17570
. (a) For purposes of this section the following definitions
shall apply:
(1) "Mandates law" means published court decisions arising from
state mandate determinations by the State Board of Control or the
Commission on State Mandates, or that address this part or Section 6
of Article XIII B of the California Constitution. "Mandates law" also
includes statutory amendments to this part and amendments to Section
6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.
(2) "Subsequent change in law" is a change in law that requires a
finding that an incurred cost is a cost mandated by the state, as
defined by Section 17514, or is not a cost mandated by the state
pursuant to Section 17556, or a change in mandates law, except that a
"subsequent change in law" does not include the amendments to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution that were
approved by the voters on November 2, 2004. A "subsequent change in
law" also does not include a change in the statutes or executive
orders that impose new state-mandated activities and require a
finding pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 17551.
(3) "Test claim decision" means a decision of the Commission on
State Mandates on a test claim filed pursuant to Section 17551 or a
decision of the State Board of Control on a claim for state
reimbursement filed pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section
2201), Article 2 (commencing with Section 2227), and Article 3
(commencing with Section 2240) of Chapter 3 of Part 4 of Division 1
of the Revenue and Taxation Code prior to January 1, 1985.
(b) The commission may adopt a new test claim decision to
supersede a previously adopted test claim decision only upon a
showing that the state's liability for that test claim decision
pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the
California Constitution has been modified based on a subsequent
change in law.
(c) A local agency or school district, statewide association of
local agencies or school districts, or the Department of Finance, the
Controller, or other affected state agency may file a request with
the commission to adopt a new test claim decision pursuant to this
section.
(d) The commission shall adopt procedures for receiving requests
to adopt a new test claim decision pursuant to this section and for
providing notice and a hearing on those requests. The procedures
shall do all of the following:
(1) Specify that all requests for adoption of a new test claim
decision shall be filed on a form prescribed by the commission that
shall contain at least the following elements and documents:
(A) The name, case number, and adoption date of the prior test
claim decision.
(B) A detailed analysis of how and why the state's liability for
mandate reimbursement has been modified pursuant to subdivision (a)
of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution based
on a subsequent change in law.
(C) The actual or estimated amount of the annual statewide change
in the state's liability for mandate reimbursement pursuant to
subdivision (a) of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution based on a subsequent change in law.
(D) Identification of all of the following, if relevant:
(i) Dedicated state funds appropriated for the program.
(ii) Dedicated federal funds appropriated for the program.
(iii) Fee authority to offset the costs of the program.
(iv) Federal law.
(v) Court decisions.
(vi) State or local ballot measures and the corresponding date of
the election.
(E) All assertions of fact shall be supported with declarations
made under penalty of perjury, based on the declarant's personal
knowledge, information, or belief, and be signed by persons who are
authorized and competent to do so, including, but not limited to, the
following:
(i) Declarations of actual or estimated annual statewide costs
that will or will not be incurred to implement the alleged mandate.
(ii) Declarations identifying all local, state, or federal funds,
or fee authority that may or may not be used to offset the increased
costs that will or will not be incurred by claimants to implement the
alleged mandate or result in a finding of no costs mandated by the
state pursuant to Section 17556.
(iii) Declarations describing new activities performed to
implement specific provisions of the test claim statute or executive
order alleged to impose a reimbursable state-mandated program.
(F) Specific references shall be made to chapters, articles,
sections, or page numbers that are alleged to impose or not impose a
reimbursable state-mandated program.
(2) Require that a request for the adoption of a new test claim
decision be signed at the end of the document, under penalty of
perjury, by the requester or its authorized representative, along
with a declaration that the request is true and complete to the best
of the declarant's personal knowledge, information, or belief. The
procedures shall also require that the date of signing, the declarant'
s title, address, telephone number, facsimile machine telephone
number, and electronic mail address be included.
(3) Provide that the commission shall return a submitted request
that is incomplete to the requester and allow the requester to remedy
the deficiencies. The procedures shall also provide that the
commission may disallow the original filing if a complete request is
not received by the commission within 30 calendar days from the date
that the incomplete request was returned to the requester.
(4) Establish a two-step hearing process to consider requests for
adoption of a new test claim decision pursuant to this section. As
the first step, the commission shall conduct a hearing to determine
if the requester has made a showing that the state's liability
pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the
California Constitution has been modified based on a subsequent
change in law. If the commission determines that the requester has
made this showing, then pursuant to the commission's authority in
subdivision (b) of this section, the commission shall notice the
request for a hearing to determine if a new test claim decision shall
be adopted to supersede the previously adopted test claim decision.
(5) Provide for presentation of evidence and legal argument at the
hearings by the requester, interested parties, the Department of
Finance, the Controller, any other affected state agency, and
interested persons.
(6) Permit a hearing to be postponed at the request of any party,
without prejudice, until the next scheduled hearing.
(e) To implement the procedures described in subdivision (d), the
commission shall initially adopt regulations as emergency regulations
and, for purposes of Section 11349.6, the adoption of the
regulations shall be considered by the Office of Administrative Law
to be necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace,
health and safety, and general welfare. Notwithstanding subdivision
(e) of Section 11346.1, the regulations shall be repealed within 180
days after their effective date, unless the commission complies with
Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 as provided in
subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1.
(f) A request for adoption of a new test claim decision shall be
filed on or before June 30 following a fiscal year in order to
establish eligibility for reimbursement or loss of reimbursement for
that fiscal year.
(g) The commission shall notify interested parties, the
Controller, the Department of Finance, affected state agencies, and
the Legislative Analyst of any complete request for the adoption of a
new test claim decision that the commission receives.
(h) If the commission determines that the requester has made a
showing that the state's liability pursuant to subdivision (a) of
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution has been
modified based on a subsequent change in law, and the commission
notices the request for a hearing to determine whether a new test
claim decision shall be adopted that supersedes a prior test claim
decision, the Controller shall notify eligible claimants that the
request has been filed with the commission and that the original test
claim decision may be superseded by a new decision adopted by the
commission. The notification may be included in the next set of
claiming instructions issued to eligible claimants.
(i) If the commission adopts a new test claim decision that
supersedes the previously adopted test claim decision, the commission
shall adopt new parameters and guidelines or amend existing
parameters and guidelines or reasonable reimbursement methodology
pursuant to Sections 17557, 17557.1, and 17557.2.
(j) Any new parameters and guidelines adopted or amendments made
to existing parameters and guidelines or a reasonable reimbursement
methodology shall conform to the new test claim decision adopted by
the commission.
(k) The Controller shall follow the procedures in Sections 17558,
17558.5, 17560, 17561, and 17561.5, as applicable, for a new test
claim decision adopted by the commission pursuant to this section.
(l) If the commission adopts a new test claim decision that will
result in reimbursement pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of
the California Constitution because a cost is a cost mandated by the
state, as defined in Section 17514, the commission shall determine
the amount to be subvened to local agencies and school districts by
adopting a new statewide cost estimate pursuant to Section 17557.
(m) In addition to the reports required pursuant to Sections 17600
and 17601, the commission shall notify the Legislature within 30
days of adopting a new test claim decision that supersedes a prior
test claim decision and determining the amount to be subvened to
local agencies and school districts for reimbursement pursuant to
this section.