Amended in Assembly August 15, 2016

Amended in Assembly June 23, 2016

Amended in Senate May 2, 2016

Senate BillNo. 996


Introduced by Senator Hill

February 10, 2016


An act to amend Section 214 of, and to add Sections 214.17 and 259.14 to, the Revenue and Taxation Code, relating to taxation.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 996, as amended, Hill. Property taxation: welfare exemption.

The California Constitution authorizes the Legislature to exempt from taxation property that is used exclusively for religious, hospital, or charitable purposes, and is owned or held in trust by a nonprofit entity. Pursuant to this constitutional authority, existing law partially exempts from property taxation property used exclusively for rental housing and related facilities, if specified criteria are met, including, except in the case of a limited partnership in which the managing general partner is a nonprofit corporation eligible for the exemption, that 90% or more of the occupants of the property are lower income households whose rents do not exceed the rent limits prescribed by a specified law. Existing law limits the total exemption amount allowed to a taxpayer, with respect to a single property or multiple properties for any fiscal year on the sole basis of the application of this criterion, to $20,000 of tax.

This bill would increase that total exemption amount allowed to $10,000,000 in assessed value, with respect to lien dates occurring on and after January 1, 2017.

This bill would require any outstanding qualified ad valorem tax in excess of the $20,000 limitation, and related interest or penalty, which was levied or imposed on and after January 1, 2013, and before January 1, 2017, with respect to qualified property for which a qualified claim was filed, to bebegin delete canceled, and any such qualified ad valorem tax, and related interest or penalty levied or imposed that was paid on or before January 1, 2017, to be refunded,end deletebegin insert canceledend insert to the extent that the amount canceledbegin delete or refundedend delete does not result in a total exemption amount in excess of $100,000 of tax being allowed to a qualified taxpayer with respect to a single property or multiple properties for any fiscal year. The bill would, on and after January 1, 2017, prohibit an escape assessment from being levied on qualified property if that amount would be subject to cancellationbegin delete or refundend delete pursuant to this bill.

This bill would require a claim for the welfare exemption on qualified property to be accompanied by an affidavit containing specified information regarding the units occupied by lower income households for which the exemption is claimed.

By imposing new duties upon county tax officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations regarding the public purpose served by the bill.

Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.

This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

The California Constitution requires local agencies, for the purpose of ensuring public access to the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, to comply with a statutory enactment that amends or enacts laws relating to public records or open meetings and contains findings demonstrating that the enactment furthers the constitutional requirements relating to this purpose.

This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Section 2229 of the Revenue and Taxation Code requires the Legislature to reimburse local agencies annually for certain property tax revenues lost as a result of any exemption or classification of property for purposes of ad valorem property taxation.

This bill would provide that, notwithstanding Section 2229 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for property tax revenues lost by them pursuant to the bill.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P3    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 214 of the Revenue and Taxation Code
2 is amended to read:

3

214.  

(a) Property used exclusively for religious, hospital,
4scientific, or charitable purposes owned and operated by
5community chests, funds, foundations, limited liability companies,
6or corporations organized and operated for religious, hospital,
7scientific, or charitable purposes is exempt from taxation, including
8ad valorem taxes to pay the interest and redemption charges on
9any indebtedness approved by the voters prior to July 1, 1978, or
10any bonded indebtedness for the acquisition or improvement of
11real property approved on or after July 1, 1978, by two-thirds of
12the votes cast by the voters voting on the proposition, if:

13(1) The owner is not organized or operated for profit. However,
14in the case of hospitals, the organization shall not be deemed to
15be organized or operated for profit if, during the immediately
16preceding fiscal year, operating revenues, exclusive of gifts,
17endowments and grants-in-aid, did not exceed operating expenses
18by an amount equivalent to 10 percent of those operating expenses.
19As used herein, operating expenses include depreciation based on
20cost of replacement and amortization of, and interest on,
21indebtedness.

22(2) No part of the net earnings of the owner inures to the benefit
23of any private shareholder or individual.

P4    1(3) The property is used for the actual operation of the exempt
2activity, and does not exceed an amount of property reasonably
3necessary to the accomplishment of the exempt purpose.

4(A) For the purposes of determining whether the property is
5used for the actual operation of the exempt activity, consideration
6shall not be given to use of the property for either or both of the
7following described activities if that use is occasional:

8(i) The owner conducts fundraising activities on the property
9and the proceeds derived from those activities are not unrelated
10business taxable income, as defined in Section 512 of the Internal
11Revenue Code, of the owner and are used to further the exempt
12activity of the owner.

13(ii) The owner permits any other organization that meets all of
14the requirements of this subdivision, other than ownership of the
15property, to conduct fundraising activities on the property and the
16proceeds derived from those activities are not unrelated business
17taxable income, as defined in Section 512 of the Internal Revenue
18Code, of the organization, are not subject to the tax on unrelated
19business taxable income that is imposed by Section 511 of the
20Internal Revenue Code, and are used to further the exempt activity
21of the organization.

22(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A):

23(i) “Occasional use” means use of the property on an irregular
24or intermittent basis by the qualifying owner or any other qualifying
25organization described in clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) that is
26incidental to the primary activities of the owner or the other
27organization.

28(ii) “Fundraising activities” means both activities involving the
29direct solicitation of money or other property and the anticipated
30exchange of goods or services for money between the soliciting
31organization and the organization or person solicited.

32(C) Subparagraph (A) shall have no application in determining
33whether paragraph (3) has been satisfied unless the owner of the
34property and any other organization using the property as provided
35in subparagraph (A) have filed with the assessor a valid
36organizational clearance certificate issued pursuant to Section
37254.6.

38(D) For the purposes of determining whether the property is
39used for the actual operation of the exempt activity, consideration
40shall not be given to the use of the property for meetings conducted
P5    1by any other organization if the meetings are incidental to the other
2organization’s primary activities, are not fundraising meetings or
3 activities as defined in subparagraph (B), are held no more than
4once per week, and the other organization and its use of the
5property meet all other requirements of paragraphs (1) to (5),
6inclusive, of this subdivision. The owner or the other organization
7also shall file with the assessor a copy of a valid, unrevoked letter
8or ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or the Franchise Tax
9Board stating that the other organization, or the national
10organization of which it is a local chapter or affiliate, qualifies as
11an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of
12the Internal Revenue Code or Section 23701d, 23701f, or 23701w.

13(E) Nothing in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) shall be
14construed to either enlarge or restrict the exemption provided for
15in subdivision (b) of Section 4 and Section 5 of Article XIII of the
16 California Constitution and this section.

17(4) The property is not used or operated by the owner or by any
18other person so as to benefit any officer, trustee, director,
19shareholder, member, employee, contributor, or bondholder of the
20owner or operator, or any other person, through the distribution
21of profits, payment of excessive charges or compensations, or the
22more advantageous pursuit of their business or profession.

23(5) The property is not used by the owner or members thereof
24for fraternal or lodge purposes, or for social club purposes except
25where that use is clearly incidental to a primary religious, hospital,
26scientific, or charitable purpose.

27(6) The property is irrevocably dedicated to religious, charitable,
28scientific, or hospital purposes and upon the liquidation,
29dissolution, or abandonment of the owner will not inure to the
30benefit of any private person except a fund, foundation, or
31corporation organized and operated for religious, hospital,
32scientific, or charitable purposes.

33(7) The property, if used exclusively for scientific purposes, is
34used by a foundation or institution that, in addition to complying
35with the foregoing requirements for the exemption of charitable
36organizations in general, has been chartered by the Congress of
37the United States (except that this requirement shall not apply
38when the scientific purposes are medical research), and whose
39objects are the encouragement or conduct of scientific
P6    1investigation, research, and discovery for the benefit of the
2community at large.

3The exemption provided for herein shall be known as the
4“welfare exemption.” This exemption shall be in addition to any
5other exemption now provided by law, and the existence of the
6exemption provision in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section
7202 shall not preclude the exemption under this section for museum
8or library property. Except as provided in subdivision (e), this
9section shall not be construed to enlarge the college exemption.

10(b) Property used exclusively for school purposes of less than
11collegiate grade and owned and operated by religious, hospital, or
12charitable funds, foundations, limited liability companies, or
13corporations, which property and funds, foundations, limited
14liability companies, or corporations meet all of the requirements
15of subdivision (a), shall be deemed to be within the exemption
16provided for in subdivision (b) of Section 4 and Section 5 of Article
17XIII of the California Constitution and this section.

18(c) Property used exclusively for nursery school purposes and
19owned and operated by religious, hospital, or charitable funds,
20foundations, limited liability companies, or corporations, which
21property and funds, foundations, limited liability companies, or
22corporations meet all the requirements of subdivision (a), shall be
23deemed to be within the exemption provided for in subdivision
24(b) of Section 4 and Section 5 of Article XIII of the California
25Constitution and this section.

26(d) Property used exclusively for a noncommercial educational
27FM broadcast station or an educational television station, and
28owned and operated by religious, hospital, scientific, or charitable
29funds, foundations, limited liability companies, or corporations
30meeting all of the requirements of subdivision (a), shall be deemed
31to be within the exemption provided for in subdivision (b) of
32Section 4 and Section 5 of Article XIII of the California
33Constitution and this section.

34(e) Property used exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific,
35or hospital purposes and owned and operated by religious, hospital,
36scientific, or charitable funds, foundations, limited liability
37companies, or corporations or educational institutions of collegiate
38grade, as defined in Section 203, which property and funds,
39foundations, limited liability companies, corporations, or
40educational institutions meet all of the requirements of subdivision
P7    1(a), shall be deemed to be within the exemption provided for in
2subdivision (b) of Section 4 and Section 5 of Article XIII of the
3California Constitution and this section. As to educational
4institutions of collegiate grade, as defined in Section 203, the
5requirements of paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) shall be deemed
6to be met if both of the following are met:

7(1) The property of the educational institution is irrevocably
8dedicated in its articles of incorporation to charitable and
9educational purposes, to religious and educational purposes, or to
10educational purposes.

11(2) The articles of incorporation of the educational institution
12provide for distribution of its property upon its liquidation,
13dissolution, or abandonment to a fund, foundation, or corporation
14organized and operated for religious, hospital, scientific, charitable,
15or educational purposes meeting the requirements for exemption
16provided by Section 203 or this section.

17(f) Property used exclusively for housing and related facilities
18for elderly or handicapped families and financed by, including,
19but not limited to, the federal government pursuant to Section 202
20of Public Law 86-372 (12 U.S.C. Sec. 1701q), as amended, Section
21231 of Public Law 73-479 (12 U.S.C. Sec. 1715v), Section 236 of
22Public Law 90-448 (12 U.S.C. Sec. 1715z), or Section 811 of
23Public Law 101-625 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 8013), and owned and
24operated by religious, hospital, scientific, or charitable funds,
25foundations, limited liability companies, or corporations meeting
26all of the requirements of this section shall be deemed to be within
27the exemption provided for in subdivision (b) of Section 4 and
28Section 5 of Article XIII of the California Constitution and this
29section.

30The amendment of this paragraph made by Chapter 1102 of the
31Statutes of 1984 does not constitute a change in, but is declaratory
32of, existing law. However, no refund of property taxes shall be
33required as a result of this amendment for any fiscal year prior to
34the fiscal year in which the amendment takes effect.

35Property used exclusively for housing and related facilities for
36elderly or handicapped families at which supplemental care or
37services designed to meet the special needs of elderly or
38handicapped residents are not provided, or that is not financed by
39the federal government pursuant to Section 202 of Public Law
4086-372 (12 U.S.C. Sec. 1701q), as amended, Section 231 of Public
P8    1Law 73-479 (12 U.S.C. Sec. 1715v), Section 236 of Public Law
290-448 (12 U.S.C. Sec. 1715z), or Section 811 of Public Law
3101-625 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 8013), shall not be entitled to exemption
4pursuant to this subdivision unless the property is used for housing
5and related facilities for low- and moderate-income elderly or
6handicapped families. Property that would otherwise be exempt
7pursuant to this subdivision, except that it includes some housing
8and related facilities for other than low- or moderate-income elderly
9or handicapped families, shall be entitled to a partial exemption.
10The partial exemption shall be equal to that percentage of the value
11of the property that is equal to the percentage that the number of
12low- and moderate-income elderly and handicapped families
13represents of the total number of families occupying the property.

14As used in this subdivision, “low and moderate income” has the
15same meaning as the term “persons and families of low or moderate
16income” as defined by Section 50093 of the Health and Safety
17Code.

18(g) (1) Property used exclusively for rental housing and related
19facilities and owned and operated by religious, hospital, scientific,
20or charitable funds, foundations, limited liability companies, or
21corporations, including limited partnerships in which the managing
22general partner is an eligible nonprofit corporation or eligible
23limited liability company, meeting all of the requirements of this
24section, or by veterans’ organizations, as described in Section
25215.1, meeting all the requirements of paragraphs (1) to (7),
26inclusive, of subdivision (a), shall be deemed to be within the
27exemption provided for in subdivision (b) of Section 4 and Section
285 of Article XIII of the California Constitution and this section
29and shall be entitled to a partial exemption equal to that percentage
30 of the value of the property that is equal to the percentage that the
31number of units serving lower income households represents of
32the total number of residential units in any year in which any of
33the following criteria applies:

34(A) The acquisition, rehabilitation, development, or operation
35of the property, or any combination of these factors, is financed
36with tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds or general obligation
37bonds, or is financed by local, state, or federal loans or grants and
38the rents of the occupants who are lower income households do
39not exceed those prescribed by deed restrictions or regulatory
P9    1agreements pursuant to the terms of the financing or financial
2assistance.

3(B) The owner of the property is eligible for and receives
4low-income housing tax credits pursuant to Section 42 of the
5Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as added by Public Law 99-514.

6(C) In the case of a claim, other than a claim with respect to
7property owned by a limited partnership in which the managing
8general partner is an eligible nonprofit corporation, that is filed
9for the 2000-01 fiscal year or any fiscal year thereafter, 90 percent
10or more of the occupants of the property are lower income
11households whose rent does not exceed the rent prescribed by
12Section 50053 of the Health and Safety Code. The total exemption
13amount allowed under this subdivision to a taxpayer, with respect
14to a single property or multiple properties for any fiscal year on
15the sole basis of the application of this subparagraph, may not
16exceed ten million dollars ($10,000,000) in assessed value.

17(D) (i) The property was previously purchased and owned by
18the Department of Transportation pursuant to a consent decree
19requiring housing mitigation measures relating to the construction
20of a freeway and is now solely owned by an organization that
21qualifies as an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the
22Internal Revenue Code.

23(ii) This subparagraph shall not apply to property owned by a
24limited partnership in which the managing partner is an eligible
25nonprofit corporation.

26(2) In order to be eligible for the exemption provided by this
27subdivision, the owner of the property shall do both of the
28 following:

29(A) (i) For any claim filed for the 2000-01 fiscal year or any
30fiscal year thereafter, certify and ensure, subject to the limitation
31in clause (ii), that there is an enforceable and verifiable agreement
32with a public agency, a recorded deed restriction, or other legal
33document that restricts the project’s usage and that provides that
34the units designated for use by lower income households are
35continuously available to or occupied by lower income households
36at rents that do not exceed those prescribed by Section 50053 of
37the Health and Safety Code, or, to the extent that the terms of
38federal, state, or local financing or financial assistance conflicts
39with Section 50053, rents that do not exceed those prescribed by
40the terms of the financing or financial assistance.

P10   1(ii) In the case of a limited partnership in which the managing
2general partner is an eligible nonprofit corporation, the restriction
3and provision specified in clause (i) shall be contained in an
4enforceable and verifiable agreement with a public agency, or in
5a recorded deed restriction to which the limited partnership
6certifies.

7(B) Certify that the funds that would have been necessary to
8pay property taxes are used to maintain the affordability of, or
9reduce rents otherwise necessary for, the units occupied by lower
10income households.

11(3) As used in this subdivision:

12(A) “Lower income households” has the same meaning as the
13term “lower income households” as defined by Section 50079.5
14of the Health and Safety Code.

15(B) “Related facilities” means any manager’s units and any and
16all common area spaces that are included within the physical
17boundaries of the rental housing development, including, but not
18limited to, common area space, walkways, balconies, patios,
19clubhouse space, meeting rooms, laundry facilities, and parking
20areas, except any portions of the overall development that are
21nonexempt commercial space.

22(C) “Units serving lower income households” shall mean units
23that are occupied by lower income households at an affordable
24rent, as defined in Section 50053 of the Health and Safety Code
25or, to the extent that the terms of federal, state, or local financing
26or financial assistance conflicts with Section 50053, rents that do
27not exceed those prescribed by the terms of the financing or
28financial assistance. Units reserved for lower income households
29at an affordable rent that are temporarily vacant due to tenant
30turnover or repairs shall be counted as occupied.

31(h) Property used exclusively for an emergency or temporary
32shelter and related facilities for homeless persons and families and
33owned and operated by religious, hospital, scientific, or charitable
34funds, foundations, limited liability companies, or corporations
35meeting all of the requirements of this section shall be deemed to
36be within the exemption provided for in subdivision (b) of Section
374 and Section 5 of Article XIII of the California Constitution and
38this section. Property that otherwise would be exempt pursuant to
39this subdivision, except that it includes housing and related
P11   1facilities for other than an emergency or temporary shelter, shall
2be entitled to a partial exemption.

3As used in this subdivision, “emergency or temporary shelter”
4means a facility that would be eligible for funding pursuant to
5Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 50800) of Part 2 of Division
631 of the Health and Safety Code.

7(i) Property used exclusively for housing and related facilities
8for employees of religious, charitable, scientific, or hospital
9organizations that meet all the requirements of subdivision (a) and
10owned and operated by funds, foundations, limited liability
11companies, or corporations that meet all the requirements of
12subdivision (a) shall be deemed to be within the exemption
13provided for in subdivision (b) of Section 4 and Section 5 of Article
14XIII of the California Constitution and this section to the extent
15the residential use of the property is institutionally necessary for
16the operation of the organization.

17(j) For purposes of this section, charitable purposes include
18educational purposes. For purposes of this subdivision,
19“educational purposes” means those educational purposes and
20activities for the benefit of the community as a whole or an
21unascertainable and indefinite portion thereof, and do not include
22those educational purposes and activities that are primarily for the
23benefit of an organization’s shareholders. Educational activities
24include the study of relevant information, the dissemination of that
25information to interested members of the general public, and the
26participation of interested members of the general public.

27(k) In the case of property used exclusively for the exempt
28purposes specified in this section, owned and operated by limited
29liability companies that are organized and operated for those
30purposes, the State Board of Equalization shall adopt regulations
31to specify the ownership, organizational, and operational
32requirements for those companies to qualify for the exemption
33provided by this section.

34(l) The amendments made by Chapter 354 of the Statutes of
352004 shall apply with respect to lien dates occurring on and after
36January 1, 2005.

37(m) The amendments made by the act adding this subdivision
38shall apply with respect to lien dates occurring on and after January
391, 2017.

P12   1

SEC. 2.  

Section 214.17 is added to the Revenue and Taxation
2Code
, to read:

3

214.17.  

(a) For purposes of this section:

4(1) “Total exemption amount limitation” means the exemption
5amount limitation with respect to a single property or multiple
6properties that is specified in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1)
7of subdivision (g) of Section 214, as that section read before
8January 1, 2017.

9(2) (A) “Qualified property” means property used exclusively
10for rental housing and related facilities where 90 percent or more
11of the occupants of the property are lower income households
12whose rent does not exceed the rent prescribed by Section 50053
13of the Health and Safety Code and that qualifies for exemption
14under Section 214 on the sole basis of this criteria as specified in
15subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section
16214.

17(B) “Qualified property” does not include property owned by
18a limited partnership in which the managing general partner is an
19eligible nonprofit organization, as described in subparagraph (C)
20of paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 214.

21(3) “Qualified taxpayer” means a taxpayer subject to the total
22exemption amount limitation.

23(4) “Qualified claim” means a claim for exemption that was
24filed for a qualified property with the assessor on and after January
251, 2013, and before January 1, 2017, for which the assessor granted
26a partial exemption.

27(5) “Qualified ad valorem tax in excess of the total exemption
28amount limitation, and related interest or penalty” means that
29portion of ad valorem tax levied to a qualified taxpayer on qualified
30property with respect to a single property or multiple properties
31that does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of
32tax, and any interest or penalty imposed with regard to that portion
33of tax.

begin delete

34(b) (1) To the extent that the amount canceled or refunded does
35not result in a total exemption amount in excess of one hundred
36thousand dollars ($100,000) of tax being allowed to a qualified
37taxpayer with respect to a single property or multiple properties
38that are qualified property for any fiscal year, each of the following
39shall be canceled or refunded as provided:

40(A)

end delete

P13   1begin insert(b)end insertbegin insertend insertbegin insert(1)end insert Any outstanding qualified ad valorem tax in excess of
2the total exemption amount limitation, and related interest or
3penalty, which was levied or imposed on and after January 1, 2013,
4and before January 1, 2017, with respect to a qualified property
5for which a qualified claim was filed, shall bebegin delete canceled.end deletebegin insert canceled
6to the extent that the amount canceled end insert
begin insertdoes not result in a total
7exemption amount in excess of one hundred thousand dollars
8($100,000) of tax being allowed to a qualified taxpayer with respect
9to a single property or multiple properties that are qualified
10property for any fiscal year.end insert

begin delete

11(B) Any qualified ad valorem tax in excess of the total
12exemption amount limitation, and related interest or penalty, which
13was levied or imposed on and after January 1, 2013, and before
14January 1, 2017, with respect to a qualified property for which a
15qualified claim was filed, and paid on or before January 1, 2017,
16shall be refunded.

end delete

17(2) On or after January 1, 2017, an escape assessment shall not
18be levied on qualified property if that amount would be subject to
19cancellationbegin delete or refundend delete under paragraph (1).

20

SEC. 3.  

Section 259.14 is added to the Revenue and Taxation
21Code
, to read:

22

259.14.  

(a) The claim for welfare exemption on qualified
23property, in addition to giving any other information as prescribed
24by the board, shall be accompanied by an affidavit that provides
25both of the following:

26(1) A list of units occupied by lower income households for
27which the exemption is claimed.

28(2) All of the following nonpersonally identifiable information
29about the occupants of the units listed pursuant to paragraph (1):

30(A) The actual household income of the occupant.

31(B) The maximum rent that may be charged to the occupant.

32(C) The actual rent charged to the occupant.

33(b) The affidavit required to accompany the claim for welfare
34exemption pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be confidential and
35shall not be subject to public disclosure.

36(c) For purposes of this section, “qualified property” has the
37same meaning as that term is defined in Section 214.17.

38

SEC. 4.  

The Legislature finds and declares that Section 2 of
39this act fulfills a statewide public purpose because it addresses
40California’s serious shortage of affordable, decent, safe, and
P14   1sanitary housing for persons and families of low or moderate
2income, including the elderly and handicapped, by providing
3necessary property tax relief for certain tax-exempt organizations
4so that these tax-exempt organizations can provide this affordable
5housing for persons and families of low or moderate income.

6

SEC. 5.  

The Legislature finds and declares that Section 3 of
7this act, which adds Section 259.14 to the Revenue and Taxation
8Code, imposes a limitation on the public’s right of access to the
9meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and
10agencies within the meaning of Section 3 of Article I of the
11California Constitution. Pursuant to that constitutional provision,
12the Legislature makes the following findings to demonstrate the
13interest protected by this limitation and the need for protecting
14that interest:

15In order to protect the privacy of an individual’s personal and
16financial information contained in an affidavit accompanying a
17claim for welfare exemption, as required by this act, it is in the
18state’s interest to limit public access to information.

19

SEC. 6.  

The Legislature finds and declares that Section 3 of
20this act, which adds Section 259.14 to the Revenue and Taxation
21Code, furthers, within the meaning of paragraph (7) of subdivision
22(b) of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution, the
23purposes of that constitutional section as it relates to the right of
24public access to the meetings of local public bodies or the writings
25of local public officials and local agencies. Pursuant to paragraph
26(7) of subdivision (b) of Section 3 of Article I of the California
27Constitution, the Legislature makes the following findings:

28The protection of sensitive personal and personal financial
29information contained in an affidavit accompanying a claim for
30welfare exemption, as required by this act, is consistent with and
31furthers proper access to documents and information in the
32possession of local government agencies.

33

SEC. 7.  

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
34Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution for certain
35costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district
36because, in that regard, the only costs that may be incurred by a
37local agency or school district under this act would result from a
38legislative mandate that is within the scope of paragraph (7) of
39subdivision (b) of Section 3 of Article I of the California
40Constitution.

P15   1However, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that
2this act contains other costs mandated by the state, reimbursement
3to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
4pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
54 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

6

SEC. 8.  

Notwithstanding Section 2229 of the Revenue and
7Taxation Code, no appropriation is made by this act and the state
8shall not reimburse any local agency for any property tax revenues
9lost by it pursuant to this act.



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