California 2015-2016 Regular Session Status: Enacted

SB 7 — Housing: water meters: multiunit structures.

Last action — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 623, Statutes of 2016.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced December 01, 2014. Enacted.

Prognosis

Advancing 56% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Mixed recorded votes

    10 passed, 1 failed in recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

(1) Existing law generally regulates the hiring of dwelling units and, among other things, imposes certain requirements on landlords and tenants. Among these requirements, existing law requires landlords to provide tenants with certain notices or disclosures pertaining to, among other things, pest control and gas meters. This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to encourage the conservation of water in multifamily residential rental buildings through means either within the landlord's or the tenant's control, and to establish that the practices involving the submetering of dwelling units for water service are just and reasonable, and include appropriate safeguards for both tenants and landlords. This bill would, if a submeter is used to charge a tenant separately for water service, impose requirements on landlords relating to submetered water service to individual dwelling units. The bill would require a landlord to make certain disclosures to the tenant prior to the execution of the rental agreement, if the landlord intends to charge a tenant separately from rent for water service in a property with submeters. The bill would specify that as part of the monthly bill for water service, a landlord may only bill a tenant for volumetric water usage, as specified, a portion of any recurring fixed charge billed to the property by the water purveyor, as specified, a billing, administrative, or other fee, as prescribed, and a late charge. The bill would specify that payments are required to be due at the same point in each billing cycle, as prescribed, and that each bill must include and separately set forth certain information. The bill would prohibit a landlord from charging certain additional fees. The bill would require a landlord to maintain and make available in writing to a tenant, as specified, the date the submeter was last inspected, tested, and verified, the data used to calculate the tenant's bill, and the location of the submeter. The bill would require a landlord to investigate and, if warranted, rectify certain problems or a submeter reading that indicates constant or abnormal water usage. The bill would permit a landlord to enter a dwelling unit for specified purposes relating to a submeter or water fixture if certain requirements are met. The bill would permit a tenant to be charged late fees, as specified. The bill would provide that these provisions shall become operative on January 1, 2018. (2) The California Building Standards Law provides for the adoption of building standards by state agencies by requiring all state agencies that adopt or propose adoption of any building standard to submit the building standard to the California Building Standards Commission for approval and adoption. Existing law creates the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund and requires that funds deposited into the fund be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to carry out specified provisions of law that relate to building standards, with emphasis placed on certain activities relating to green building standards. This bill would authorize the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop and propose for adoption by the commission building standards that require the installation of water meters or submeters in multiunit residential buildings, as specified. The bill would exempt specified categories of structures from these building standards. This bill would provide that moneys in the fund are available to the department, upon appropriation, for administrative costs associated with the development of building standards that require the installation of water meters or submeters in multiunit residential buildings. (3) The Water Measurement Law requires every water purveyor to require, as a condition of new water service on and after January 1, 1992, the installation of a water meter to measure water service. That law also requires urban water suppliers to install water meters on specified service connections, and to charge water users based on the actual volume of deliveries as measured by those water meters in accordance with a certain timetable. This bill would add to the Water Measurement Law the requirement that a water purveyor that provides water service to a newly constructed multiunit residential structure or newly constructed mixed-use residential and commercial structure that submits an application for a water connection after January 1, 2018, measure the quantity of water supplied to each individual dwelling unit as a condition of new water service and permit the measurement to be by individual water meters or submeters, as defined. The bill would require the owner of the structure to install submeters that comply with laws and regulations governing the approval of submeter types or the installation, maintenance, reading, billing, and testing of submeters, including, but not limited to, the California Plumbing Code. The bill would further require installation of submeters to be performed either by contractors licensed by the Contractors' State License Board that employs at least one journey person who meets specified training requirements or by a registered service agency registered with the Department of Food and Agriculture. The bill would exempt certain structures from these requirements. The bill would prohibit a water purveyor from imposing an additional capacity or connection fee or charge for a submeter that is installed by the owner, or his or her agent. The bill would additionally provide that these provisions are intended to preclude the adoption, or preempt the operation, of an ordinance or regulation adopted after January 1, 2013, that regulates submeters, as specified. The bill would provide that these provisions shall become operative on January 1, 2018.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 623, Statutes of 2016.

  2. Approved by the Governor.

  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.

  4. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 36. Noes 3. Page 5570.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. From committee: That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 5538.)

  6. Set for hearing August 30.

  7. From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on T. & H. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 5448.) Re-referred to Com. on T. & H.

  8. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d).

  9. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  10. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 51. Noes 24. Page 6276.) Ordered to the Senate.

  11. Ordered to third reading.

  12. Read third time and amended.

  13. Reconsideration granted. (Ayes 48. Noes 18. Page 5978.)

  14. Motion to reconsider made by Assembly Member Williams.

  15. Read third time. Refused passage. (Ayes 29. Noes 28. Page 2976.)

  16. Ordered to third reading.

  17. Read third time and amended.

  18. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  19. Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  20. From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 12. Noes 4.) (August 27).

  21. August 19 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  22. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  23. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 4.) (July 14).

  24. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on W., P., & W.

  25. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on W., P., & W.

  26. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on W., P., & W. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 17).

  27. Referred to Coms. on H. & C.D. and W., P., & W.

  28. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  29. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 7. Page 880.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  30. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  31. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 779.) (April 27).

  32. Set for hearing April 27.

  33. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 620.) (April 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  34. Set for hearing April 14.

  35. April 7 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.

  36. Set for hearing April 7.

  37. Referred to Com. on T. & H.

  38. From printer. May be acted upon on or after January 1.

  39. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

  • Williams · Cosponsor
  • Wolk · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 120 not signed on · 9 voted No

Sponsors (1)

  • Wolk

Co-sponsors (1)

  • Williams

Not signed on (120)

120 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 120 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Unfinished Business SB7 Wolk Concurrence

Passed 36 Yea · 3 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 33300
Democratic 3000
Total 36300
% of votes cast 92%8%0%0%
How each member voted (39)
Member Party Vote
Bates — Yea
Beall — Yea
Leno — Yea
Liu — Yea
Roth — Yea
Fuller — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Hertzberg — Yea
Allen — Yea
Hill — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
De León — Yea
Cannella — Yea
Block — Yea
Lara — Yea
Mendoza — Yea
Morrell — Yea
Pan — Yea
Pavley — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Hall — Yea
Hancock — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Huff — Yea
Leyva — Yea
Anderson — Nay
Monning — Yea
Moorlach — Nay
Nielsen — Nay
Vidak — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Yea
Mark Stone — Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

SB 7 Wolk Senate Third Reading By WILLIAMS

Passed 51 Yea · 24 Nay · 5 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 462004
Democratic 5000
Republican 0401
Total 512405
% of votes cast 64%30%0%6%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Achadjian — Nay
Alejo — Yea
Brough — Nay
Brown — Yea
Holden — Yea
Levine — Yea
Mathis — Nay
O'Donnell — Yea
Ridley-Thomas — Yea
Rodriguez — Not Voting
Santiago — Yea
Weber — Yea
Wilk — Nay
Eggman — Yea
Cooper — Yea
Daly — Yea
Campos — Yea
Frazier — Yea
Chau — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Gordon — Yea
Gray — Yea
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
Lopez — Yea
Low — Yea
McCarty — Yea
Chiu — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Medina — Yea
Baker — Yea
Bloom — Yea
Chu — Yea
Cooley — Yea
Dababneh — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Mullin — Yea
Nazarian — Yea
Olsen — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Thurmond — Yea
Williams — Yea
Salas — Nay
Harper — Nay
Burke — Not Voting
Chang — Nay
Chávez — Nay
Bigelow — Nay
Kim — Not Voting
Linder — Not Voting
Maienschein — Nay
Mayes — Nay
Melendez — Nay
Obernolte — Nay
Quirk — Yea
Steinorth — Nay
Ting — Yea
Wagner — Nay
Waldron — Nay
Wood — Yea
Gomez — Yea
Hadley — Nay
Beth Gaines — Nay
Cristina Garcia — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Nay
Lorena Gonzalez — Yea
Mark Stone — Yea
Roger Hernández — Yea
Travis Allen — Nay
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Not Voting
Gallagher, James Republican Nay
Grove, Shannon Republican Nay
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay
Lackey, Tom Republican Nay

Official roll call →

SB 7 Wolk Motion to Reconsider By WILLIAMS

Passed 48 Yea · 18 Nay · 14 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 4314013
Democratic 4001
Republican 1400
Total 4818014
% of votes cast 60%23%0%18%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Achadjian — Nay
Alejo — Yea
Baker — Nay
Bigelow — Not Voting
Brough — Nay
Brown — Yea
Harper — Nay
Holden — Not Voting
Low — Yea
Maienschein — Yea
Mathis — Not Voting
Mayes — Not Voting
O'Donnell — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Thurmond — Yea
Waldron — Nay
Williams — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Cooley — Yea
Cooper — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Frazier — Yea
Gray — Yea
Gomez — Yea
Lopez — Yea
Gordon — Yea
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
Levine — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Linder — Nay
McCarty — Yea
Burke — Yea
Melendez — Nay
Mullin — Yea
Salas — Nay
Campos — Yea
Nazarian — Yea
Bloom — Yea
Chang — Nay
Chau — Yea
Chiu — Yea
Chu — Yea
Chávez — Nay
Dababneh — Yea
Daly — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Ridley-Thomas — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Ting — Yea
Wagner — Nay
Weber — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Wood — Yea
Hadley — Not Voting
Kim — Not Voting
Dodd — Not Voting
Medina — Not Voting
Obernolte — Not Voting
Olsen — Not Voting
Rodriguez — Not Voting
Steinorth — Not Voting
Beth Gaines — Nay
Cristina Garcia — Not Voting
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Nay
Lorena Gonzalez — Yea
Mark Stone — Yea
Roger Hernández — Yea
Travis Allen — Nay
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Not Voting
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Nay
Gallagher, James Republican Nay
Grove, Shannon Republican Nay
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay
Lackey, Tom Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SB 7 Wolk Senate Third Reading By WILLIAMS

Failed 29 Yea · 28 Nay · 23 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 2923019
Democratic 0004
Republican 0500
Total 2928023
% of votes cast 36%35%0%29%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Achadjian — Nay
Alejo — Not Voting
Bloom — Not Voting
Brough — Nay
Brown — Not Voting
Levine — Yea
Maienschein — Nay
Mathis — Nay
Medina — Yea
Ridley-Thomas — Yea
Steinorth — Nay
Wagner — Nay
Wilk — Nay
Eggman — Yea
Cooper — Not Voting
Daly — Not Voting
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
Mullin — Yea
Nazarian — Yea
O'Donnell — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Gray — Yea
Lopez — Yea
Frazier — Not Voting
Burke — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Campos — Not Voting
Gomez — Yea
Gordon — Yea
Chang — Nay
Harper — Nay
Salas — Not Voting
Bonilla — Not Voting
Holden — Yea
Kim — Nay
Linder — Nay
Low — Not Voting
Mayes — Nay
McCarty — Yea
Melendez — Nay
Obernolte — Nay
Baker — Yea
Bigelow — Nay
Chau — Yea
Chiu — Yea
Chu — Yea
Chávez — Not Voting
Cooley — Not Voting
Dababneh — Not Voting
Dodd — Not Voting
Olsen — Nay
Perea — Nay
Quirk — Yea
Rodriguez — Not Voting
Santiago — Yea
Thurmond — Yea
Ting — Yea
Waldron — Nay
Weber — Yea
Williams — Yea
Wood — Nay
Gatto — Nay
Hadley — Not Voting
Beth Gaines — Nay
Cristina Garcia — Not Voting
Eduardo Garcia — Not Voting
Jim Patterson — Nay
Lorena Gonzalez — Yea
Mark Stone — Yea
Roger Hernández — Not Voting
Travis Allen — Nay
Bonta, Mia Democratic Not Voting
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Not Voting
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Not Voting
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Not Voting
Dahle, Megan Republican Nay
Gallagher, James Republican Nay
Grove, Shannon Republican Nay
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay
Lackey, Tom Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended.

Passed 12 Yea · 4 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 10201
Democratic 2000
Republican 0200
Total 12401
% of votes cast 71%24%0%6%
How each member voted (17)
Member Party Vote
Bigelow — Nay
Bloom — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Weber — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Gomez — Yea
Chang — Not Voting
Holden — Yea
Nazarian — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Wagner — Nay
Wood — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Gallagher, James Republican Nay
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 10 Yea · 4 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 10301
Republican 0100
Total 10401
% of votes cast 67%27%0%7%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Mathis — Nay
Williams — Yea
Lopez — Yea
Salas — Yea
Gomez — Yea
Dababneh — Yea
Harper — Nay
Bigelow — Not Voting
Dodd — Yea
Levine — Yea
Medina — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Beth Gaines — Nay
Cristina Garcia — Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Nay

Official roll call →

3rd Reading

Passed 28 Yea · 7 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 25704
Democratic 3000
Total 28704
% of votes cast 72%18%0%10%
How each member voted (39)
Member Party Vote
Anderson — Nay
Block — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Lara — Not Voting
Liu — Yea
Moorlach — Yea
Morrell — Nay
Nielsen — Nay
Pavley — Not Voting
Vidak — Nay
Wieckowski — Yea
Fuller — Nay
Hill — Yea
Cannella — Yea
Allen — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Pan — Yea
De León — Yea
Runner — Nay
Galgiani — Yea
Hall — Yea
Hancock — Not Voting
Hertzberg — Yea
Bates — Yea
Beall — Yea
Huff — Yea
Leno — Yea
Leyva — Yea
Mendoza — Yea
Monning — Yea
Roth — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Not Voting
Mark Stone — Nay
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass

Passed 4 Yea · 1 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 4102
Total 4102
% of votes cast 57%14%0%29%
How each member voted (7)
Member Party Vote
Mendoza — Yea
Hill — Yea
Lara — Yea
Leyva — Not Voting
Bates — Yea
Beall — Not Voting
Nielsen — Nay

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety housing environment
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 7 do?
(1) Existing law generally regulates the hiring of dwelling units and, among other things, imposes certain requirements on landlords and tenants. Among these requirements, existing law requires landlords to provide tenants with certain notices or disclosures pertaining to, among other things, pest control and gas meters. This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to encourage the conservation of water in multifamily residential rental buildings through means either within the landlord's or the tenant's control, and to establish that the practices involving the submetering of dwelling units for water service are just and reasonable, and include appropriate safeguards for both tenants and landlords. This bill would, if a submeter is used to charge a tenant separately for water service, impose requirements on landlords relating to submetered water service to individual dwelling units. The bill would require a landlord to make certain disclosures to the tenant prior to the execution of the rental agreement, if the landlord intends to charge a tenant separately from rent for water service in a property with submeters. The bill would specify that as part of the monthly bill for water service, a landlord may only bill a tenant for volumetric water usage, as specified, a portion of any recurring fixed charge billed to the property by the water purveyor, as specified, a billing, administrative, or other fee, as prescribed, and a late charge. The bill would specify that payments are required to be due at the same point in each billing cycle, as prescribed, and that each bill must include and separately set forth certain information. The bill would prohibit a landlord from charging certain additional fees. The bill would require a landlord to maintain and make available in writing to a tenant, as specified, the date the submeter was last inspected, tested, and verified, the data used to calculate the tenant's bill, and the location of the submeter. The bill would require a landlord to investigate and, if warranted, rectify certain problems or a submeter reading that indicates constant or abnormal water usage. The bill would permit a landlord to enter a dwelling unit for specified purposes relating to a submeter or water fixture if certain requirements are met. The bill would permit a tenant to be charged late fees, as specified. The bill would provide that these provisions shall become operative on January 1, 2018. (2) The California Building Standards Law provides for the adoption of building standards by state agencies by requiring all state agencies that adopt or propose adoption of any building standard to submit the building standard to the California Building Standards Commission for approval and adoption. Existing law creates the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund and requires that funds deposited into the fund be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to carry out specified provisions of law that relate to building standards, with emphasis placed on certain activities relating to green building standards. This bill would authorize the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop and propose for adoption by the commission building standards that require the installation of water meters or submeters in multiunit residential buildings, as specified. The bill would exempt specified categories of structures from these building standards. This bill would provide that moneys in the fund are available to the department, upon appropriation, for administrative costs associated with the development of building standards that require the installation of water meters or submeters in multiunit residential buildings. (3) The Water Measurement Law requires every water purveyor to require, as a condition of new water service on and after January 1, 1992, the installation of a water meter to measure water service. That law also requires urban water suppliers to install water meters on specified service connections, and to charge water users based on the actual volume of deliveries as measured by those water meters in accordance with a certain timetable. This bill would add to the Water Measurement Law the requirement that a water purveyor that provides water service to a newly constructed multiunit residential structure or newly constructed mixed-use residential and commercial structure that submits an application for a water connection after January 1, 2018, measure the quantity of water supplied to each individual dwelling unit as a condition of new water service and permit the measurement to be by individual water meters or submeters, as defined. The bill would require the owner of the structure to install submeters that comply with laws and regulations governing the approval of submeter types or the installation, maintenance, reading, billing, and testing of submeters, including, but not limited to, the California Plumbing Code. The bill would further require installation of submeters to be performed either by contractors licensed by the Contractors' State License Board that employs at least one journey person who meets specified training requirements or by a registered service agency registered with the Department of Food and Agriculture. The bill would exempt certain structures from these requirements. The bill would prohibit a water purveyor from imposing an additional capacity or connection fee or charge for a submeter that is installed by the owner, or his or her agent. The bill would additionally provide that these provisions are intended to preclude the adoption, or preempt the operation, of an ordinance or regulation adopted after January 1, 2013, that regulates submeters, as specified. The bill would provide that these provisions shall become operative on January 1, 2018.
Who sponsors SB 7?
SB 7 is sponsored by Williams and Wolk.
What is the current status of SB 7?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced December 01, 2014. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 7?
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