This bill changes how disputes over building codes get resolved in California. Currently, if someone disagrees with how a local agency is interpreting or applying building standards, both the person and the local agency have to agree to bring the issue to the state's Building Standards Commission. This bill removes that requirement, meaning a person can appeal on their own once they've exhausted local appeal options first. It also expands the reasons someone can appeal, including requesting approval to use alternative building materials, and lets anyone ask the commission for an official interpretation of what a building code provision means. The commission will now be required to work with relevant stakeholders when reviewing appeals and must post all its decisions online in a searchable format so people can find precedents and guidance more easily. Additionally, local agencies will now be required to post their own building code interpretations and local rules on their websites, clearly labeled and linked to related amendments, rather than just making them available upon request. These changes apply to all cities, including charter cities, since the state has determined building code consistency is a matter of statewide concern. The bill may create additional costs for local governments, which would be reimbursed by the state if required.

AB 748 requires local agencies to develop preapproval programs for single-family and multifamily housing plans, with large and small jurisdictions having different deadlines, 2027 and 2029 respectively. The bill exempts certain projects from CEQA and requires an annual report on housing units approved using preapproved plans, beginning in 2028 for large jurisdictions and 2030 for small jurisdictions.

AB 956 focuses on expanding the development and accessibility of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and junior accessory dwelling units by refining related laws. It aims to streamline processes and regulations to enhance housing availability, helping address housing shortages and affordability issues across California.

AB 1070 requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to conduct a study by January 31, 2027, on building standards for residential developments between three to ten units. The findings will be reported by December 31, 2028, possibly proposing new standards. The bill emphasizes evaluating cost pressures from building standards on single-family and multifamily constructions, with findings to be reported by the end of 2027.

AB 1294 modifies existing laws surrounding the welfare exemption in real property taxes, specifically targeting moderate-income housing. The bill seeks to facilitate the development of affordable housing by applying targeted tax exemptions, thereby reducing financial burdens on potential developers and encouraging the construction and availability of housing for moderate-income families throughout California.

This bill makes changes to California's public employee pension system for workers hired starting January 1, 2027. It updates the compensation limits used to calculate pension benefits for new members under the 2013 pension reform law, tying these limits to federal Social Security wage base percentages. For safety employees like police and firefighters, it creates three new retirement formulas—2.5%, 2.7%, or 3% at age 55—replacing the current age-57 formulas, effectively allowing these workers to retire two years earlier while receiving the same benefit percentage. Employers with safety members hired since 2013 must adjust their formulas to match this new age-55 structure for service performed after January 1, 2027. The bill also allows employers and employee unions to negotiate for higher or lower safety pension plans through collective bargaining agreements, and requires new teachers joining the state teacher retirement system to follow similar compensation limits. Because these changes will increase contributions to and payments from state retirement funds, the bill effectively authorizes additional public spending to support these enhanced retirement benefits.

AB 1621 modifies the Planning and Zoning Law to limit plan check reviews for building permits to two, enabling agencies to deny applications after two unsuccessful reviews. It revises appeal timelines to expedite decisions and permits applicants to seek a mandate writ for application approval. The bill further aligns with the Housing Accountability Act by ensuring compliance with time limits and reduces deviations from approved plans. Changes apply statewide, including charter cities.

This bill changes how local governments must evaluate whether a proposed housing development or emergency shelter meets local rules, plans, and standards. Instead of requiring strict or exact compliance, it says a project should be considered consistent and compliant if there's substantial evidence that would let a reasonable person reach that conclusion. This is meant to reduce arbitrary denials or delays of housing projects based on technicalities, making it easier for developers to get approvals when their projects reasonably fit local requirements. Because this adds new obligations for local agencies, it counts as a state-mandated program, though the bill specifies that no state reimbursement is required for these costs. The bill also declares that this is a matter of statewide concern, meaning the new rule applies to all cities, including charter cities that might otherwise claim exemption under local control provisions.

AB 1732 updates the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to exempt specific affordable housing projects linked with public university or college housing. The bill stipulates that these projects are afforded streamlined processes if they meet environmental and housing objectives, subject to certain conditions. Implementing project consultation processes with Native American tribes to avoid impacting cultural sites is emphasized. It does not mandate state reimbursement for local program compliance under CEQA due to defined exceptions.

This bill sets a firm deadline of January 1, 2029, for the City of Santa Monica to submit a complete local coastal program to the California Coastal Commission, something the city has not yet finalized. It establishes a structured review process: the Commission must flag any issues within 45 days, work with the city in good faith to resolve them, and act on the full proposal within six months (unless the city requests more time). If the Commission misses that deadline, it must report quarterly to the Legislature explaining the delay, adding accountability to a process that has historically dragged on for years. Separately, the bill makes it easier statewide to convert existing road lanes into bike lanes, transit lanes, or pedestrian walkways within the coastal zone. It expands current traffic-study exemptions and streamlined permitting rules to cover conversions of part or all of a road right-of-way, not just a single lane, and allows the Commission's executive director to waive coastal development permits entirely for non-state-highway conversions if the project maintains or improves public access to the coast. Through 2032, the Commission must publicly report annually on how many such permit applications it receives and how they're handled, providing transparency on how these streamlined rules are being used to promote more sustainable transportation options near the coast.

This bill, called the Missing Middle Townhome Ownership Act, makes it easier to build townhomes by requiring cities to approve qualifying projects through a fast-track, ministerial process rather than subjecting them to lengthy discretionary review or public hearings. To qualify, a project must consist entirely of townhomes—defined as single-family homes up to three stories that share a wall or are closely spaced with neighboring units—and meet specific density, size, and unit-count standards set by the bill. Cities must also process subdivision maps for these projects ministerially, as long as new lots are at least 600 square feet. Local governments retain some ability to reject a project, but only if they can prove with substantial evidence that it would create a specific, unavoidable threat to public health or safety. Because these approvals become ministerial, the projects are also exempted from full environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act, speeding up the construction timeline. The law applies to all cities, including charter cities, since housing production is deemed a matter of statewide concern, though San Francisco is specifically excluded from these requirements. The goal is to increase the supply of moderately priced, medium-density housing—the so-called “missing middle”—by cutting through bureaucratic delays that often stall these types of projects.

This bill changes how factory-built housing—homes built with significant components manufactured off-site—is regulated across California. Currently, local governments can enforce their own rules on things like snow load and wind pressure for these homes, but this bill removes those specific local powers, reasoning that the statewide building code already accounts for regional weather variations. Instead, cities and counties would only retain control over local zoning, design standards, flood protection, and wildfire safety requirements. The bill also bars local governments from requiring building standards stricter than the state's minimum code for factory-built housing projects, though this restriction wouldn't apply to non-factory-built portions of a larger development. Additionally, the bill updates the legal definition of 'factory-built housing,' specifying it must have at least 15% of construction costs tied to factory-made components and be at least two-thirds residential in use. Because these changes affect local officials' duties and could expand criminal liability for violations, the bill is classified as a state-mandated program, though the state won't reimburse local governments for related costs. The bill explicitly states these changes address a statewide concern, meaning they apply even to charter cities that normally have more autonomy over local building rules. Overall, the goal is to reduce local barriers to factory-built housing and make it easier and more predictable to build using this often faster, cheaper construction method.

AB 1857 declares that any covenants or restrictions in deeds, contracts, or other recorded or unrecorded instruments that prevent the use of property as grocery stores or supermarkets are void. This includes properties on which grocery stores had previously operated but have ceased operations. The bill mandates that a modification document must be recorded if these land use restrictions are to be invalidated, enabling easier repurposing of such properties for grocery store development to better meet community shopping needs.

AB 1914 requires city and county authorities to incorporate childcare plans into their general planning documents by January 1, 2033. This initiative addresses local childcare needs comprehensively, recognizing its importance at a statewide level. No state reimbursement is required for the associated costs.

Bill AB 1997 requires that housing development projects be approved or denied within 30 days following the certification of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) by a lead agency. It imposes additional duties on local agencies, thereby creating a state-mandated local program. The bill clarifies that no state reimbursement is required for the costs mandated on local agencies by this act.

The bill mandates a choice between occupancy affidavit or sales conditions for three-year residency. It exempts applicants linked to the Palisades and Eaton Fires in Los Angeles from eligibility due to specific restrictions. It includes penalties for non-compliance and limits additional local mandates on urban splits.

This bill sets up a Coastal Resilience Permitting Working Group led by the Natural Resources Agency, working with the California Environmental Protection Agency, to tackle the confusing and often slow permitting process for projects designed to protect coastal areas from climate change impacts like sea level rise and flooding. The group will include representatives from federal, state, and local agencies such as the California Coastal Commission and Department of Fish and Wildlife. By April 2027, a related advisory group involving the Coastal Commission, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and regional water quality boards will be formed to help guide this effort specifically for the coast and San Francisco Bay. The main goal is to produce a 'Coastal Resilience Permitting Roadmap' by January 2028, which will be delivered to the Governor and relevant legislative committees, outlining ways to make it easier and faster for coastal resilience projects to get all the permits they need without getting stuck navigating multiple agencies separately.

This bill aims to boost housing near major transit hubs by requiring big cities with significant transit systems to designate 'regional transit hub districts' by July 1, 2027. Within these districts, qualifying 'downtown housing developments' would automatically be allowed and eligible for a faster, streamlined approval process instead of typical lengthy local reviews, as long as they meet certain conditions including labor standards for construction workers. The idea is to make it easier and quicker to build housing in walkable, transit-connected downtown areas, helping address housing shortages while supporting public transit use. The bill applies to all cities, including charter cities, because lawmakers determined this is a statewide housing concern rather than just a local matter. It also directs the California Housing Finance Agency to study housing construction loans and financing options, delivering a report to the Legislature by December 1, 2027, to help identify ways to better fund these types of housing projects. Because the bill requires cities to take specific planning actions and streamline approvals, it creates new state-mandated duties for local governments, though the bill specifies that reimbursement for these costs may not be required in certain cases under existing constitutional provisions.

This bill updates the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022, which allows mixed-income housing developments along commercial corridors to bypass discretionary local approval when they meet certain affordability and design standards. Currently, local objective standards cannot force a project to shrink unit counts or reduce unit sizes. This bill adds another protection: local objective standards cannot prohibit or limit mixed-use development within these qualifying projects. This matters because mixed-use elements — such as ground-floor retail combined with housing — are often financially important to making affordable housing projects viable. By preventing local rules from blocking this component, the bill helps ensure more projects can actually get built. The change applies to all California cities, including charter cities, as a matter of statewide concern.

AB 2185 requires California housing agencies to reassess and potentially amend their rules by July 1, 2027, for multifamily affordable housing programs. The goal is to better accommodate and integrate factory-built housing solutions. This involves the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, California Housing Finance Agency, and related committees focusing on multifamily, farmworker, and veteran housing programs.

AB 2263 allows the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to acquire land for the construction of housing for its employees and the general public. It promotes affordable housing options, requiring the VTA to report annually to the legislature on the housing development's progress, thereby mandating a state-mandated local program.

This bill adjusts the scheduling requirements for the regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) process, which determines how many new homes each city and county must plan for. Currently, local governments must form subregional planning partnerships at least 28 months before a housing element revision deadline, and councils of governments must finalize each subregion's housing share at least 25 months out. This bill pushes those deadlines to 34 months and 31 months respectively. Similarly, the timeline for developing the methodology for distributing housing needs is extended from 2 years to 2.5 years before the revision deadline, and the draft allocation must be distributed at least 2 years out instead of 1.5 years. These changes give regional and local planners more preparation time. The extended timelines do not apply to the 7th housing element cycle for regions with revision deadlines in 2027 or 2028, preserving the existing schedule for those jurisdictions. The bill also expresses legislative intent to act on a California State Auditor recommendation to base housing element deadlines on smaller regional groupings and local jurisdiction size.

This bill fine-tunes California's streamlined housing approval process, which lets developers build certain multifamily housing without going through a lengthy conditional use permit process as long as the project meets specific objective standards. Under current law, if a developer wants to modify an already-approved project, local governments must approve the change if it's consistent with the objective planning standards that existed when the original application was submitted. This bill clarifies that requirement by specifying that modifications must instead be consistent with objective zoning, subdivision, and design review standards from when the application was first submitted, and requires that the same assumptions and methods used in the original review (or a prior modification review) be applied consistently to any new modification requests. The bill also expands protections for developers dealing with litigation delays, ensuring that time extensions during lawsuits apply not just to a project's first modification request, but to any subsequent ones as well. Because these changes affect all cities, including those with their own charters, and add responsibilities for local officials, the bill treats this as a matter of statewide concern rather than a local issue, though it specifies that no state reimbursement to local governments is required for these new duties.

This bill updates California's Density Bonus Law, which requires cities and counties to allow developers to build more housing units than normally permitted when a portion of those units are reserved for lower-income or senior residents. The key changes shift the trigger for density bonus eligibility from an applicant's pledge to build affordable units to a formal determination by the local government that the project meets the qualifying criteria. Once a city or county confirms an application is complete, it must also confirm the project's density bonus eligibility. The bill expands the definition of moderate-income households to include lower-, very low-, and extremely low-income households, and updates how density bonuses apply across multi-site developments. Significantly, it removes a major procedural hurdle by clarifying that granting a density bonus, incentive, concession, or development standard waiver is not a discretionary action and does not trigger environmental review under CEQA. This means local governments cannot use CEQA as a reason to delay or deny these benefits. The bill applies to all California cities, including charter cities, as a matter of statewide concern.

This bill sets up an early-warning system for public sector unions when their employer plans to bring in artificial intelligence to do work that union members currently perform. Specifically, it requires state and local government employers to notify the recognized employee organization representing affected workers at least 45 days before taking steps to develop, purchase, or mandate the use of generative AI tools for tasks within that job classification's scope of work. The goal is to give unions advance notice and time to respond, raise concerns, or negotiate before AI systems are put in place that could change or replace the duties currently handled by public employees, building on broader state efforts to study and manage the risks of AI adoption in government operations.