Roundup: Latest Actions from the Commission on State Mandates and What It Means for Counties
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No rest for the weary! Since our update last week, the Commission on State Mandates held a hearing on June 12 and considered many matters notable for county governments. The outcomes, along with one new filing, are detailed below.
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, subscribe to their email lists.
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.
JUNE 12 HEARING OUTCOMES
Child Physical Abuse and Neglect Exams, 24-TC-05 (View Matter)
Action: The Commission adopted the decision to partially approve the test claim for this program and adopted the Parameters and Guidelines.
Next Steps: After the Commission adopts Parameters and Guidelines for a new state-mandated local program, the State Controller’s Office (SCO) must issue Claiming Instructions for the program within 90 days.
About the program: 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 bill required counties to set up systems to provide examinations at no cost to the victim and instead submit invoices for reimbursement to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, subject to appropriation by the Legislature. The Legislature did not provide an appropriation for this purpose in subsequent state budgets. 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. Prior to AB 1402, counties billed Medi-Cal or private health insurance for physical abuse or neglect exams.
Stops: Notification by Peace Officers, 24-TC-03 (View Matter)
Action: The Commission adopted the decision to approve the test claim for reimbursement for this program and adopted the Parameters and Guidelines.
Next Steps: After the Commission adopts Parameters and Guidelines for a new state-mandated local program, the SCO must issue Claiming Instructions for the program within 90 days.
About the program: 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. The test claim was approved by the Commission in February 2026.
Emergency Shelters: Persons with Pets, 24-TC-06 (View Matter)
Action: The Commission adopted the decision to partially approve the test claim for reimbursement for this program.
Next Steps: Commission staff also issued the Draft Expedited Parameters and Guidelines and tentatively set this matter for hearing on August 14, 2026. Comments on the Draft Expedited Parameters and Guidelines are due by July 7, 2026.
About the program: AB 781 (Chapter 344, Statutes of 2023), amongst other things, requires emergency plans for cities and counties to designate shelters able to accommodate pets in their next emergency plan update, and requires that whenever a city or county designates any number of emergency shelters, emergency cooling shelters, and emergency warming shelters, it shall designate at least one shelter that can accommodate persons with pets.
Custody of Minors-Child Abduction and Recovery, 25-PGA-01 (View Matter)
Action: The Commission adopted the decision to deny the SCO’s request for a Statement of Decision, and partially approved the requested technical changes to the Parameters and Guidelines.
Next Steps: As the amendments to the Parameters and Guidelines are technical in nature, the SCO will not issue revised Claiming Instructions.
About the program: In October 2025, the SCO submitted a letter to the Commission regarding the Custody of Minors – Child Abduction and Recovery Program, which included a request for a Statement of Decision from the Commission and a request to amend the Parameters and Guidelines. See below for background information about this program.
Child Abduction and Recovery, 24-4237-I-04 (View Matter)
Action: The Commission adopted the decision to partially approve Sacramento County’s Incorrect Reduction Claim for this program; wherein the county argues that the SCO incorrectly disallowed some of the county’s reimbursement claims during a routine audit.
About the program: The Custody of Minors – Child Abduction and Recovery Program is one of the first programs to be deemed a reimbursable state mandate after Proposition 4 (1979) required the state to reimburse local governments for the costs to comply with state-mandated programs. Since 1979, the state has reimbursed counties for the state-mandated requirement that county district attorneys’ offices actively assist in the resolution of child custody problems, including visitation disputes, enforcement of custody decrees, and any other court order in child custody proceedings.
The SCO is authorized to perform audits of counties’ claims for reimbursement for state-mandated programs to verify the actual amount of the mandated costs, to determine whether costs claimed are supported by appropriate documentation, and to ensure that claims are not unreasonable or excessive (Government Code sections 17558.5, 17561, and 12410). When the SCO disallows costs previously claimed by counties, the affected county may choose to either remit the disallowed amount to the state, or the SCO offsets (withholds) commensurate amounts from state-mandated costs reimbursements filed by that county in subsequent fiscal years.
NEW FILINGS
Internet Websites and Email Addresses, 25-PGA-02 (View Matter)
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.
Next Steps: Comments on the request to amend the Parameters and Guidelines are due the Commission on or before July 6, 2026. The Commission tentatively plans to hear this matter on December 4, 2026.
What does this mean for the Initial Reimbursement Process?
If the amendments to the Parameters and Guidelines are adopted by the Commission in late 2026, after the Initial Reimbursement Process for the existing Parameters and Guidelines is completed in September 2026, counties will need to resubmit revised initial reimbursement claims to the SCO to reflect the updated Parameters and Guidelines (see Government Code Section 17557(d)(1)). Read more about the Initial Reimbursement Process here.
About the program: AB 1637 (Chapter 586, Statutes of 2023) 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.