This page provides additional context on a select few of the ongoing issues that the Board of Supervisors is working on that involves ongoing state and/or federal advocacy. For a full list of Marin's legislative letters and documents covering a wide range of issues visit the Legislative Letters/Documents page. To see how Marin has responded to recent federal actions to protect local autonomy, safeguard funding, and uphold our values, see the Response to Federal Actions page.
On this page:
- Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery
- Youth e-bike safety
- Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) obligation
Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery
The County shares the deep concern of residents and families about the ongoing state of the Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery in San Rafael. The Cemetery has been an important part of Marin's community and history for more than 150 years. Families continue to entrust their loved ones to its care, and visit these grounds regularly. These grounds must be treated with dignity and respect.
For years, family members and plot owners have raised concerns about deteriorating conditions, including overgrown vegetation, damaged or obscured grave markers, poor road and path maintenance, and other maintenance and public safety issues. This spring, more than 200 community members wrote to state and local officials calling for action and a long-term solution.
State Regulation and Enforcement
The Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery is a private, non-religious endowment care cemetery located within the incorporated City of San Rafael. Private endowment care cemeteries are licensed and regulated by the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau (CFB) within the Department of Consumer Affairs, governed by California Business & Professions Code § 7600. A portion of every plot sale at these cemeteries is set aside in a special endowment care trust fund. The principal of that fund is preserved, and its investment income may be used to pay for the ongoing care, maintenance, and upkeep of the cemetery. The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau (CFB) may step in to take enforcement actions on private endowment care fund cemeteries. Complaints on Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery can be submitted to the CFB here.
Beginning in 2022, CFB initiated enforcement actions related to financial management, required reporting, and maintenance of Mt. Tamalpais and three other cemeteries outside Marin under the same ownership. In March 2025, CFB ordered Mt. Tamalpais and three other cemeteries under the same ownership to cease conducting cemetery business. The Bureau has taken control of approximately $52 million in endowment care funds associated with the four cemeteries. The revocation of Mt. Tamalpais' cemetery license means Mt. Tamalpais can no longer sell new plots. However since they retain a funeral license, they may continue to perform burials for pre-purchased plots.
The owner of Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery appealed the CFB's revocation of its cemetery license and seizure of endowment care fund assets, but the CFB won the appeal in court in early 2025. In April 2025, the Board sent a letter to the CFB urging it to exercise its full regulatory authority to hold the cemetery’s operator accountable to ensure that the grounds are properly maintained and that any misappropriated endowment care funds are recovered.
In October 2025, the CFB appointed a corporate trustee for the Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery endowment care trust fund, an important step in stabilizing the funds and investing them in order to generate intended interest fund revenue for ongoing site maintenance.
Developing a Long-Term Solution
The County has been actively engaged in statewide efforts to address a broader problem: what happens when a privately owned endowment care cemetery loses its license or is effectively abandoned and no responsible successor is in place.
In 2025, the County opposed an early version of SB 777 (Richardson) that would have shifted ownership, management, and financial responsibility for abandoned private cemeteries to cities and counties. Marin advocated instead for reforms that would strengthen state oversight, protect endowment care funds, provide for orderly transitions, and prioritize transfer to responsible private or nonprofit successors before permanent public ownership.
In part due to Marin's strong advocacy -- SB 777 was ultimately amended to establish a statewide workgroup, in which Marin participated, to develop recommendations for addressing abandoned private cemeteries. Those recommendations helped inform SB 1312 (Richardson), which establishes a process for declaring an endowment care cemetery abandoned and allows a County to acquire the property when necessary.
After late amendments removed a broader pathway for transferring ownership to a nonprofit or licensed cemetery operator, Marin sponsored AB 929 (Connolly) as a narrow companion measure specific to Mt. Tamalpais. AB 929 would allow Marin, if it acquires the cemetery, to subsequently transfer ownership and management to a qualified nonprofit or licensed cemetery operator, with specified liability protections for the successor.
Both bills have passed the Legislature and are awaiting action by Governor Newsom (update as of September 2026). Letters for Community Members to support the Governor's signature on both pending bills (send by September 20th)
- Community support Letter for AB 929
- Community support Letter for SB 1312
- County fact sheet on Mt Tamalpais cemetery
Potential Transition of Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery
County staff are discussing a potential voluntary transfer of the cemetery with the current owner, who has publicly indicated his willingness to transfer the property to Marin County.
No final agreement has been reached. Any transaction would require additional due diligence and Board of Supervisors approval.
The County does not intend to permanently own or operate the cemetery. If a transfer moves forward, the goal would be to stabilize the property while identifying a responsible nonprofit or licensed cemetery operator for long-term ownership and care.
State Funding for Restoration and Maintenance
Marin requested one-time state funding to address deferred maintenance at the cemetery. Following advocacy by the County and community, $1.8 million was included in the final 2026-27 State Budget.
The funding would help restore and stabilize the cemetery while supporting a transition to responsible long-term ownership.
Community and Public Safety Efforts
County staff continue to work with families, community and faith organizations, the City of San Rafael, and state regulators on a long-term solution.
The San Rafael Fire Department, in partnership with the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, has also conducted hazardous fuel reduction work on and around the cemetery as part of a broader San Rafael-San Anselmo fuel break. The City continues to monitor vegetation and other public safety conditions.
The County remains committed to a solution that restores the cemetery, protects existing burial rights, and provides the long-term care families deserve.
County staff continue to meet regularly with Marin's community stakeholders on the Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery to find solutions.
Youth e-bike safety
Marin is proud to be a national leader in youth e-bike safety, recently adopting first-in-the nation laws to limit throttle (Class 2) e-bikes to riders over 16. This was in response to Marin being one of the first regions in the nation to begin collecting 911 injury data based on whether it involved a conventional bicycle or an e-bike. Marin's data has demonstrated that the e-bike accident rate in Marin for 10-15-year-olds is 5x higher than for all other age groups. On conventional bikes, 10-15-year-olds have a 1.5x higher accident rate compared to other age groups.
Marin sponsored Assemblymember Damon Connolly's AB 1778 (2024) which allowed all 12 Marin County jurisdictions to pass local ordinances to limit throttle e-bikes (Class 2) to riders 16 and older. It also requires all riders to wear helmets. The County has also been actively engaged in supporting other e-bike safety bills:
- May 9 Support for AB 545 – E-Bike Tampering and Safety Standards
- Sep 9 Request for Governor Signature on SB 1271, E-Bike Sales
At the federal level, Marin officials have engaged with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is responsible for regulating all e-bikes sold in the U.S. In January 2024, Supervisor Mary Sackett met with Commission Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric and Commissioner Mary Boyle to discuss Marin’s youth e-bike safety concerns and their recent report on micromobility safety that echoes the concerns in Marin's safety data.
In spring 2024, the CPSC posted a notice of proposed rulemaking on e-bikes, and the County provided written comments. In May 2024, the CPSC held a Public Hearing on Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026 Commission Agenda and Priorities -- and during the public open time, Supervisor Sackett, Assemblymember Connolly, and Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis spoke in support of the CPSC addressing e-bike safety in its priorities.
Since the passage of AB 1778, the County formed a Special Committee on Youth E-Bike Safety to address implementation of Marin's new laws and launched the E-BikersClub.com public safety campaign for teens and parents to make them aware of Marin's new rules. Marin continues to advocate for statewide and federal legislation to address youth e-bike safety on a broader scale.
Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) obligation
A Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) is the communications company legally required to make basic landline phone service available to everyone in a designated service area. This obligation ensures that all residents and businesses, including those in rural, hard-to-serve, or high-cost areas, have affordable access to reliable voice service for 911 calls and emergency notifications. COLR obligations originate from long-standing “universal service” policies: states granted telephone companies monopoly service territories in exchange for the companies agreeing to serve everyone in their area. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) oversees COLR requirements. AT&T has the COLR obligation for Marin County, and much of California.
In 2023, AT&T submitted a major application to the CPUC for relief of its COLR obligations. The County sent a letter opposing AT&T's application in February 2024, highlighting that for some of the County's most vulnerable residents -- including older adults, low-income households, and those in geographic areas with limited cell phone service -- approval of AT&T’s application would result in lower quality telephone service, more expensive “bundle” packages, or losing service altogether. In May 2024, an Administrative Law Judge dismissed AT&T's application for relief from their Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) obligations. The County sent a letter in support of that decision.
In June 2024, Assemblymember Tina McKinnor introduced AB 2797, which proposed to relieve COLR obligations through legislative action. The County opposed AB 2797, and ultimately it was not passed by the Legislature.
In 2025, AT&T resubmitted their application to the CPUC for COLR relief. That proceeding is still in progress, but the County sent a letter in March 2025 opposing the carrier's application. Assemblymember McKinnor also reintroduced her legislative proposal to achieve the same aims, and the County sent a letter opposing AB 470.
The County continued to track and engage on AB 470 as it moved through the Legislature and received substantial amendments after CSAC and RCRC dropped their opposition. The County sent an Oppose Unless Amended letter on AB 470 in June and July 2025. The County engaged with Senator McGuire's office in August and signed an Oppose Unless Amended coalition letter in August 2025 with Napa and Humboldt -- outlining specific requested amendments. Ultimately, the Legislature did not pass AB 470 to the Governor in 2025.
In January 2026, the CPUC undertook rulemaking on COLR modernization. The County, along with the counties of Napa, Sonoma and Humboldt, issued a comment letter affirming that COLR changes are best addressed through careful, evidence-based regulation, rather than legislation. The letter also suggested modifications to the CPUC's proposal for local transparency and clarity.
In May 2026, AT&T initiated legal action against the CPUC and California Attorney General, Rob Bonta. The County is aware that some residents have received communication regarding the discontinuation of landline service. The County is monitoring developments and working with our partners to understand the potential impact on residents. Updates will be posted on this page.