Booklet Regarding Statewide Home Energy Rating Program
25402.9. (a) On or before July 1, 1996, the commission shall develop, adopt, and publish an informational booklet to educate and inform homeowners, rental property owners, renters, sellers, brokers, and the general public about the statewide home energy rating program adopted pursuant to Section 25942.
(b) In the development of the booklet, the commission shall consult with representatives of the Bureau of Real Estate, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Public Utilities Commission, investor-owned and municipal utilities, cities and counties, real estate licensees, homebuilders, mortgage lenders, home appraisers and inspectors, home energy rating organizations, contractors who provide home energy services, consumer groups, and environmental groups.

(c) The commission shall charge a fee for the informational booklet to recover its costs under subdivision (a).

Home Energy Rating Program - Criteria - Adoption
25942. (a) On or before July 1, 1995, the commission shall establish criteria for adopting a statewide home energy rating program for residential dwellings. The program criteria shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following elements:
(1) Consistent, accurate, and uniform ratings based on a single statewide rating scale.

(2) Reasonable estimates of potential utility bill savings, and reliable recommendations on costeffective measures to improve energy efficiency.

(3) Training and certification procedures for home raters and quality assurance procedures to promote accurate ratings and to protect consumers.

(4) In coordination with home energy rating service organization data bases, procedures to establish a centralized, publicly accessible, data base that includes a uniform reporting system for information on residential dwellings, excluding proprietary information, needed to facilitate the program. There shall be no public access to information in the data base concerning specific dwellings without the owner’s or occupant’s permission.

(5) Labeling procedures that will meet the needs of home buyers, homeowners, renters, the real estate industry, and mortgage lenders with an interest in home energy ratings.

(b) The commission shall adopt the program pursuant to subdivision (a) in consultation with representatives of the Department of Real Estate, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Public Utilities Commission, investor-owned and municipal utilities, cities and counties, real estate licensees, home builders, mortgage lenders, home appraisers and inspectors, home energy rating organizations, contractors who provide home energy services, consumer groups, and environmental groups.

(c) On and after January 1, 1996, no home energy rating services may be performed in this state unless the services have been certified, if such a certification program is available, by the commission to be in compliance with the program criteria specified in subdivision (a) and, in addition, are in conformity with any other applicable element of the program.

(d) On or before July 1, 1996, the commission shall consult with the agencies and organizations described in subdivision (b), to facilitate a public information program to inform homeowners, rental property owners, renters,

sellers, and others of the existence of the statewide home energy rating program adopted by the commission.

(e) Beginning with the 1998 biennial energy conservation report required by Section 25401.1, the commission shall, as part of that biennial report, report on the progress made to implement a statewide home energy rating program. The report shall include an evaluation of the energy savings attributable to the program, and a recommendation concerning which means and methods will be most efficient and cost-effective to induce home energy ratings for residential dwellings.

PERTINENT EXCERPTS FROM THE VEHICLE CODE

Disclosure That Property is Located in an Earthquake Fault Zone
2621.9. (a) A person who is acting as an agent for a transferor of real property that is located within a delineated earthquake fault zone, or the transferor, if he or she is acting without an agent, shall disclose to any prospective transferee the fact that the property is located within a delineated earthquake fault zone.
(b) Disclosure is required pursuant to this section only when one of the following conditions is met:

(1) The transferor, or the transferor’s agent, has actual knowledge that the property is within a delineated earthquake fault zone.

(2) A map that includes the property has been provided to the city or county pursuant to Section 2622, and a notice has been posted at the offices of the county recorder, county assessor, and county planning agency that identifies the location of the map and any information regarding changes to the map received by the county.

(c) In all transactions that are subject to Section 1103 of the Civil Code, the disclosure required by subdivision (a) of this section shall be provided by either of the following means:

(1) The Local Option Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement as provided in Section 1102.6a of the Civil Code.

(2) The Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement as provided in Section 1103.2 of the Civil Code.

(d) If the map or accompanying information is not of sufficient accuracy or scale that a reasonable person can determine if the subject real property is included in a delineated earthquake fault hazard zone, the agent shall mark “Yes” on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement. The agent may mark “No” on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement if he or she attaches a report prepared pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 1103.4 of the Civil Code that verifies the property is not in the hazard zone. Nothing in this subdivision is intended to limit or abridge any existing duty of the transferor or the transferor’s agents to exercise reasonable care in making a determination under this subdivision.

(e) For purposes of the disclosures required by this section, the following persons shall not be deemed agents of the transferor:

(1) Persons specified in Section 1103.11 of the Civil Code.

(2) Persons acting under a power of sale regulated by Section 2924 of the Civil Code.

(f) For purposes of this section, Section 1103.13 of the Civil Code shall apply.

(g) The specification of items for disclosure in this section does not limit or abridge any obligation for disclosure created by any other provision of law or that may exist in order to avoid fraud, misrepresentation, or deceit in the transfer transaction.

Disclosure That Property is Located in a Seismic Hazard Zone
2694. (a) A person who is acting as an agent for a transferor of real property that is located within a seismic hazard zone, as designated under this chapter, or the transferor, if he or she is acting without an agent, shall disclose to any prospective transferee the fact that the property is located within a seismic hazard zone.
(b) Disclosure is required pursuant to this section only when one of the following conditions is met:

(1) The transferor, or transferor’s agent, has actual knowledge that the property is within a seismic hazard zone.

(2) A map that includes the property has been provided to the city or county pursuant to Section 2622, and a notice has been posted at the offices of the county recorder, county assessor, and county planning agency that identifies the location of the map and any information regarding changes to the map received by the county.

(c) In all transactions that are subject to Section 1103 of the Civil Code, the disclosure required by subdivision (a) of this section shall be provided by either of the following means:

(1) The Local Option Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement as provided in Section 1102.6a of the Civil Code.

(2) The Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement as provided in Section 1103.2 of the Civil Code.

(d) If the map or accompanying information is not of sufficient accuracy or scale that a reasonable person can determine if the subject real property is included in a seismic hazard zone, the agent shall mark “Yes” on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement. The agent may mark “No” on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement if he or she attaches a report prepared pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 1103.4 of the Civil Code that verifies the property is not in the hazard zone. Nothing in

this subdivision is intended to limit or abridge any existing duty of the transferor or the transferor’s agents to exercise reasonable care in making a determination under this subdivision.

(e) For purposes of the disclosures required by this section, the following persons shall not be deemed agents of the transferor:

(1) Persons specified in Section 1103.11 of the Civil Code.

(2) Persons acting under a power of sale regulated by Section 2924 of the Civil Code.

(f) For purposes of this section, Section 1103.13 of the Civil Code applies.

(g) The specification of items for disclosure in this section does not limit or abridge any obligation for disclosure created by any other provision of law or that may exist in order to avoid fraud, misrepresentation, or deceit in the transfer transaction.

Maps of Seismic Hazard Zones - Notice Regarding Location/Changes
2696. (a) The State Geologist shall compile maps identifying seismic hazard zones, consistent with the requirements of Section 2695. The maps shall be compiled in accordance with a time schedule developed by the director and based upon the provisions of Section 2695 and the level of funding available to implement this chapter.
(b) The State Geologist shall, upon completion, submit seismic hazard maps compiled pursuant to subdivision (a) to the board and all affected cities, counties, and state agencies for review and comment. Concerned jurisdictions and agencies shall submit all comments to the board for review and consideration within 90 days. Within 90 days of board review, the State Geologist shall revise the maps, as appropriate, and shall provide copies of the official maps to each state agency, city, or county, including the county recorder, having jurisdiction over lands containing an area of seismic hazard. The county recorder shall record all information transmitted as part of the public record.

(c) In order to ensure that sellers of real property and their agents are adequately informed, any county that receives an official map pursuant to this section shall post a notice within five days of receipt of the map at the office of the county recorder, county assessor, and county planning agency, identifying the location of the map, any information regarding changes to the map, and the effective date of the notice.

State Responsibility Areas - Maps - Notice re Maps/Changes
4125. (a) The board shall classify all lands within the state, without regard to any classification of lands made by or for any federal agency or purpose, for the purpose of determining areas in which the financial responsibility of preventing and suppressing fires is primarily the responsibility of the state. The prevention and suppression of fires in all areas that are not so classified is primarily the responsibility of local or federal agencies, as the case may be.
(b) On or before July 1, 1991, and every 5th year thereafter, the department shall provide copies of maps identifying the boundaries of lands classified as state responsibility pursuant to subdivision (a) to the county assessor for every county containing any of those lands. The department shall also notify county assessors of any changes to state responsibility areas within the county resulting from periodic boundary modifications approved by the board.

(c) A notice shall be posted at the offices of the county recorder, county assessor, and county planning agency that identifies the location of the map, and of any information received by the county subsequent to the receipt of the map regarding changes to state responsibility areas within the county.

Disclosure That Property is Located in a State Responsibility Area
4136. (a) A transferor of real property that is located within a state responsibility area determined by the board, pursuant to Section 4125, shall disclose to a prospective transferee the fact that the property is located within a wildland area that may contain substantial forest fire risks and hazards and is subject to the requirements of Section 4291.
(b) Except for property located within a county that has assumed responsibility for prevention and suppression of all fires pursuant to Section 4129, the transferor shall also disclose to a prospective transferee that it is not the state’s responsibility to provide fire protection services to a building or structure located within the wildlands unless the department has entered into a cooperative agreement with a local agency for those purposes pursuant to Section 4142.

(c) Disclosure is required pursuant to this section only when one of the following conditions is met:

(1) The transferor, or the transferor’s agent, has actual knowledge that the property is within a wildland fire zone.

(2) A map that includes the property has been provided to the city or county pursuant to Section 4125, and a notice has been posted at the offices of

the county recorder, county assessor, and county planning agency that identifies the location of the map and any information regarding changes to the map received by the county.

(d) In all transactions that are subject to Section 1103 of the Civil Code, the disclosures required by this section shall be provided by either of the following means:

(1) The Local Option Real Estate Disclosure Statement as provided in Section 1102.6a of the Civil Code.

(2) The Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement as provided in Section 1103.2 of the Civil Code.

(e) If the map or accompanying information is not of sufficient accuracy or scale that a reasonable person can determine if the subject real property is included in a wildland fire zone, the agent shall mark “Yes” on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement. The agent may mark “No” on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement if the agent attaches a report prepared pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 1103.4 of the Civil Code that verifies the property is not in the hazard zone. This subdivision does not limit or abridge any existing duty of the transferor or the transferor’s agents to exercise reasonable care in making a determination under this subdivision.

(f) For purposes of this section, Section 1103.13 of the Civil Code applies.

(g) The specification of items for disclosure in this section does not limit or abridge any obligation for disclosure created by any other law or that may exist in order to avoid fraud, misrepresentation, or deceit in the transfer transaction.