AB 338

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law, the Manufactured Housing Act of 1980, requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (department) to enforce various laws pertaining to the structural, fire safety, plumbing, heat-producing, or electrical systems and installations or equipment of a manufactured home, mobilehome, special purpose commercial coach, or commercial coach. Under existing law, a knowing violation of the act is punishable as a misdemeanor offense, as specified. The act, on or after January 1, 2009, requires all used manufactured homes, used mobilehomes, and used multifamily manufactured homes that are sold to have a smoke alarm that meets certain requirements installed in each room designed for sleeping. The act also requires, for manufactured homes and multifamily manufactured homes manufactured before September 16, 2002, that specified information regarding the smoke alarm be provided to the purchaser. This bill would, instead, require all used manufactured homes, used mobilehomes, and used multifamily manufactured homes that are sold on or after January 1, 2020, or rented pursuant to a rental agreement entered into on or after January 1, 2020, to have installed in each room designed for sleeping a smoke alarm that is operable on the date of rental or transfer of title, is installed in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions, and has been approved and listed by the Office of the State Fire Marshal. The bill also would require that specified information regarding all smoke alarms installed in the used manufactured home, used mobilehome, or used multifamily manufactured home be provided to the purchaser or renter thereof. Existing law, the Mobilehome Parks Act, requires an owner or operator of an existing mobilehome park to adopt an emergency preparedness plan on or before September 1, 2010. The act requires the owner or operator, for an existing park, and for parks constructed after September 10, 2010, to post notice of the plan in the park clubhouse and another conspicuous area, as specified, and, on or before September 10, 2010, to provide information relating to accessing the plan and individual emergency preparedness information. Existing law requires an enforcement agency to determine park compliance with these provisions if certain conditions have been met. Existing law deems a violation of these provisions to constitute an unreasonable risk to life, health, or safety and requires correction by park management within 60 days of notice of the violation. Under existing law, a willful violation of the act is a misdemeanor, as specified. Existing law, the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, requires public agencies to translate their forms and processes into all languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, as defined, served by the agency, as specified. This bill would require every park owner or operator to post notice of the emergency preparedness plan in the park clubhouse or in another publicly accessible area, as specified, and annually to provide notice to all existing residents of how to access the plan and information on individual emergency preparedness and how to obtain the plan in a language other than English. The bill would also require the owner or operator to make a portion of the emergency preparedness plan available in English as well as in all of the languages that the department is required to translate their forms and processes into pursuant to the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act. The bill would require the department to translate a specified portion of the emergency preparedness plan into all of the languages required by the act and to post the translations on its internet website. Because this bill would expand the scope of existing crimes, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.