BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    

           




          
                SENATE HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
                       Senator Richard Alarc?n, Chairman


          Bill No:                             SB 1545Hearing:May 1,  
          2000
          Author:                              CostaFiscal:No
          Version:                              As proposed to be  
          amended                              Consultant:Mark  
          Stivers
          
                  FARMWORKERS HOUSING: SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS
                                        
           Background and Existing Law  :

          Current law, the Employee Housing Act (EHA), generally  
          regulates housing provided by employers to five or more  
          employees and housing for agricultural workers.  The  
          Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)  
          inspects for compliance with building code requirements and  
          permits all employee housing at least once every two years.  
           However, single family dwellings can be issued up to  
          five-year permits.  Local agencies can assume the building  
          inspection and enforcement responsibilities.  

          At any time a resident of employee housing may file a  
          complaint alleging substandard housing conditions.  If the  
          enforcement agency does not file a civil action within 34  
          days of receipt of the complaint, or within 5 days in the  
          case of imminent peril, the complainant may bring a civil  
          action for damages and injunctive relief.


           Proposed Law  :

          Senate Bill 1545 would delete the requirement that a  
          complainant wait five days before filing a civil action if  
          the complainant alleges, and the court finds, that  
          residents are in imminent peril.


           Comments  :

           Purpose of the bill  .  According to the sponsors of the  
          bill, SB 1545 is a vehicle for a "consensus-based approach  




          SB 1545 --Version- as proposed to be amended                 
                                        Page 2



          being jointly undertaken by growers and farmworker  
          advocates to update, streamline, strengthen, and refocus  
          the inspection process and regulatory requirements for  
          licensed farmworker housing."  In the event the bill is  
          approved, the committee may wish to ask that the author  
          bring the bill back if substantially amended.  
          







           Support and Opposition  :  (4/25/)

           Support  :                                Agricultural  
          Council of California
                 Bank of America
                 California Building Industry Association
                 California Catholic Conference
                 California Church Impact
                 California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation 
                 Friends Committee on Legislation
                 Jericho
                 Lutheran Office of Public Policy
                 Manufactured Housing Institute
                 Western Center on Law and Poverty
                 Wine Institute

           Opposition :  Unknown


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