The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Housing, Homelessness and Local Government

Oct 22, 2025 - The changes, which are contained in three budget trailer bills, include: (1)  narrowing the scope of existing required environmental reviews for housing projects that meet all but one criterion for an exemption from the CEQA process and (2)  eliminating the requirement for CEQA review entirely when local governments rezone (change land-use restrictions for) neighborhoods to meet their state-mandated housing goals, subject to certain restrictions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5082

The 2025-26 Budget: State Mandate—Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board

May 5, 2025 - Because the California Constitution does not require the state to reimburse local governments for costs to comply with federal law, disagreements have arisen over the years about whether all of the requirements in a given water quality permit are specifically required by federal law or whether they impose ad ditional requirements from the state.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5039

The 2016-17 Budget: Local Government Mandates--Reasonable Reimbursement Methodology

Mar 17, 2016 - In 1979, voters passed Proposition 4, which added a requirement to the California Constitution that local governments be reimbursed for new programs or higher levels of service that the state imposes on them.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3395

The 2025-26 Budget: Oversight of Encampment Resolution Funding

Mar 5, 2025 - Staff reviews the applications, scores them, and makes the awards. (Cal ICH staff administered the program through 2023-24. The state transferred program administration to HCD —also under the BCSH Agency umbrella —beginning in 2024-25.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5007

The 2020-21 Budget: U-Visa I-918 Form Mandate

Mar 4, 2020 - The Governor ’s 2020-21 budget proposes $3.3  million General Fund to reimburse local agencies for the costs they incurred complying with the U-Visa I-918 Form, Victims of Crime: Nonimmigrant Status statute while it was under review by the Commission.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4192

The 2018-19 Budget: County Assessor Funding

Feb 15, 2018 - To determine if existing employees experienced a change in productivity, DOF would compare the value added by existing employees during years the county receives SSCAP funding to a baseline year (2017 ‑18).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3756

Post Election Manual Tally Mandate

Jan 13, 2016 - LAO Comments Post Election Manual Tally Mandate Would Be Added to Backlog. Under the Governor ’s proposal, county costs related to this mandate would be added to the existing backlog for mandate claims.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3327

Sheriff Court-Security Services Mandate

May 27, 2016 - LAO Comments Sheriff Court-Security Services Mandate Would Be Added to Backlog. Under the Governor ’s proposal, county costs related to this mandate would be added to the existing backlog for mandate claims.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3478

Review of Recent Department of Social Services Housing and Homelessness Augmentations [Publication Details]

Jul 14, 2023 - Review of Recent Department of Social Services Housing and Homelessness Augmentations [Publication Details] Translate Our Website This Google ™ translation feature provided on the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) website is for informational purposes only.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4783

California’s Housing and Homelessness Challenges in Context [Publication Details]

Feb 6, 2023 - Presented to: Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4668