Roundup: Latest Actions from the Commission on State Mandates and What It Means for Counties
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INFORMAL CONFERENCE ON TEST CLAIM: September 25, 2026 at 10:00am
This week, the Commission announced that that it will host an Informal Conference on Friday, September 25 regarding test claim Emergency Communications in Non-English Languages, 25-TC-03. See the meeting notice and details for attending the meeting in-person or via Zoom here.
- What is an Informal Conference?
An Informal Conference may be requested by the Commission on State Mandates, the Commission’s staff, the test claimants, or an interested party to the matter. In this case, the Informal Conference was requested by the test claimant, Sonoma County. The purpose of Informal Conferences for test claims pending before the Commission is fairly broad and may address technical issues such as the timeline and process for consideration of the claim or clarifying facts of law, or more substantial matters such as consideration of a reasonable reimbursement methodology for reimbursement.
In December 2025, Sonoma County filed a test claim for reimbursement with the Commission on State Mandates for the costs for counties to comply with AB 1638 (Chapter 587, Statutes of 2023).
AB 1638 requires local agencies to do the following:
- By January 1, 2025, local agencies were required to use data from the American Community Survey or data from an equally reliable source to determine which languages within their jurisdiction are spoken jointly by 5% or more of the population that speaks English less than “very well.”
- In the event of an emergency, a local agency must provide information related to the emergency in English and in all languages spoken jointly by 5% or more of the population that speaks English less than “very well.”
- Local agencies must reassess the language data every five years.
- Local agencies must ensure that the quality of the information in translated languages has parity with information provided in English for comprehension, action, and timeliness.
The Commission tentatively plans to hear this matter during their hearing on February 12, 2027. Eight weeks before the hearing, the Commission staff will publish the draft proposed decision on this matter for the Commissioners, the claimant, and interested parties to consider.
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 State Controller’s Office (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.