SB 502 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Local education agency-owned land: development of affordable housing.

Summary
Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency for purposes of carrying out state housing policies and programs. Existing law prescribes requirements for the disposal of surplus land by a local agency, as defined, and requires, except as provided, a local agency disposing of surplus land to comply with certain notice requirements before disposing of the land or participating in negotiations to dispose of the land with a prospective transferee, particularly that the local agency send a notice of availability to housing sponsors, as defined, that have notified HCD of their interest in surplus land, as specified. Existing law establishes the Department of General Services (DGS) in the Government Operations Agency for purposes of, among other things, planning, acquiring, constructing, and maintaining state buildings and property. Executive Order No. N-06-19 required DGS to create a digitized inventory of all state-owned parcels that are in excess of foreseeable needs, as provided. Existing law required DGS to develop, in consultation with HCD, no later than September 1, 2023, a set of criteria to consistently evaluate state-owned parcels for suitability as affordable housing sites. Existing law requires DGS to update the digitized inventory of all excess state land suitable for affordable housing after the conclusion of its review based on those criteria. Existing law also requires DGS to annually update the digitized inventory created pursuant to Executive Order No. N-06-19 of all excess state land, as defined, suitable for affordable housing identified by its review. This bill would authorize a local education agency to submit a list of any available local education agency-owned land to HCD for purposes of determining the suitability for development of affordable housing. The bill would require HCD, in consultation with DGS, to conduct a review of the local education agency-owned land and determine the suitability of the land for the development of affordable housing, consistent with the above-described criteria. The bill would require any local education agency-owned land determined to be suitable for the development of affordable housing to be made publicly available through the digitized inventory created pursuant to Executive Order No. N-06-19 and the above-described contact list of housing sponsors that have notified HCD of their interest in surplus land. The bill would require that an affordable housing development constructed on local education agency-owned land determined to be suitable for the development of affordable housing to provide school district employees and local tenants with a right of first refusal to occupy the housing, as specified.
Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 19, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

02/19/25 - Introduced 04/24/25 - Amended Senate · 6 edits · Apr 24, 2025
MODERATE
SB 502 was significantly expanded to add a new statutory framework (Part 13.5, Section 53569) requiring the review and public listing of local education agency-owned land for affordable housing development. The amendment adds Senator Cortese as coauthor and introduces requirements that suitable LEA land be made publicly available through state inventories and housing sponsor contact lists, with a right of first refusal for school district employees and local tenants to occupy resulting housing.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from solely addressing Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund allocations to also establishing a new statutory process for identifying, reviewing, and publicly listing local education agency-owned land suitable for affordable housing development, with tenant prioritization rights.
SCOPE

Entirely new Part 13.5 (Section 53569) added to Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code, creating a statutory framework for affordable housing development on local education agency-owned land.

Bill title expanded from amending only Sections 50470 and 50470.5 to also adding Part 13.5 (commencing with Section 53569) to Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code.

REQUIREMENT

Local education agencies may submit lists of available land to HCD; HCD must review the land in consultation with DGS using criteria from Government Code Section 14684.3 to determine suitability for affordable housing.

LEA-owned land found suitable for affordable housing must be made publicly available through both the digitized inventory created under Executive Order N-06-19 and the contact list of housing sponsors who notified HCD of interest in surplus land.

ELIGIBILITY

Affordable housing built on suitable LEA-owned land must provide school district employees and local tenants a right of first refusal to occupy, with school district employees prioritized before local tenants.

TECHNICAL

Senator Cortese added as coauthor alongside Senator Arreguin.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
3
Committee
3
Amendments
2
May 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
upper
Apr 28, 2025
Committee
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
upper
Apr 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED.
upper
Apr 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on ED. (Ayes 9. Noes 1. Page 831.) (April 22).
upper
Feb 26, 2025
Committee
Referred to Coms. on HOUSING and ED.
upper
Feb 19, 2025
Introduced
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors