AB 2240

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law, the Farm Labor Center Law, authorizes a housing authority to acquire, own, operate, construct, reconstruct, repair, replace, maintain, and dispose of a farm labor center, as defined, due to the need to assemble, domicile, and house persons and families engaged in agricultural work. Existing law also authorizes a housing authority to arrange and contract for the furnishing of services, privileges, works, or facilities for or in connection with its farm labor center, as specified. Existing law prohibits a housing authority that operates a farm labor center from limiting an agricultural worker's housing unit occupancy period to less than 270 days if the Director of Agriculture certifies that there are seasonal crops that would keep those workers in the immediate area for that period of time. Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development, through its Office of Migrant Services, to assist in the development, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or operation of migrant farm labor centers, as provided. Existing law authorizes the Director of Housing and Community Development to contract with specified local public and private entities, including school districts and housing authorities, for the procurement or construction of housing or shelter and to obtain specified services, including education, for migratory agricultural workers. Existing law authorizes a migrant farm labor center subject to these contracts to be operated for an extended period prior to or beyond the standard 180-day period, but not to exceed 275 days in any calendar year, if certain conditions are satisfied. This bill instead would require all housing units at farm labor centers operated by a housing authority to be made available year round for occupancy by migratory agricultural workers by January 1, 2031, and would require migrant farm labor centers subject to the above-described contracts with the department to be operated year round by January 1, 2031. In this regard, the bill would require the department to develop and implement a 6-year transition plan based on reports that the bill would require migrant farm labor centers to send to the department by July 1, 2025. The bill would also impose various requirements and prohibitions on the entity operating a migrant farm labor center, including requirements related to ensuring the health and safety of the occupants and a prohibition on requiring migratory agricultural workers with schoolage children to move out of their housing during the child's school year or in a time or manner that is disruptive to the child's academic year. By imposing additional restrictions on a housing authority with regard to operating a farm labor center, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the department to conduct an annual inspection of each farm labor center to determine whether health, safety, and infrastructure standards are properly met. This bill would prohibit rent of a migrant farm labor center assisted by the Office of Migrant Services from exceeding the average daily per-unit operating cost of the center. This bill would define "migratory agricultural worker" for purposes of the above-described provisions of the bill and the existing law provisions governing the department's assistance with regard to migrant farm labor centers. This bill would apply its provisions described above to a contract entered into, amended, or extended on or after January 1, 2025. Existing law requires the department to make the Office of Migrant Services centers available for rent by persons or families experiencing economic hardships or rendered homeless or at risk of becoming homeless as a result of a drought for which the Governor declared a state of emergency on January 17, 2014. This bill would repeal those provisions. This bill would make related findings and declarations. 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.