 4 stories.

Vote: 21. Substantial substantive change: yes.

SB 598, as it passed the Senate, until January 1, 2031, authorized a local agency, as defined, upon approval of its governing body, to use the Construction Manager/General Contractor method for a regional recycled water project or other water infrastructure project undertaken by the district to alleviate water supply shortages attributable to drought or climate change.

The Assembly amendments require that authorization to apply to no more than 15 capital outlay projects for each local agency and require a local agency to award a contract pursuant to the bill on a best value basis or to the lowest responsible bidder.

Vote: 21. Substantial substantive change: yes.

SB 858, as it passed the Senate, made various amendments to provisions relating to local government, including provisions authorizing a county board of supervisors to authorize the use of a facsimile signature of the chairperson of the board, if certain requirements are met. SB 858, as it passed the Senate, additionally authorized the use of an electronic signature, as specified.

The Assembly amendments additionally authorize the use of a digital signature, as specified. The Assembly amendments also apply a specified presumption that a digital signature is genuine and attributable to the signatory, as specified, to electronic signatures.

SB 858, as it passed the Senate, amended provisions authorizing the board of supervisors in specified counties to appoint a registrar of voters by adding the County of Kern to those counties in which the board of supervisors may appoint a registrar of voters.

The Assembly amendments additionally include the County of Nevada among those in which the board of supervisors may appoint a registrar of voters.

The Assembly amendments also revise the Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District Act, which imposes specified requirements on the Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District in all work of improvement or repair of any of the works or property of the district and in the furnishing of materials or supplies, as specified. The Assembly amendments specify that “furnishing of materials and supplies” is for work of improvement or repair of any of the works or property of the district. The Assembly amendments remove an authorization for the board of trustees of the district to declare a state of emergency, as specified, and remove a requirement that the board of trustees comply with certain emergency contracting procedures under specified circumstances.

The Assembly amendments also correct various cross-references, as provided.

Vote: 21. Substantial substantive change: yes.