BILL NUMBER: AB 725	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 24, 2007

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Lieber and DeVore
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Beall  , Hancock,  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 amended, 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.  This bill would require the department
and specified governmental agencies to notify specified rental
housing providers of the requirements of these provisions. 
   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:   has received
any of the following and whose rental housing units are still subject
to the rent restrictions pursuant thereto: 
   (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,  and each time new
requirements or other changed circumstances require it,  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. 
   (d) The department, the Tax Credit Allocation Committee, the Debt
Limit Allocation Committee, and the California Housing Finance Agency
shall do both of the following:  
   (1) Notify the rental housing providers specified in subdivision
(b) of the requirements of this section after adopting the
application, and each time the department adopts a revised
application.  
   (2) Notify rental housing providers who receive the funds, tax
credits, or bond authority specified in subdivision (b) of the
requirements of this section when they receive the funds, tax
credits, or bond authority.