In California, SB 908 would create a new licensing program for debt collectors. While that bill appears to be moving through the legislative process, with a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 9th, we are pleased to report that we have successfully secured an exemption for trustees in the bill (although lawyers who provide legal services to Trustees have no express exception).

Additionally, UTA has also worked to draft a bill, SB 1148, that would modify the publication statutes, so they foster greater competition amongst publishers. This bill would eliminate the requirement that a notice of sale be published in the city in which the property or some part of it is situated, instead providing that the initial publication preference is for a newspaper of general circulation in the public notice district in which the property, or some part of it, is situated. The bill passed the Senate by consent on June 11th and will be heard in July.