BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                          AB 1505
                                                          Page  1

CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1505 (Ducheny)
As Amended September 3, 1999
Majority vote
  
ASSEMBLY: 79-0 (June 1, 1999)   SENATE: 38-0 (September 7, 1999)
   
  Original Committee Reference:   H. C. & D.  

  SUMMARY  :  Requires local general plans' housing elements to  
identify adequate sites with public services and facilities for  
housing for agricultural employees to meet the city or county's  
regional share of farmworker housing. 

  The Senate amendments  :

1)Provide criteria for the subdivision of agricultural land  
  designated as an agricultural preserve.

2)Allow land used for recreation or agricultural housing to be  
  indemnified against all claims arising from that use.  

3)Specify that it is the intent of the Legislature that the  
  Department of Housing and Community Development when reviewing  
  a jurisdiction's housing element must:  a) consider whether  
  the sites identified for farmworker housing facilitate the  
  provision of farmworker housing while minimizing the  
  development of prime agricultural land to urban uses; and, b)  
  recognize and support efforts to work together to identify  
  their respective share of the sites needed for farmworker  
  housing and to locate those sites within or adjacent to urban  
  areas.  

  EXISTING LAW  authorizes any city or county to enter into a  
contract with the owner of agricultural land for the purposes of  
preserving that land for agricultural use by providing tax  
breaks under the Williamson Act. The Act allows the development  
of farm worker housing with continued tax breaks. Current law  
also provides that land subdivided under the Williamson Act is  
subject to the same contractual obligations that it was prior to  
its subdivision unless the local governing board cancels the  
contract.

Specifies that farm worker housing projects that consist of not  
more than 45 units and up to 45 farm workers in an urban area or  
that consists of not more than 20 units and up to 20 workers in  
a nonurban area are exempt from CEQA. 






                                                          AB 1505
                                                         Page  2


Requires farm worker housing projects to be consistent with  
local the zoning designation to qualify for a CEQA exemption.

  AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill expanded a provision of  
current law that exempts certain farmworker housing projects  
from environmental review, and allows landowners with property  
under the Williamson Act contracts to set aside a portion of the  
property for the exclusive use of farmworker housing , if the  
land remains in a Williamson Act  contract and if other  
conditions are met. 

  FISCAL EFFECT  :  Unknown

  Analysis Prepared by  :  Patrick O Donnell / H. & C.D. / (916)  
319-2085 
                                                     FN: 0003375