Local ordinances: administrative fines or penalties.

Assembly Member Hart's legislation expands local agencies' authority to collect administrative fines through superior court judgments and property liens, particularly for violations related to unlicensed cannabis operations and housing habitability standards. The bill allows agencies to file certified copies of final administrative orders with superior courts for immediate entry of judgment after exhausting administrative reviews and appeals.

Local agencies may establish procedures via ordinance to place liens on properties where violations occurred, provided they serve proper notices to property owners and lien holders. For cannabis-related violations, agencies can impose immediate fines up to $1,000 per violation and $10,000 per day, with property owners and business operators potentially facing joint liability. The bill maintains existing provisions requiring reasonable correction periods before imposing fines, except for immediate health and safety hazards.

The legislation preserves due process through a 20-day window for appealing administrative decisions to superior courts, where cases receive de novo review as limited civil matters. Property owners who can demonstrate their rental agreements prohibited unlicensed cannabis activity, and who lacked actual knowledge of such operations, retain the opportunity to remedy violations before penalties apply. These new collection mechanisms supplement rather than replace existing enforcement options under state law.