AB 1070 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Residential developments: building standards: review.

Summary

Existing law, the California Building Standards Law, establishes the California Building Standards Commission (commission) within the Department of General Services and sets forth its powers and duties, including approval and adoption of building standards and codification of those standards into the California Building Standards Code (code) . Existing law requires the commission to publish, or cause to be published, editions of the code in its entirety once every 3 years. Existing law requires the building standards and rules and regulations to impose substantially the same requirements as are contained in the most recent editions of specified international or uniform industry codes, including the International Residential Code of the International Code Council. Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development (department) and requires the department to submit an annual report to the Governor and both houses of the Legislature on the operations and accomplishments during the previous fiscal year of the housing programs administered by the department. This bill would require the department to initiate a study no later than January 31, 2027, evaluating the conditions under which residential developments of between 3 and 10 units may be designed and constructed under the requirements of the California Residential Code, as specified. The bill would require the department to contract with external experts or an independent third party for this purpose. The bill would require the department, no later than December 31, 2028, to provide a one-time report of its findings to the Legislature in the annual report described above. The bill, if the report identifies and recommends amendments to building standards, would require the department to research, develop, and consider proposing the standards for adoption by the commission, as specified. For the purposes of these provisions, the bill would authorize the department to exceed the scope and application of the International Residential Code to evaluate and propose amendments to allow residential developments of between 3 and 10 units to be designed and constructed under the requirements of the California Residential Code. The bill would additionally require the department to perform a review of construction cost pressures for single-family and multifamily residential construction as a result of new or existing building standards and provide its findings to the Legislature in its above-described annual report on or before December 31, 2027.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Aug 2026

Assembly Passage

Jan 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2025 Last action Aug 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

06/11/26 - Amended Senate → AB1070 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The Senate amendment to AB 1070 replaced the requirement for the Department of Housing and Community Development to convene a multi-stakeholder working group with a requirement to initiate a department-led study, moved the study initiation deadline one month earlier (from December 31 to January 31, 2027), and made the timing for proposing code amendments flexible by tying it to study completion rather than a fixed date. These changes shift control of the process from a collaborative working group model to a more department-directed approach while adding a requirement to submit the completed study directly to the California Building Standards Commission.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement to 'convene a working group, with membership including' specific stakeholders (fire service representatives, architects, engineers, developers, housing advocates, plan checkers, and academic faculty) was replaced with a requirement to 'initiate a study.' The department may now simply 'consult with relevant stakeholders' including state agencies, rather than being required to include specific groups in a formal working group.

The reporting requirement changed from providing 'a one-time report of its findings to the Legislature' to including 'the completed study in the annual report required by Section 50408' AND submitting the completed study to the California Building Standards Commission for review. The new requirement to submit directly to the Commission is an addition.

TIMELINE

The deadline for initiating the study/working group was moved from December 31, 2027 to January 31, 2027, giving the department one less month to begin the process.

The deadline for proposing code amendments to the Building Standards Commission was changed from a fixed date ('the next triennial update... that occurs on or after January 1, 2027') to a flexible standard ('after completion of the study'), removing the hard deadline and tying the proposal to when the study is actually finished.

SCOPE

References throughout the bill changed from 'working group' to 'study,' reflecting the structural shift in how the process is organized. The department retains authority to exceed the scope of the International Residential Code, but now exercises it through a study rather than a working group.

01/05/26 - Amended Assembly → 06/11/26 - Amended Senate · 9 edits · Jun 11, 2026

MAJOR

The Senate amendment removed all transit district board compensation and nonvoting member provisions from the Public Utilities Code, narrowing the bill to focus exclusively on housing and building standards. The remaining housing provisions were substantially restructured: the 'working group' was replaced with a 'study' conducted by external experts or an independent third party, the study scope was dramatically expanded with detailed analytical requirements (probabilistic risk analysis, fire loss data, cost implications, comparisons to other states), and a new legislative intent statement was added. The state-mandated local program designation changed from yes to no as a result of removing the transit provisions.

SCOPE

All Public Utilities Code provisions were deleted, including the requirement that transit district board members demonstrate personal use of the transit system (at least one hour or four trips per month) to receive compensation, and the entire framework for adding two nonvoting members and four alternate nonvoting members to transit district governing boards with associated rights, appointment procedures, and meeting exclusion rules.

The authorization for the department to exceed the scope of the International Residential Code was reworded from allowing 3-10 unit developments under the California Residential Code to evaluating whether to, and if warranted, proposing amendments to state building standards. This is a more cautious framing that requires a findings-based determination before acting.

The state-mandated local program designation changed from 'yes' to 'no' because the transit district provisions (which imposed obligations on local transit agencies) were removed. The remaining provisions only direct a state department (HCD) and do not mandate action by local agencies.

REQUIREMENT

A new legislative intent statement (Section 1) was added declaring it is the Legislature's intent to facilitate safe and feasible use of the California Residential Code for 3-10 unit developments by studying conditions for life safety outcomes equal to or superior to other code pathways.

The mechanism changed from convening a 'working group' with specified membership (Building Standards Commission, State Fire Marshal, Division of the State Architect, Energy Commission) to initiating a 'study' that the department must contract out to external experts or an independent third party. The department may still consult stakeholders but is no longer required to form a formal working group.

The study must now include a comprehensive analysis covering: probabilistic and comparative risk analysis of life safety outcomes; specific building types, site conditions, height limits, floor area limits, egress conditions, and fire systems; fire loss history from jurisdictions with similar provisions; comparison to one/two-family dwellings and larger multifamily buildings; feasibility implications (constructability, permitting, inspection, project delivery); cost implications and tradeoffs; interaction with Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, and Energy Codes; comparison with code approaches in Alaska, Montana, and North Carolina; necessary safeguards and mitigations; and administrative/permitting/enforcement considerations.

The study must now produce specific recommendations including: concrete amendments to state building standards; objective limitations or alternative compliance measures; code simplifications and cost-saving approaches; administrative changes to facilitate implementation; and whether code updates are warranted based on the risk analysis.

TIMELINE

The deadline for initiating the study was moved from December 31, 2027 to January 31, 2027 (a one-month earlier start). A new completion deadline of June 30, 2028 was added for the study itself. The report deadline to the Legislature remains December 31, 2028.

ENFORCEMENT

The completed study must now be submitted to the California Building Standards Commission for review, in addition to being included in the annual report to the Legislature. This creates a direct pipeline from the study findings to the commission that adopts building standards.

04/03/25 - Amended Assembly → 01/05/26 - Amended Assembly · 9 edits · Jan 5, 2026

MAJOR

AB 1070 was significantly expanded to add a new housing component requiring the Department of Housing and Community Development to study whether residential developments of 3-10 units can be built under the less restrictive California Residential Code instead of commercial building codes, with a goal of reducing construction costs. The existing transit district provisions were also modified to change labor representation requirements from a statewide 'majority' standard to a local 'plurality' standard and to make exclusion of nonvoting members from certain meetings mandatory rather than discretionary.

SCOPE

Added Sections 17921.12 and 17921.13 to the Health and Safety Code, creating an entirely new housing/building standards component to the bill that was not present in the prior version.

Changed the state-mandated local program designation from 'yes' to 'no' in the fiscal note.

REQUIREMENT

Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to convene a working group by December 31, 2027, to research and recommend amendments allowing residential developments of 3-10 units to be built under the California Residential Code (Part 2.5 of Title 24) rather than more stringent commercial codes.

Requires a review of construction cost pressures for single-family and multifamily residential construction resulting from building standards, with an initial report due by December 31, 2027, and recurring reviews every 3 years starting from the triennial update on or after January 1, 2031.

Removed the requirement that nonvoting members be recommended by labor organizations representing employees of different transit systems (former subparagraph C).

TIMELINE

Requires a one-time report of findings to the Legislature by December 31, 2028, and if amendments are recommended, requires agencies to propose them for adoption in the next triennial update of the California Building Standards Code on or after January 1, 2027.

DEFINITION

Authorizes the Department of Housing and Community Development to exceed the scope and application of the International Residential Code to allow 3-10 unit developments to be designed and constructed under the California Residential Code.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed the labor organization requirement for nonvoting transit board members from 'representing the majority of employees of a major transit system in the state' to 'represents a plurality of represented employees within the transit district,' narrowing the scope from a statewide standard to a local one.

ENFORCEMENT

Changed the chair's authority to exclude nonvoting members from meetings discussing labor negotiations, personnel matters, and confidential legal matters from discretionary ('may exclude') to mandatory ('shall exclude').

02/20/25 - Introduced → 04/03/25 - Amended Assembly · 5 edits · Apr 3, 2025

MODERATE

The amendment significantly expands the role of nonvoting members on transit district governing boards by adding explicit rights (attendance, materials, agenda placement, anti-retaliation protection), establishing formal appointment procedures with deadlines, narrowing the labor organization requirement to those representing a plurality of employees within the district, and broadening the circumstances under which nonvoting members must be excluded from meetings. These changes make the nonvoting member positions more substantive and protected while also giving boards clearer operational rules.

Scope change

The bill's scope is unchanged - it still applies to transit districts under the Public Utilities Code. However, the practical effect on those districts is significantly broader due to the new rights, appointment procedures, and expanded exclusion rules for nonvoting board members.

REQUIREMENT

New subdivision (c) grants nonvoting members and alternates four specific rights: attend and participate in all public board meetings, receive all meeting materials given to voting members, place items on the agenda related to transit service and labor matters, and protection from retaliation for statements made during board meetings.

New subdivision (b) establishes appointment procedures: the chair must appoint within 31 days of receiving recommendations; if no recommendations are received within 31 days, the governing board may appoint by majority vote; the chair may request a new recommendation if an individual does not meet qualifications; and all appointments must be made at a regular meeting and recorded in the minutes.

ELIGIBILITY

The second nonvoting member and both of their alternates must now be recommended by a labor organization that represents a plurality of represented employees within the transit district, narrowing which labor organizations can make recommendations.

ENFORCEMENT

Exclusion from meetings changed from permissive (chair 'may' exclude) to mandatory (chair 'shall' exclude), and the scope expanded beyond just labor negotiations to also cover personnel matters related to individual employees and confidential legal matters where attorney-client privilege applies. When a nonvoting member is excluded, the corresponding alternate must also be excluded.

TECHNICAL

Minor language change in Section 99156(a): 'Notwithstanding any other provision of law' shortened to 'Notwithstanding any other law.'

Floor votes · Assembly Jan 26, 2026

How they voted

74–0

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 79

Jan 26, 2026

D Democratic59

56 Yea 3

94% Yea

R Republican20

18 Yea 2

90% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

upper

Aug 3, 2026

Committee

In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

upper

Jun 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Jun 11, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HOUSING.

upper

May 6, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on HOUSING.

upper

Jan 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 3834.)

lower

Jan 22, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (January 22).

lower

Jan 22, 2026

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

lower

Jan 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (January 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Jan 5, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on H. & C.D. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

lower

Jan 5, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

lower

Jan 5, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. Read second time and amended.

lower

Apr 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

lower

Apr 7, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 17, 2025

Committee

Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and TRANS.

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors