Inspections of Apartment Building Balconies Bill

Article Source: CA State Senator Jerry Hill

State Senate Passes Bills to Require Inspections of Apartment Building Balconies and Prohibit Housing Discrimination Against Veterans

SB 721 and SB 1427 Among Bills by Senator Jerry Hill Heading to Governor’s Desk

SACRAMENTO – Legislation by state Senator Jerry Hill setting standards for inspections of apartment building balconies and to prevent landlords from discriminating against veterans and current members of the U.S. military are on their way to the governor for review.

The state Senate passed Senator Hill’s Senate Bill 721, part of the legislative response to the Berkeley balcony tragedy, and his anti-discrimination legislation, SB 1427, on Tuesday.

Balcony Inspections

SB 721, one of two bills this year to improve oversight of contractors and balconies, sets requirements for inspections of load-bearing, elevated exterior elements at apartment buildings and complexes. The elements to be scrutinized include outdoor balconies, decks, stairs and walkways. Under SB 721, 15 percent of the load-bearing, elevated exterior elements of apartment buildings with three or more units must be inspected every six years.

Six young people died and seven others were critically injured when a fifth-story balcony infested with dry rot at a Berkeley apartment building collapsed in June 2015. All but one of the people killed and hospitalized were visiting students and recent graduates from Ireland, which has considered the disaster a national tragedy.

Jackie Donohoe of Rohnert Park, whose 22-year-old daughter, Ashley, and 21-year-old niece, Olivia Burke, died in the balcony failure, has represented the families of the victims and survivors at the legislative hearings conducted since the collapse. This spring and summer, she urged lawmakers to approve Senator Hill’s bills to “make sure that no other families go through the living hell that we have.”

“We can prevent tragedies like the Berkeley balcony collapse with reasonable statewide inspection and repairs standards,” said Senator Hill, D-San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. He introduced SB 721 and companion bill SB 1465 with Senator Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. SB 1465, which awaits an Assembly vote, sets reporting requirements for contractors who pay a million dollars or more to settle construction defect lawsuits involving load-bearing elements of multifamily rental resident structures.

Ending Housing Discrimination Against U.S. Military Veterans and Service Members

SB 1427 prohibits housing discrimination against veterans and current members of the U.S. military. The legislation also bars landlords from discriminating against homeless veterans who use federal Department of Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers to pay for some or all of their rent.

California law prohibits employment discrimination against U.S. military veterans and individuals currently serving in the nation’s armed forces but does not protect them from housing discrimination. SB 1427 closes that gap.

“Housing discrimination is unacceptable and discriminating against military veterans who have served our county and current members of the U.S. armed forces is reprehensible,” said Senator Hill.

Other Hill Bills in the Home Stretch

In addition to SB 721 on balcony inspections and anti-discrimination measure SB 1427, two other bills by Senator Hill and a bill by the Senate Business Professions and Economic Development, which he chairs, have been sent to the governor for consideration:

SB 1028, passed by the Assembly on August 16 and presented to the governor on Wednesday, ensures that the savings enjoyed by privately owned utilities from the recent federal tax break for corporations are passed along to ratepayers. The bill provides clear direction to the California Public Utilities Commission that any changes to utilities’ taxes be adjusted for in rates so that if utilities receive tax savings, customer rates will be lowered.

SB 1355 prohibits individuals from operating drones at or over a state prison, a jail or a juvenile hall, camp or ranch. The restrictions do not apply to employees of the facilities who operate such devices as part of their job and have specific permission use them. Violating SB 1355 would be an infraction punishable by a $500 fine. The Senate concurred in amendments to the bill and passed it on Monday.

SB 1492, a Senate business and professions committee bill, pertains to the Department of Consumer Affairs and its Board of Accountancy, Board of Barbering and Cosmetology and Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. The Senate concurred in amendments to SB 1492 and passed it on Monday.

August 31 is the deadline for the Legislature to pass 2018 bills. Governor Brown has until September 30 to sign the bills passed during his final year in office.

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Other Resources

SB 721 Fact Sheet
http://sd13.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd13.senate.ca.gov/files/pdf/sb721_factsheet_updated.pdf

SB 1028 Fact Sheet
http://sd13.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd13.senate.ca.gov/files/pdf/sb1028_factsheet_0.pdf

SB 1355 Fact Sheet
http://sd13.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd13.senate.ca.gov/files/pdf/sb1355_factsheet_0.pdf

SB 1427 Fact Sheet
http://sd13.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd13.senate.ca.gov/files/pdf/sb1427_factsheet_updated_0.pdf

For Immediate Release – Office of State Senator Jerry Hill

Contact: Leslie Guevarra, 415-298-3404, leslie.guevarra@sen.ca.gov

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Robert Riechel

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Source Credit: CA State Senator Jerry Hill

Web Site: http://sd13.senate.ca.gov/

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