SB 716: Local government: ordinances: penalties for violation: nonresidential structures.

Session Year: 2025-2026
House: Senate
Latest Version Date: 2026-08-13

Current Status:

In Progress

(2026-08-13: Ordered to third reading.)

Introduced

In Committee

Awaiting First Chamber Vote

Passed First Chamber

In Committee

Awaiting Second Chamber Vote

Passed Second Chamber

Enacted

Version:

Existing law makes the violation of a county ordinance or a city ordinance a misdemeanor unless by ordinance it is made an infraction. Existing law specifies monetary fines for any violation of local ordinances that is an infraction, not to exceed specified amounts that vary based on the circumstances of the violation, as prescribed.

This bill would authorize the county board of supervisors to impose fines, penalties, and forfeitures for violations of ordinances and to fix the penalty by fine or imprisonment, or both. The bill would also increase the amount of the fine that may be imposed for the violation of a city or county ordinance, where the violation pertains to a nonresidential structure with a floor area of 20,000 or more square feet, to $1,000 for the first violation, $2,000 for the second violation within 5 years of the first violation, and $5,000 for subsequent violations within 5 years of the first violation, as specified.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law, the Moore Universal Telephone Service Act, establishes the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service program to provide low-income households with access to affordable basic residential telephone service. Existing law requires all revenues collected by telephone corporations in rates authorized by the Public Utilities Commission to fund the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service program to be submitted to the commission pursuant to a schedule established by the commission. Existing law requires all moneys appropriated from the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee Fund to the commission to be used exclusively by the commission for the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service program.This bill would require the commission, as part of a new or existing proceeding, to establish a mechanism to permit internet service providers to voluntarily include stand-alone broadband internet access service as a class of lifeline service. The bill would provide that an internet service provider would be eligible for a lifeline subsidy if it offers at least one internet service plan that provides broadband internet access service at a speed of at least 100 megabits per second downstream and 20 megabits per second upstream and costs $30 or less per month. The bill would authorize the commission to adjust the speed and monthly plan cost for certain areas of the state, as provided. The bill would prohibit the commission from requiring a lifeline subscriber to bundle their voice and internet service plans in order to receive a lifeline subsidy pursuant to these provisions, as specified. The bill would prohibit the commission from providing a lifeline subscriber with more than one lifeline subsidy per household under the act, as provided. The bill would prohibit an internet service provider from being required to obtain an eligible telecommunications carrier designation in order to obtain a lifeline subsidy, except as provided. The bill would require the commission to prohibit internet service providers that offer lifeline service pursuant to these provisions from the inappropriate upselling of their internet service plans, as specified. The bill would require the commission, on or before December 31, 2026, to submit to the Legislature an estimate of any increase to the Universal Service Public Purpose Programs surcharge rate required for the implementation of these provisions. The bill would prohibit the commission from increasing the surcharge for the lifeline program above the highest rate collected within the previous 4 years, as of January 1, 2026. The bill would require the commission, on or before July 1, 2027, to adopt rules to implement these provisions. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2032. The bill would require the commission, on or before July 1, 2028, to report to the Legislature, as part of a specified report, on the performance and fiscal impact of the lifeline program, as specified.Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.Because the above-described provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing this bills requirements would be a crime, 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.This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of ²/₃ of the membership of each house of the Legislature.

Discussed in Hearing