Hold California Accountable

Civil actions: restitution for or replacement of a new motor vehicle.

Delays new motor vehicle warranty dispute procedures from April 1 to July 1, 2025. Allows vehicle manufacturers to opt in to specific consumer protection procedures for five-year periods. Requires consumers to notify potential buyers of pending warranty claims before selling disputed vehicles. Mandates the Department of Consumer Affairs to publish annual lists of manufacturers following these procedures.

Public insurance adjusters.

Caps public insurance adjuster fees at 15% of insurance payouts during disasters and emergencies. Prohibits adjusters from soliciting clients during active disasters or between 6 PM and 8 AM. Extends contract cancellation period to 5 days for disaster victims. Requires detailed written contracts specifying services and fees for property insurance claims.

Self-service storage facilities: lien notices: email.

Expands how storage facility owners can verify email delivery of lien notices to tenants. Requires storage facilities to send notices by mail if email delivery cannot be confirmed. Allows tenants to acknowledge lien notices through electronic signatures or email replies. Mandates rental agreements include space for an alternative contact person's information.

Workers’ compensation: firefighters.

Expands workers' compensation coverage to include firefighters at commercial airports for job-related injuries. Establishes automatic injury presumptions for cancer, PTSD, and infectious diseases in firefighters and officers. Requires full medical, hospital, disability and death benefits for qualifying conditions. Extends coverage for up to 60 months after service ends based on years worked.

Groundwater sustainability agency: transparency.

Requires groundwater agencies to publish their board membership online by January 2026. Mandates agencies to provide online links to board members' economic interest statements. Enhances transparency in groundwater management through public disclosure requirements.

Agricultural theft prevention: retention and sale of agricultural commodity: holding and deposit of proceeds.

Reduces the holding period for proceeds from seized agricultural commodities from six to three months. Requires county commissioners to deposit unclaimed proceeds into the county general fund after three months. Maintains existing authority to sell, donate, or destroy seized agricultural commodities.

Recall elections: successors.

Prohibits recalled local government officials from being reappointed to fill the vacancy created by their own recall. Eliminates special elections for choosing successors in local recall elections, requiring vacancies to be filled according to existing appointment procedures. Clarifies that in statewide recall elections, the candidate receiving the most votes automatically assumes the remainder of the recalled officer's term.

Elders and dependent adults: abuse or neglect.

Lowers the burden of proof in elder abuse cases when care facilities intentionally destroy evidence. Applies only to residential care facilities and skilled nursing homes, with specific exceptions. Requires courts to document in writing when lowering the evidence standard due to spoliation. Becomes inoperative if the state must reimburse facilities and funding is not appropriated.

County treasurer: settlement of accounts.

Extends the deadline for county treasurers to submit financial settlements to auditors from 10 to 12 business days. Requires county treasurers to continue settling accounts with auditors at least monthly. Maintains existing requirements for treasurers to safely manage and disburse all county funds.

San Mateo County Transit District: job order contracting: pilot program.

Establishes a pilot program allowing San Mateo Transit District to use job order contracting for repairs and maintenance. Limits individual job orders to $1 million and total contract awards to $5 million initially. Requires competitive bidding and compliance with prevailing wage laws and labor agreements. Expires on January 1, 2032 after requiring a program evaluation report to the Legislature.

Maintenance of the codes.

Community colleges: personnel: qualifications.

Strengthens hiring standards for California community college personnel by requiring specific qualifications. Mandates minimum or alternative qualifications for all faculty, administrators, and support staff positions. Applies to roles including instructors, counselors, librarians, and program administrators.

Reclamation District No. 108: hydroelectric power.

Extends Reclamation District No. 108's authority to generate and sell hydroelectric power indefinitely. Requires the district to submit a detailed operational and financial report to legislative committees by 2036. Restricts power sales to public utilities and agencies only, prohibiting direct sales to other customers. Mandates that electricity sale proceeds must first pay off construction costs before other district purposes.

Local finance: enhanced infrastructure financing districts: community revitalization and investment authorities.

Makes technical changes to streamline notice requirements and procedures for community revitalization authorities.

Motions: filing and service requirements.

Modernizes court filing rules by clarifying that electronic service does not extend notice periods for motions. Requires courts to electronically serve documents starting July 1, 2025 when parties are eligible. Streamlines legal procedures by maintaining standard notice periods for electronically served documents.

Motels, hotels, and short-term lodging: disasters.

Protects disaster victims staying in hotels from being classified as tenants through January 2031. Requires hotels to give 72-hour notice before evicting disaster victims who stay longer than 30 days. Takes effect immediately to address housing needs from Los Angeles County wildfires.

Automatic temporary restraining orders.

Expands divorce restraining orders to prevent both parties from letting insurance policies lapse starting January 2027. Requires parties to maintain all insurance coverage for themselves and children during divorce proceedings. Prohibits changes to insurance beneficiaries without written consent or court approval. Mandates 5-day advance notice to the other party before making any extraordinary expenditures.

Dwelling units: persons at risk of homelessness.

Authorizes tenants to house people at risk of homelessness with landlord approval through January 2031. Expands eligibility to include disaster-displaced residents and their pets. Requires written agreements between all parties and allows landlords to adjust rent for additional occupants. Holds tenants liable for temporary occupants' actions and enables quick removal for rule violations.

Land use: coastal development permits: accessory dwelling units.

Exempts accessory dwelling units in Los Angeles County from coastal development permit requirements. Extends permit exemptions to counties under state emergency declarations after February 1, 2025. Takes effect immediately to address housing shortages and natural disaster impacts. Eliminates public hearing requirements for ADU coastal development permits statewide.

Building regulations: state building standards.

Prohibits local governments from modifying residential building standards from 2025 to 2031 without state approval. Requires state commission approval for all residential building code changes except emergency safety measures. Aims to increase housing supply by standardizing building regulations across California cities and counties. Preserves local authority to modify standards for home hardening and fire safety measures.

Voter registration: residency confirmation.

Repeals outdated voter registration rules for processing address changes and inactive voter status. Removes requirements for county election officials to update voter records based on address changes. Streamlines election code by eliminating redundant provisions for voter registration maintenance.

Property insurance notice of cancellation.

Requires financial institutions to pay 2% interest on insurance payouts held in escrow accounts. Applies to new home loans after January 1, 2026 and existing loans in LA and Ventura wildfire zones. Prohibits banks from charging fees that would reduce the 2% interest rate on escrowed insurance funds. Takes immediate effect to help homeowners impacted by the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Planning and zoning: housing development projects: postentitlement phase permits: state departments.

Requires state agencies to post housing permit requirements and examples online by January 2026. Establishes strict permit review deadlines of 30 days for smaller projects and 60 days for larger ones. Automatically approves permits if state departments fail to meet review deadlines. Creates an appeals process requiring final decisions within 60-90 days based on project size.

California FAIR Plan Association.

Authorizes the California FAIR Plan Association to issue bonds through the state infrastructure bank to increase its ability to pay insurance claims during the current property insurance crisis. Enables the FAIR Plan to enter into loan agreements and credit lines with financial institutions to ensure adequate funding for catastrophic events. Requires FAIR Plan member insurance companies to pay assessments that cover all bond and loan payment obligations. Takes effect immediately as an urgency measure to address the severe shortage of property insurance coverage in California.

California Residential Private Permitting Review Act: residential building permits.

Establishes a new system allowing private professionals to review building permits when city delays exceed 30 days. Requires cities to post residential building permit fee schedules online and provide estimated review timeframes. Mandates building departments to approve or reject private review reports within 14 days of submission. Applies only to residential projects with 1-10 units and buildings under 40 feet in height.