BILL NUMBER: AB 725	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Lieber and DeVore
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Beall and Hayashi)

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2007

   An act to add Section 50455.7 to the Health and Safety Code,
relating to housing.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 725, as introduced, Lieber. Housing: universal rental housing
application.
   Existing law requires the California State Housing Plan to include
a housing strategy that coordinates housing assistance and
activities of state and local agencies.
   This bill would require, after December 31, 2008, specified rental
housing providers to use and make available to prospective tenants,
not-for-profit agencies, and others upon request, a universal rental
housing application, to be developed by the Department of Housing and
Community Development in coordination with specified governmental
agencies, as provided.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 50455.7 is added to the Health and Safety Code,
to read:
   50455.7.  (a) After December 31, 2008, a rental housing provider
as specified in subdivision (b) shall use and make available to
prospective tenants, not-for-profit housing assistance organizations,
public agencies, and others upon request, a universal rental housing
application, to be developed by the department pursuant to
subdivision (c). A rental housing provider shall post this
application and any amended version on its Web site in a conspicuous
location and make it publicly available, upon request. Nothing in
this section prevents a rental housing provider from requesting other
reasonable information not contained in this application from
prospective tenants.
   (b) Subdivision (a) applies to a rental housing provider that
receives any of the following:
   (1) A loan or grant from the department or the California Housing
Finance Agency.
   (2) State or federal tax credits allocated by the Tax Credit
Allocation Committee.
   (3) Tax-exempt bond authority allocated by the Debt Limit
Allocation Committee.
   (c) By no later than October 1, 2008, the department shall develop
and adopt a universal rental housing application in coordination
with the Tax Credit Allocation Committee, the Debt Limit Allocation
Committee, and the California Housing Finance Agency. The department
shall strive to develop an application that covers most or all
information needs of the majority of rental housing providers. The
department shall also develop accessible formats of this application,
including, but not limited to, braille and large print. During the
development of this application, the department shall consult with
rental housing providers, not-for-profit housing assistance and
social service organizations, public agencies, and others as deemed
appropriate by the department. The department shall make the
application available for public review and comment 30 days prior to
adopting the application.