BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                           
           AB 2618
                                                                  Page  1

          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 2618 (Berg)
          As Amended June 5, 2006
          Majority vote
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |ASSEMBLY:  |76-0 |(May 11, 2006)  |SENATE: |36-0 |(June 26,      |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2006)          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
           
           Original Committee Reference:    JUD.  

           SUMMARY  :  Conforms various statutes to the jurisdictional limits  
          of small claims court.  Specifically,  this bill  adds  
          cross-references to the new code provision created in last  
          year's small claims jurisdiction bill and deletes obsolete  
          references to dollar amounts specified in certain actions  
          tracking the jurisdictional limits of small claims court.

           The Senate amendments  make a comparable conforming change to a  
          provision of the Public Utilities Code regarding complaints to  
          the California Public Utilities Commission and technical  
          revisions. 

           EXISTING LAW  :  
           
          1)Establishes the small claims court for claims in an amount up  
            to $7,500 for natural persons. 

          2)Cross references the jurisdictional limits of the small claims  
            court in various code sections related to counterclaims and  
            appearances in small claims court by members of the military  
            and the resolution of specific disputes regarding, for  
            example, juvenile vandalism, utilities disputes, and security  
            deposits.  

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill was substantially the same.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  None 

           COMMENTS  :  This bill seeks to clarify and conform miscellaneous  
          code provisions related to last year's small claims act bills by  
          which the jurisdiction of the small claims court was changed  
          from $5,000 to $7,500 for natural persons.  It seeks to avoid  








                                                                           
           AB 2618
                                                                  Page  2

          uncertainty and confusion by updating related provisions that  
          were inadvertently omitted from last year's legislation.  


           Analysis Prepared by  :  Kevin G. Baker / JUD. / (916) 319-2334 


          FN: 0015212