03/19/2001 09:09 AM Senate FIN

                                                                                                                                
     CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 6(L&C)                                                                                              
     "An Act relating to required notice of eviction to mobile home                                                             
     park dwellers and tenants before redevelopment of the park."                                                               
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This  was the first  hearing  for this  bill in  the Senate  Finance                                                            
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  JOHNNY  ELLIS  testified  this  legislation  increases  the                                                            
notification  requirement  when residents  are  evicted from  mobile                                                            
home  parks from  180 days  under the  landlord-tenant  law, to  365                                                            
days. He  noted that  the legislation  allows for  a shorter  notice                                                            
period in  which the landlord  pays $5,000  for relocation  fees. He                                                            
pointed  out that  this  matter was  brought  to him  by  Archbishop                                                            
Francis Hurley  and Dennis McMillian  of the United Way as  a result                                                            
of  a task  force  convened  to  address  the  "scores  of  families                                                            
becoming homeless"  and subsequent  pressures on the "social  safety                                                            
net" caused by redevelopments of mobile home parks.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator Ellis  shared that Senator Leman supports  this bill and has                                                            
suggested statutes  providing a vehicle  for "pooling of  resources"                                                            
to help cover the various  relocation costs to multiple residents in                                                            
a  mobile  home  park.  Senator  Ellis  explained  that  under  this                                                            
provision,  the developer could provide  a set amount of  funds to a                                                            
non-profit   entity    for   relocation   costs.   The    non-profit                                                            
organization, he continued would allocate funds based on need.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Kelly asked if  Senator Leman's proposal would be addressed                                                            
as a committee substitute.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Ellis  was unsure  if  Senator  Leman  wanted to  offer  an                                                            
amendment or a committee substitute.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Kelly ordered the bill HELD in Committee.