BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �




                     SENATE GOVERNANCE & FINANCE COMMITTEE
                            Senator Lois Wolk, Chair
          

          BILL NO:  AB 1266                     HEARING:  7/6/11
          AUTHOR:  Nielsen                      FISCAL:  No
          VERSION:  2/18/11                     TAX LEVY:  No
          CONSULTANT:  Detwiler                 

                                 WILLIAMSON ACT
          

          Lists topics about which Williamson Act advisory boards may 
                                provide advice.


                           Background and Existing Law  

          The Williamson Act conserves agricultural and open space 
          land under a three-part scheme that involves voluntary 
          contracts between landowners and the county (or city) that 
          enforceably restricts land uses, reduced property tax 
          assessments, and state subventions to make up for the lost 
          revenues.  A county board of supervisors or city council 
          may appoint an advisory board to give advice on 
          agricultural preserves and Williamson Act contracts.


                                   Proposed Law  

          Assembly Bill 1266 creates a nonexclusive list of topics 
          about which a Williamson Act advisory board may advise a 
          county board of supervisors or city council: program 
          benefits, costs, amendments, and landowner participation.  
          AB 1265 declares that this statutory provision is not the 
          exclusive manner to receive advice.


                               State Revenue Impact
           
          No estimate.


                                     Comment  

           Purpose of the bill  .  Not only is the Williamson Act a 
          complex statute, its local administration requires careful 
          attention to detail.  Local officials can rely on 




          AB 1266 -- 2/18/11 -- Page 2



          experienced landowners and conservationists to get the 
          advice they need.  AB 1266 is identical to an earlier 
          version of AB 2530 (Nielsen, 2010), which the Senate Local 
          Government Committee passed on its consent calendar last 
          June.  In August 2010, Assembly Member Nielsen converted 
          his AB 2530 into a more substantial measure that created a 
          method for county officials to recoup some of their lost 
          state subventions.  Governor Schwarzenegger signed that 
          bill into law.  However, before last year's Nielsen bill 
          could take effect, the Legislature passed and Governor 
          Schwarzenegger signed SB 863 (Senate Budget & Fiscal Review 
          Committee, 2010), an urgency bill which revised the Nielsen 
          language.  Earlier this year, the Legislature passed and 
          Governor Brown signed SB 80 (Senate Budget & Fiscal Review 
          Committee, 2011), an urgency bill that repealed counties' 
          ability to recoup some of their lost state subventions.  At 
          its June 22 hearing, the Committee also passed AB 1265 
          (Nielsen), which restores counties' ability to recoup some 
          of their lost state subventions.


                                 Assembly Actions  

          Assembly Local Government Committee:  9-0
          Assembly Agriculture Committee:  9-0
          Assembly Floor:                    78-0


                         Support and Opposition  (6/30/11)

           Support  :  Unknown.

           Opposition  :  Unknown.