Commission on State Mandates

The Commission on State Mandates carries out four distinct statutory duties:

• Hears and decides test claims alleging that the Legislature or a state agency imposed a reimbursable mandate upon local agencies and school districts.
• Hears and decides claims alleging that the State Controller has incorrectly reduced payments to local agencies and school districts.
• Hears and decides requests to adopt new test claim decision to supersede a previously adopted test claim decision upon a showing that the state’s liability for that decision pursuant to subdivision (a) of section 6, article XIII B of the California Constitution has been modified based on a subsequent change in law.
• Determines the existence of significant financial distress for applicant counties that seek to reduce their General Assistance standards of aid.