SB 315 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Quimby Act.

Summary
The Quimby Act, which is within the Subdivision Map Act, authorizes the legislative body of a city or county to require the dedication of land or to impose fees for park or recreational purposes as a condition to the approval of a tentative map or parcel subdivision map if specified requirements are met. The act provides that the dedication of land, or the payment of fees, or both, shall not exceed the proportionate amount necessary to provide 3 acres of park area per 1,000 persons residing within a subdivision subject to the act, except as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit the proportion of the land to be dedicated, or the amount of any fee to be paid in lieu thereof, or both, from exceeding 25% of the total acreage of the subdivision, if the proposed subdivision is for infill housing. The bill would also prohibit the legislative body of a city or county from requiring the dedication of land or the payment of fees in lieu thereof, if the proposed subdivision is for infill housing and the subdivision is located within 12 mile of an existing park. The Mitigation Fee Act, among other things, requires a local agency that imposes a fee as a condition of approval of a development project to deposit the fee in a separate capital facilities account or fund, and to make certain information about the account or fund available to the public annually, as specified. The Mitigation Fee Act generally excepts fees imposed pursuant to the Quimby Act from its provisions. This bill would, notwithstanding that exception, require fees collected pursuant to the Quimby Act to comply with the requirement to deposit the fee in a separate capital facilities account or fund and to comply with the public reporting requirements described above. By increasing the duties of local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 11, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

02/11/25 - Introduced 03/17/25 - Amended Senate · 8 edits · Mar 17, 2025
MODERATE
The Senate amendment to SB 315 adds two significant protections for infill housing developers: a cap limiting park dedication or fees to no more than 25% of total subdivision acreage, and a complete prohibition on such requirements when the infill housing is within half a mile of an existing park. It also requires Quimby Act fees to comply with Mitigation Fee Act transparency rules (separate account and public reporting), which was previously exempted. New sections establish that the bill applies to charter cities as a matter of statewide concern and that no state reimbursement is required.
ELIGIBILITY

New subsection (a)(2)(C) caps the proportion of land dedicated or fees paid for park purposes at 25% of the total acreage of the subdivision when the proposed subdivision is for infill housing.

New subsection (h) prohibits a city or county from requiring any park land dedication or fee payment if the proposed subdivision is for infill housing and is located within one-half mile of an existing park.

REQUIREMENT

New subsection (d) requires fees collected under the Quimby Act to comply with Section 66006 (Mitigation Fee Act) requirements, including depositing fees in a separate capital facilities account or fund and making information about the account available to the public annually. This overrides the general exception that previously exempted Quimby Act fees from those provisions.

SCOPE

New Section 2 includes legislative findings that ensuring transparency of Quimby Act fees and reducing development fee costs for infill housing is a matter of statewide concern, not a municipal affair, making the bill applicable to all cities including charter cities.

FISCAL

New Section 3 provides that no state reimbursement is required under Article XIII B because local agencies have authority to levy sufficient fees or assessments to cover the mandated program costs.

TECHNICAL

Subsection (a)(1) was cleaned up from 'for a period of 30 days prior to before' to 'for 30 days before,' removing redundant wording.

The definition of recreational community gardening in former subsection (f) was streamlined by removing the phrase 'the activity of' and changing 'which activity consists of' to 'which consists of.'

The fiscal committee and state-mandated local program designations in the digest changed from 'no' to 'yes,' reflecting the new Mitigation Fee Act compliance requirement that imposes additional duties on local officials.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
10
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Amendments
1
Mar 26, 2025
Committee
Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.
upper
Mar 17, 2025
Upper · Passed
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
upper
Feb 19, 2025
Committee
Referred to Com. on RLS.
upper
Feb 11, 2025
Introduced
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Tim Grayson
Tim Grayson
DDemocratic
CA
9