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

Since our last update in December, the Commission on State Mandates has published several updates on a variety of matters pending before the Commission ahead of their first hearing in 2026, scheduled for Friday, February 13. Detailed below are seven recent actions from the Commission and their staff or the State Controller’s Office that are notable for counties and future potential opportunities for reimbursement for state-mandated programs. A complete list of all matters pending before the Commission and recent actions is available on the pending caseload webpage. 

Opportunities for county input: Described in more detail below, there are several opportunities for counties to engage with the Commission on State Mandates or the State Controller’s Office, as follows: 

• Counties can file written comments on the test claim for reimbursement for AB 2561 (2024) related to hearings about position vacancy rates by Monday, March 2. 
• Counties can submit comments to the State Controller’s Office regarding draft claiming instructions for the recently adopted state-mandated reimbursable program for the Ballot DISCLOSE Act (AB 1416, 2022) by Friday, February 13.  
• Counties can provide spoken or written comments to the Commission on State Mandates on any agenda item for the upcoming Commission hearing on Friday, February 13. Instructions to provide spoken or written comments are included in the hearing agenda. 

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.  

New Test Claim: Local Public Employees: Vacant Positions (25-TC-01)

Summary: AB 2561 (Chapter 409, Statutes of 2024) requires all local agencies to hold an annual public hearing on the status of vacancies before their governing board (City Council, Board of Supervisors, etc.) at least once per fiscal year, with more extensive reporting requirements for a local agency that has a bargaining unit that experiences a vacancy rate of 20% or more for any period of time. 

Recent Actions: In December 2025, Sacramento County submitted a test claim for reimbursement for costs to comply with AB 2561 with the Commission on State Mandates (linked here). On January 30, the Commission posted the test claim to their website.  

Next Steps: Counties can file written comments on the test claim by Monday, March 2. The public hearing to determine this matter is tentatively scheduled for December 2026.  

Internet Websites and Email Addresses (24-TC-04)

Summary: 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.  

Recent Action: On Friday, December 5, the Commission voted to adopt this test claim. On January 30, the Commission published the proposed decision and parameters and guidelines to reimburse local governments for the activities required to comply with the newly adopted state-mandated program.  

Next Steps: The Commission will hear this matter on February 13.   

Child Physical Abuse and Neglect Exams (24-TC-05)

Summary: 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 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. The test claim for reimbursement argues that the state must reimburse counties for the cost of physical abuse or neglect exams for children.   

Recent Action: On February 2, the Commission issued a proposed decision for this matter, including responses to the claimant’s comments on the draft proposed decision filed on January 28.  The Commission’s proposed decision recommends partial approval of the test claim.  

Next Steps: The Commission will hear this matter on February 13.  

Criminal Procedure: Discrimination (24-TC-02) aka The Racial Justice Act

Summary: AB 256 (Chapter 739, Statutes of 2022) expanded the provisions of AB 2542 (Chapter 317, Statutes of 2020), the original Racial Justice Act, and made these requirements retroactive as well as prospective. The Racial Justice Act provides that individuals charged with or convicted of a crime may file habeas corpus petitions to raise issues of bias or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or national origin in their cases. The test claim for reimbursement argues that counties should be reimbursed by the state for the costs of Public Defenders to comply with AB 256, specifically the obligation to represent individuals who allege issues of bias or discrimination in their cases.   

Recent Action: On January 26, the Commission published the proposed decision and parameters and guidelines for reimbursement for this recently adopted state-mandated program.  

Next Steps: The Commission will hear this matter on February 13. 

Stops: Notification by Peace Officers (24-TC-03)

Summary: 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.   

Recent Action: On January 26, the Commission published the proposed decision for this test claim, and therein partially approved the arguments made by Santa Clara County in their test claim.  

Next Steps: The Commission will hear this matter on February 13.   

Child Abduction and Recovery (24-4237-I-04) 

Summary: 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, the enforcement of custody decrees, and of any other order of the court in child custody proceedings. The State Controller’s Office 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 State Controller’s Office disallows costs previously claimed by counties, the affected county may choose to either remit the disallowed amount to the state, or the State Controller’s Office offsets (withholds) commensurate amounts from state-mandated costs reimbursements filed by that county in subsequent fiscal years.  

In November 2024, Sacramento County submitted an Incorrect Reduction Claim with the Commission to contest the disallowance of their reimbursement claims by the SCO for this program.  

Recent Action: On January 30, the Commission published the draft proposed decision on this matter; partially approving and partially disapproving the arguments made in Sacramento County’s Incorrect Reduction Claim.  

Next Steps: Counties can file written comments on the Commission’s draft proposed decision by February 20. This matter is set to be heard by the Commission on April 10.  

Elections: Ballot Label (24-TC-01) 

Summary: AB 1416 (Chapter 751, Statutes of 2022), titled the Ballot DISCLOSE Act, requires lists of “supporters” and “opponents” also be listed on the ballot label for statewide measures, as defined. A ballot label is the portion of the ballot that includes information about the candidate or the measure for consideration before the voter. This includes a title and a brief summary or description. The new activities and subsequent costs identified as a result of AB 1416 in the test claim are the increased printing costs for additional ballot cards. 

Recent Action: On January 29, the State Controller’s Office provided the draft claiming instructions to reimburse counties for costs incurred to comply with the Ballot DISCLOSE Act. 

Next Steps: Counties can submit comments to the State Controller’s Office by Friday, February 13. Once the State Controller’s Office publishes the final claiming instructions, counties must submit claims for costs incurred during the “initial fiscal years” to the State Controller’s Office within 120 days of the issuance of the claiming instructions (Government Code Section 17561). The “initial reimbursement claim process” is for costs to be reimbursed for the fiscal years specified in the first claiming instructions and Parameters and Guidelines.  

Background: The Commission on State Mandates and the Reimbursement Process 

While counties are required to comply with all state mandates, counties only receive funding to carry out a select group of state-mandated programs in the form of after-the-fact reimbursement payments from the state. After a bill is signed into law, reimbursement for counties to comply with state-mandated programs is not automatic. Rather, counties initiate the process to receive reimbursement via filing a “test claim” for reimbursement with the Commission on State Mandates. The Commission on State Mandates deliberates and determines whether the new law meets the criteria for reimbursement. If the Commission determines that it does, the Commission begins work on Parameters and Guidelines, which establish a process and rate for reimbursement for the program. For more information about state mandates and the Commission on State Mandates, see CSAC’s Issue Brief on State-Mandated Programs and CSAC’s publication, Meeting the Mandate: Counties Respond to Shifting Costs, Responsibilities, and Outcomes.