Roundup: Latest Actions from the Commission on State Mandates and What It Means for Counties 

AGENDA FOR OCTOBER 9 HEARING POSTED

The Commission will conduct its next regular hearing at 10am on Friday, October 9. Attendees can view and participate in the meeting via Zoom. The hearing agenda includes the following three items of note for county governments:  

• *According to the Commission on State Mandates, so far only five counties have submitted claims for reimbursement for this program. However, counties may submit late reimbursement claims (after July 8, 2026), for costs incurred for this program between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2025, subject to a 10% penalty. 

Draft Proposed Decision and Parameters and Guidelines Amendment for Internet Websites and Email Addresses, 25-PGA-02. 

Counties can now claim reimbursement from the state for the cost to comply with AB 1637 (Chapter 586, Statutes of 2023), which requires cities and counties to ensure that their Internet website utilizes a “.gov” domain or a “.ca.gov” domain, and to ensure that each email address provided to its employees utilizes a “.gov” or a “.ca.gov” domain name by January 1, 2029.   

Recent Developments: The City of La Puente filed a request to amend the recently adopted Parameters and Guidelines for this program to include reimbursement for additional activities. This week, the Commission released their draft proposed decision on the matter, recommending partial approval.  

• Among other things, the amendment allows counties to be reimbursed for one-time costs to replace existing stock of letterhead and business cards as a result of changing the county website to “.gov”  

Next Steps: Comments on the Commissions’ proposed decision are due by October 5. This matter is set for hearing on December 4.  

Two New Reimbursable State-Mandated Programs 

Counties can now claim reimbursement from the state for the cost to comply with two new reimbursable state-mandated programs. Counties can submit reimbursement claims for costs incurred during the initial fiscal years (the retroactive period) and for costs incurred in subsequent fiscal years. Below is additional information about the two programs and the reimbursement process.     

Child Physical Abuse and Neglect Exams 

AB 1402 (Chapter 841, Statutes of 2023) intended to provide no-cost medical examinations to victims of child abuse and neglect by prohibiting charging the victims. The provisions of this bill resulted in the removal of authority for county human services departments (or the appropriate equivalent) to bill Medi-Cal for these services.  

Stops: Notification by Peace Officers 

AB 2773 (Chapter 805, Statutes of 2022) requires, beginning January 1, 2024, a peace officer making a traffic or pedestrian stop to state the reason for the stop before asking any other questions (i.e., the ubiquitous initial question “Do you know why I pulled you over today?” is not allowable). Peace officers are also required to document the reason for the stop on any citation or report resulting from the stop.  

Opportunities for Reimbursement: Don’t leave money on the table! 

Retroactive Period due by January 12, 2027 

The State Controller’s Office (SCO) published the final claiming instructions for both programs, triggering the Initial Reimbursement Process, wherein counties must submit claims for costs incurred during the “initial fiscal years” (the retroactive period) to the SCO within 120 days (Government Code Section 17561). The initial claiming period for these programs ends on January 12, 2027.  

Child Physical Abuse and Neglect Exams 

• Costs incurred for compliance with this mandate are reimbursable for the period beginning January 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025:  
• Claiming Instructions  
• Parameters and Guidelines (details activities eligible for reimbursement)  

Stops: Notification by Peace Officers 

• Costs incurred for compliance with this mandate are reimbursable for the period beginning January 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025: 
• Claiming Instructions  
• Parameters and Guidelines (details activities eligible for reimbursement)  

Submit initial claims for retroactive reimbursement via the State Controller’s Office Data Exchange Portal  

• Local Reimbursements – Claim Submission Instructions (SCO)  
• Data Exchange Portal Registration Instructions (SCO)  
• Mandated Cost Manual for Local Agencies (SCO) 
• See “Filing a Claim” section, pages 1-22 
• Time-Study Guidelines (SCO) 
• Frequently Asked Questions Related to State-Mandated Cost Programs (SCO) 

A complete list of all matters pending before the Commission and recent actions is available on the pending caseload webpage. To receive updates directly from the Commission, contact Commission staff directly at csminfo@csm.ca.gov. To receive updates from the SCO, sign up for their email lists here.  

Questions about the Commission on State Mandates or the state mandate reimbursement process in general? Contact Jessica Sankus, Principal Fiscal and Policy Analyst, at jsankus@counties.org.