AB 1991, Gabriel. Motels and hotels: publicly funded shelter programs was approved by Governor

AB 1991 states:

This bill would provide that the continued occupancy of a shelter program participant, as defined, in a motel or hotel does not constitute a new tenancy and is not considered a “person who hires” for purposes of an unlawful detainer action if the shelter program meets the core components of Housing First, as defined, and specified requirements related to termination policies and grievance processes. The bill would define “shelter program participant” as an occupant of a motel or hotel, as defined, who participates in specified city-, county-, continuum of care-, state-, or federally funded shelter, interim housing, motel voucher, or emergency shelter programs.

Existing law prohibits a person from requiring an occupant of a residential hotel, as defined, to move or check out and reregister before the expiration of 30 days’ occupancy if a purpose is to have that occupant maintain transient occupancy status, as described.

This bill would prohibit specified provisions of the California Building Standards Code from causing a motel or hotel to be designated as nontransient solely as a result of a shelter program participant’s occupancy in the motel or hotel beyond a 30-day period, or from being interpreted to restrict the duration of occupancy for shelter program participants.

This bill would prohibit a hotel or motel from adopting termination policies, restricting access rights, or imposing charges or fees specifically for shelter program participants that do not apply to other occupants, and would also prohibit a motel or hotel from requiring those shelter program participants to check out and reregister, move out of rooms or between rooms, or from the hotel or motel while actively enrolled in the shelter for purposes of preventing occupants from establishing rights of tenancy.

Click here to read the Legislation.