Bill Text: CA SB672 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Residential property insurance.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2023-06-26 - Re-referred to Com. on INS. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96. [SB672 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SB672-Amended.html

Amended  IN  Assembly  June 19, 2023
Amended  IN  Senate  April 19, 2023
Amended  IN  Senate  April 12, 2023
Amended  IN  Senate  March 22, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 672


Introduced by Senator McGuire
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Connolly)
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry)

February 16, 2023


An act to add Article 2.3 (commencing with Section 258) to Chapter 2 of Division 1 of the Streets and Highways Code, relating to transportation. 4 (commencing with Section 2090) to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Insurance Code, relating to insurance.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 672, as amended, McGuire. State highways: parklets. Residential property insurance.
Existing law generally regulates classes of insurance, including residential property insurance. Existing law prohibits a residential property insurance policy from being issued or renewed in this state unless it complies with certain requirements.
This bill would prohibit an admitted insurer that offers residential property insurance from refusing to offer or sell residential property insurance to an applicant whose property meets specified best practices for wildfire building hardening and property-level mitigation.

Existing law establishes the Department of Transportation and vests it with full possession and control of all state highways and all property and rights in property for state highway purposes. Existing law authorizes the department to issue a written permit to place an encroachment on the state highway and to charge a fee, except to a public corporation, for the issuance of a permit to recover the department’s costs in issuing encroachment permits.

This bill would require the department to establish a standard fee structure for the application and placement of a parklet on a state highway, as specified. The bill would prohibit the department from charging an encroachment permit fee for the application and placement of a parklet on a state highway. The bill would require the department to consider an encroachment permit application for commercial use. The bill would require the department to comply with applicable state and federal law in establishing the standard fee structure, authorize the department to adjust the fee schedule to comply with applicable state and federal law, and require the department to report to the Legislature if it adjusts the fee schedule to comply with applicable state or federal law, as provided.

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Article 4 (commencing with Section 2090) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Insurance Code, to read:
Article  4. Guarantee Issue for Wildfire Safe Homeowners

2090.
 (a) An admitted insurer that offers residential property insurance in this state shall not refuse to offer or sell residential property insurance to an applicant whose property meets the best practices for wildfire building hardening and property-level mitigation, as defined in Section 2644.9(d)(1)(B) of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations.
(b) If Section 2644.9(d)(1)(B) of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations is repealed, subdivision (a) shall be satisfied using best practices for wildfire building hardening and property-level mitigation as defined in Section 2644.9(d)(1)(B) of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations at the time of repeal.

SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a)According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, the presence of a parklet increases the number of people who stop to socialize and engage in positive behavior.

(b)Parklets serve as “eyes on the streets,” a term coined by Jane Jacobs that implies that when there are more people around, neighborhoods become safer, more vibrant, and more communal.

(c)During the COVID-19 pandemic, parklets provided a necessary solution for businesses to adapt to new safety measures in order to stay open, providing an economic boost to businesses all throughout the surrounding neighborhood.

(d)Parklets contribute community-centric benefits to a neighborhood by offering people free open areas to gather, and promote a sense of community ownership over these public spaces.

(e)State and local emergency orders during the COVID-19 pandemic provided a low-cost and easy way for businesses to have parklets permitted and constructed. As these emergency orders are lifted and permits begin to expire, businesses and local governments are facing higher costs and administrative barriers to procuring or retaining a parklet permit.

SEC. 2.Article 2.3 (commencing with Section 258) is added to Chapter 2 of Division 1 of the Streets and Highways Code, to read:
2.3.Parklets
258.

For purposes of this article, “parklet” means a small temporary constructed seating or community gathering area over an on-street parking space or an extension of the sidewalk into the operating state highway right-of-way.

258.1.

(a)The department shall establish a standard fee structure for the application and placement of a parklet on a state highway. The fee structure shall be based on all of the following:

(1)The number of parking spaces used for the parklet.

(2)The type of use, either commercial or public use.

(3)The proposed use of the right-of-way as a parklet.

(b)The department shall reduce the fees by one-half for both of the following:

(1)A business with less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) in annual revenue.

(2)A parklet proposed for public benefit.

258.2.

The department shall consider an encroachment permit application for a parklet for commercial use.

258.3.

The fees described in this article shall be the only fees the department collects for the application, placement, or both, of a parklet on a state highway. The department shall not charge a fee pursuant to Section 671.1 for a parklet subject to this article.

258.4.

(a)In implementing this article, the department shall comply with applicable state and federal law, including, but not limited to, Section 2 of Article XIX of the California Constitution.

(b)The department may adjust the fee schedule described in Section 258.1 to comply with applicable state and federal law.

(c)(1)If the department adjusts the fee schedule pursuant to subdivision (b), then the department shall submit a report to the Legislature explaining the changes that were made and the reason for the changes, or if the department could not make changes to comply with applicable state or federal law.

(2)A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

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