The Sacramento Report
by Monica Williamson
Assemblymember Alberto Toricco (D-Fremont) has introduced legislation that will attempt to put back into law the 60-day notice for termination of tenancy. The bill, AB 1169, is currently identical to last year's SB 51. It would require an owner of a residential dwelling to give a tenant at least 60-days' notice prior to terminating the tenancy if the tenant had lived in the unit for one year or more. A 30-day notice would be required if a tenant had lived in the unit for less than one year. AB 1169 contains a sunset provision, meaning the 60-day notice would expire on December 31, 2009, unless future legislation was passed to extend that date.
Assemblymember Torrico has amended an existing bill, and the debates over the issue will start this time on the Senate side. The first hearing will take place in the coming weeks in the Senate Judiciary Committee. This year's Senate Judiciary Committee is chaired by Senator Joe Dunn (D-Santa Ana) and includes Senators Dick Ackerman (R-Irvine), Martha Escutia (D-Whittier) and Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica). There is one vacancy on the committee, which will likely go to a Republican if, or when, it is filled. Three votes are needed to move the bill out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Given the makeup of the committee and the votes cast last year by these same senators, this year's vote will unequivocally go in favor of AB 1169, (with Dunn, Escutia, and Kuehl voting in favor).
The next stop for AB 1169 will be the Senate floor. Last year's vote on the floor was cast in favor of the 60-day notice provisions, with a 21 to 13 partisan vote. (Democrats voted "Aye" and Republicans voted "No." There were six absent members.) Again, this year, the votes are anticipated to go in favor of the 60-day notice legislation.
The real work will be begin anew in the Assembly, where last year's legislation failed on a final vote of 36 to 32. The legislation needs 41 votes to move out of the Assembly and on to the governor for consideration. CAA staff has already met with those members who voted no or abstained on last year's legislation. To date, these same assemblymembers have promised to remain consistent in their votes against extension of the 60-day notice law. Of course, the discussions with these members must continue as the bill moves closer to the Assembly floor.
What You Can Do to Help
We want to hear from you with the stories about the negative repercussions that the last 60-day notice law imposed upon your business, and specifically upon your other tenants. Please write your stories and send them to us via fax at 916-447-7903, email rbicker@caanet.org or send by mail to California Apartment Association, 980 Ninth St., Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Don't delay. Legislators will again want to hear from you. Please include your name, telephone number and address.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. Monica Williamson is CAA's vice president of public affairs. Copyright © 2006 by the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. All rights reserved.