17020-17024
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
SECTION 17020-17024
17020. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this part, the provisions of this part, building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to employee housing, and the other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this part which relate to labor camps apply in all parts of the state and supersede any ordinance or regulations enacted by any city, county, or city and county applicable to labor camps. Rules and regulations adopted or continued in effect prior to January 1, 1980, by former Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 2610) of Part 9 of Division 2 of the Labor Code are hereby continued in effect as rules and regulations under this part until amended or repealed by the Department of Housing and Community Development. (b) Building standards, as defined by Section 18909, shall remain in effect only until January 1, 1985, or until adopted, amended, or superseded by provisions published in the State Building Standards Code relating to employee housing pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5, whichever occurs sooner. 17021. (a) Except as provided in Sections 17021.5 and 17021.6, local use zone requirements, local fire zones, property line, source of water supply and method of sewage disposal requirements are hereby specifically and entirely reserved to the local jurisdictions. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, with respect to a building permit, grading permit, or other approval from a city or county building department for the rehabilitation of real property improvements that are or will be employee housing for agricultural employees, or from a city or county health department for the operation, construction, or repair of a water system or waste disposal system servicing employee housing for agricultural employees, all of the following processing requirements shall apply: (1) The local building or health department shall have up to 60 calendar days to approve or deny a complete application or permit request accompanied by applicable fees, or a shorter time period if required by the Permit Streamlining Act (Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 65920) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code). An application or permit request may be denied on procedural grounds only if the denial occurs within 30 calendar days and the denial includes an itemization of the procedural defects. An application or permit request may be denied on substantive grounds if the denial includes an itemization of all substantive defects. (2) If the application or permit request is not approved or denied by the local building or health department within the period prescribed by paragraph (1), then the Department of Housing and Community Development may approve the application or permit request if it determines that the plans are consistent with all applicable building codes and health and safety requirements. At that time, the applicant may initiate any work consistent with the application or permit approved pursuant to this subdivision. Upon completion of the work, any other state or local agency shall accept the improvements as if they had been approved by the local building or health department. However, if that other local agency identifies any defects that would have resulted in that agency's disapproval of the improvements or plans thereto, those defects may be identified by the agency and shall be corrected by the applicant. The local building or health department shall inspect the plans and improvements prior to and during rehabilitation and issue a certificate of completion if the work is consistent with the plans and all applicable building codes and health and safety requirements. (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt an application or permit request from complying with the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code). (d) For purposes of this section, "agricultural employee" has the same meaning specified in subdivision (b) of Section 1140.4 of the Labor Code. (e) The Department of Housing and Community Development may recover from a local building or health department costs incurred to review an application or permit request in compliance with paragraph (2) of subdivision (b). The amount recoverable may not exceed the applicable plan check fee published by the International Conference of Building Officials. 17021.5. (a) Any employee housing which has qualified, or is intended to qualify, for a permit to operate pursuant to this part may invoke the provisions of this section. (b) Any employee housing providing accommodations for six or fewer employees shall be deemed a single-family structure with a residential land use designation for the purposes of this section. For the purpose of all local ordinances, employee housing shall not be included within the definition of a boarding house, rooming house, hotel, dormitory, or other similar term that implies that the employee housing is a business run for profit or differs in any other way from a family dwelling. No conditional use permit, zoning variance, or other zoning clearance shall be required of employee housing that serves six or fewer employees that is not required of a family dwelling of the same type in the same zone. Use of a family dwelling for purposes of employee housing serving six or fewer persons shall not constitute a change of occupancy for purposes of Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 17910) or local building codes. (c) Except as otherwise provided in this part, employee housing that serves six or fewer employees shall not be subject to any business taxes, local registration fees, use permit fees, or other fees to which other family dwellings of the same type in the same zone are not likewise subject. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to forbid the imposition of local property taxes, fees for water services and garbage collection, fees for normal inspections, local bond assessments, and other fees, charges, and assessments to which other family dwellings of the same type in the same zone are likewise subject. Neither the State Fire Marshal nor any local public entity shall charge any fee to the owner, operator or any resident for enforcing fire inspection regulations pursuant to state law or regulation or local ordinance, with respect to employee housing which serves six or fewer persons. (d) For the purposes of any contract, deed, or covenant for the transfer of real property, employee housing which serves six or fewer employees shall be considered a residential use of property and a use of property by a single household, notwithstanding any disclaimers to the contrary. For purposes of this section, "employee housing" includes employee housing defined in subdivision (b) of Section 17008, even if the housing accommodations or property are not located in a rural area, as defined by Section 50101. (e) The Legislature hereby declares that it is the policy of this state that each county and city shall permit and encourage the development and use of sufficient numbers and types of employee housing facilities as are commensurate with local needs. This section shall apply equally to any charter city, general law city, county, city and county, district and any other local public entity. 17021.6. (a) The owner of any employee housing who has qualified or intends to qualify for a permit to operate pursuant to this part may invoke this section. (b) Any employee housing consisting of no more than 36 beds in a group quarters or 12 units or spaces designed for use by a single family or household shall be deemed an agricultural land use designation for the purposes of this section. For the purpose of all local ordinances, employee housing shall not be deemed a use that implies that the employee housing is an activity that differs in any other way from an agricultural use. No conditional use permit, zoning variance, or other zoning clearance shall be required of this employee housing that is not required of any other agricultural activity in the same zone. The permitted occupancy in employee housing in an agricultural zone shall include agricultural employees who do not work on the property where the employee housing is located. (c) Except as otherwise provided in this part, employee housing consisting of no more than 36 beds in a group quarters or 12 units or spaces designed for use by a single family or household shall not be subject to any business taxes, local registration fees, use permit fees, or other fees to which other agricultural activities in the same zone are not likewise subject. This subdivision does not forbid the imposition of local property taxes, fees for water services and garbage collection, fees for normal inspections, local bond assessments, and other fees, charges, and assessments to which other agricultural activities in the same zone are likewise subject. Neither the State Fire Marshal nor any local public entity shall charge any fee to the owner, operator, or any resident for enforcing fire inspection regulation pursuant to state law or regulations or local ordinance, with respect to employee housing consisting of no more than 36 beds in a group quarters or 12 units or spaces designed for use by a single family or household. (d) For the purposes of any contract, deed, or covenant for the transfer of real property, employee housing consisting of no more than 36 beds in a group quarters or 12 units or spaces designed for use by a single family or household shall be considered an agricultural use of property, notwithstanding any disclaimers to the contrary. For purposes of this section, "employee housing" includes employee housing defined in subdivision (b) of Section 17008, even if the housing accommodations or property are not located in a rural area, as defined by Section 50101. (e) The Legislature hereby declares that it is the policy of this state that each county and city shall permit and encourage the development and use of sufficient numbers and types of employee housing facilities as are commensurate with local need. This section shall apply equally to any charter city, general law city, county, city and county, district, and any other local public entity. (f) If any owner who invokes the provisions of this section fails to maintain a permit to operate pursuant to this part throughout the first 10 consecutive years following the issuance of the original certificate of occupancy, both of the following shall occur: (1) The enforcement agency shall notify the appropriate local government entity. (2) The public agency that has waived any taxes, fees, assessments, or charges for employee housing pursuant to this section may recover the amount of those taxes, fees, assessments, or charges from the landowner, less 10 percent of that amount for each year that a valid permit has been maintained. (g) Subdivision (f) shall not apply to an owner of any prospective, planned, or unfinished employee housing facility who has applied to the appropriate state and local public entities for a permit to construct or operate pursuant to this part prior to January 1, 1996. 17021.7. Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 18214, subdivision (b) of Section 18862.39, and subdivision (b) of Section 18862.47, mobilehomes and recreational vehicles used to house agricultural employees shall be maintained in conformity with the applicable requirements of the Mobilehome Parks Act (Part 2.1 (commencing with Section 18200)). 17022. Enforcement of occupational safety and health standards established pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 140) of Division 1 of the Labor Code is hereby specifically and entirely reserved to the Division of Industrial Safety. 17022.5. The department shall adopt, and make available to the public, model or prototype plans for several types of employee housing, including, but not limited to, barracks, seasonal housing, family housing, and recreational vehicle parks. Any person intending to construct employee housing may adopt one or more of these models as the plans for the proposed housing. 17023. (a) Rules and regulations adopted or continued in effect pursuant to the provisions of this part relating to the erection or construction of buildings or structures within employee housing shall not apply to existing buildings or structures or to buildings and structures as to which construction is commenced or approved prior to the effective date of the rules and regulations, except by act of the Legislature, but regulations relating to use, maintenance, and occupancy shall apply to all employee housing approved for construction and operation before or after the effective date of these rules and regulations. (b) Building standards, as defined in Section 18909, shall remain in effect only until January 1, 1985, or until adopted, amended, or superseded by provisions published in the State Building Standards Code pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5, whichever occurs sooner. 17024. This part does not apply to resident-employment housing provided for faculty or employees of any public or privately operated school, college, or university. This part does not apply to any employee housing owned, operated, and maintained by any of the following: (a) The federal government. (b) The state. (c) Any agency or political subdivision of the state. (d) Any city, county, or city and county.