(1) Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, authorizes a local agency to provide for the creation of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in single-family and multifamily residential zones by ordinance, and sets forth standards the ordinance is required to impose with respect to certain matters, including, among others, maximum unit size, parking, and height standards. Existing law authorizes a local agency to provide by ordinance for the creation of junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs) , as defined, in single-family residential zones and requires the ordinance to include, among other things, standards for the creation of a JADU, required deed restrictions, and occupancy requirements. Existing law makes void and unenforceable any covenant, restriction, or condition contained in any deed, contract, security instrument, or other instrument affecting the transfer or sale of any interest in real property that either effectively prohibits or unreasonably restricts the construction or use of an ADU or JADU on a lot zoned for single-family residential use that meets the above-described minimum standards established for those units. However, existing law permits reasonable restrictions that do not unreasonably increase the cost to construct, effectively prohibit the construction of, or extinguish the ability to otherwise construct, an ADU or JADU consistent with those aforementioned minimum standards provisions. This bill would prohibit fees and other financial requirements from being included in the above-described reasonable restrictions. Existing law provides for the creation of ADUs in areas zoned for single-family or multifamily dwelling residential use, by ministerial approval if a local agency has not adopted an ordinance, in accordance with specified standards and conditions. Under existing law, a local agency is also required to ministerially approve an application for a building permit within a residential or mixed-use zone to create any of specified variations of ADUs. Existing law prohibits a local agency from imposing any objective development or design standard that upon any accessory dwelling unit that meets one of those specified variations of ADUs, except as specified. Existing law authorizes a local agency to establish minimum and maximum unit size requirements for both attached and detached ADUs, subject to certain limitations. Notwithstanding that authorization and the ministerial approval requirement, as described above, existing law requires a local agency that adopted an ordinance by July 1, 2018, providing for the approval of ADUs in multifamily dwelling structures to ministerially consider a permit application to construct an ADU, as specified, and authorizes that local agency to impose objective standards including, but not limited to, design, development, and historic standards on said ADUs, except for requirements on minimum lot size. This bill would remove the requirement that a local agency ministerially consider a permit application to construct one of the above-specified variations of ADUs, and would remove the authorization for a local agency to impose objective standards on those ADUs, as specified above. By further prohibiting local governments from imposing certain standards on ADUs, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law prescribes various requirements to be satisfied before the exercise of a power of sale under a mortgage or deed of trust. Existing law authorizes a borrower to bring an action for injunctive relief to enjoin material violations of certain of these requirements, and requires that the injunction remain in place and any trustee's sale be enjoined until the court determines that the violations have been corrected, as specified. This bill would make certain conduct an unlawful practice in connection with a subordinate mortgage, including, among others, that the mortgage servicer did not provide the borrower with any communication regarding the loan secured by the mortgage for at least 3 years. The bill would prohibit a mortgage servicer from conducting or threatening to conduct a nonjudicial foreclosure until the mortgage servicer (A) simultaneously with the recording of a notice of default, records or causes to be recorded a certification, as specified, under penalty of perjury that either the mortgage servicer did not engage in an unlawful practice or the mortgage servicer lists all instances when it committed an unlawful practice and (B) simultaneously with the service of a recorded notice of default, the mortgage servicer sends the recorded certification and a notice to the borrower, as specified. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law, the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, governs the formation and operation of common interest developments. Existing law requires that a common interest development be managed by an association. Existing law, if an association adopts or has adopted a policy imposing any monetary penalty on any association member for a violation of the governing documents, requires the board to adopt and distribute to each member a schedule of the monetary penalties that may be assessed for those violations, as provided, and prohibits an association from imposing a monetary penalty on a member for a violation of the governing documents in excess of that schedule. Existing law requires the board to notify a member 10 days before a meeting to consider or impose discipline on the member, as specified. Existing law requires the board to provide a member with written notification of a decision to impose discipline on the member within 15 days. This bill would prohibit monetary fees from exceeding the lesser of that specified schedule or $100 per violation, except as specified. The bill would require the board to give a member the opportunity to cure a violation prior to the meeting to consider or impose discipline, as specified. If the board and the member are in agreement after the meeting to consider or impose discipline, the bill would require the board to draft a written resolution. The bill would provide that the written resolution, signed by the association and member of a dispute pursuant to the procedure not in conflict with the law or governing documents, binds the association and is judicially enforceable. The bill would reduce the time to provide written notification of a decision to impose discipline from 15 days to 14 days. (4) Existing law, until July 1, 2042, establishes the Seismic Retrofitting Program for Soft Story Multifamily Housing for the purposes of providing financial assistance to owners of soft story multifamily housing for seismic retrofitting to protect individuals living in multifamily housing that have been determined to be at risk of collapse in earthquakes, as specified. Existing law establishes the Seismic Retrofitting Program for Soft Story Multifamily Housing Fund, and its subsidiary account, the Seismic Retrofitting Account, within the State Treasury. Existing law requires the California Residential Mitigation Program, also known as the CRMP, to develop and administer the program, as specified. This bill would require, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the CRMP to fund the seismic retrofitting of affordable multifamily housing, as specified. The bill would require the CRMP to prioritize affordable multifamily housing serving lower income households, as defined. (5) Existing law creates the National Mortgage Special Deposit Fund in the State Treasury, which is continuously appropriated and subject to allocation by the Department of Finance, for the receipt of moneys from the National Mortgage Settlement. Existing law allocates $300,000,000 from the fund to be administered by the California Housing Finance Agency for the purpose of providing housing counseling services certified by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to homeowners, former homeowners, or renters and providing mortgage assistance to qualified California households, as specified. This bill would expand the purpose of the above-described allocation to include providing legal services for home ownership preservation, as specified. By providing new purposes for which an appropriation may be used, this bill would make an appropriation. (6) Existing law prescribes requirements for the disposal of surplus land by a local agency. Existing law provides that an agency is not required to follow the requirements for disposal of surplus land for "exempt surplus land," except as provided. Existing law defines "exempt surplus land" to mean, among other things, real property that a school district is required to appoint a district advisory committee prior to sale, lease, or rental of any excess real property, as specified, and real property that a school district may exchange for real property of another person or private business firm, as specified. This bill would remove the above-described school district real property from the definition of "exempt surplus land," thereby requiring that the disposal of that property be done in accordance with the above-described requirements for surplus land disposal. (7) Existing law, the Affordable Housing on Faith and Higher Education Lands Act of 2023, specifies that a housing development project shall be a use by right, as defined, upon the request of an applicant who submits an application for streamlined approval if, among other criteria, the development is located on land owned on or before January 1, 2024, by an independent institution of higher education or a religious institution, as specified. Existing law prohibits the development from being adjoined to any site where more than 13 of the square footage of the site is dedicated to light industrial use, and defines "light industrial use" for these purposes as a use that is not subject to permitting by a district, as defined. This bill would instead define "light industrial use" as an industrial use that is not subject to permitting by a district. Existing law authorizes a development project that is eligible for approval as a use by right pursuant to the act to include ancillary uses on the ground floor of the development. For single-family residential zones, the ancillary uses are limited to childcare centers and facilities operated by community-based organizations, and in all other zones, for commercial uses that are permitted without a conditional use permit or planned unit development permit. This bill would specify that the childcare facilities are without limitation on the number of children and that the permitted commercial uses for all zones other than single-family residential zones also include childcare centers and facilities operated by community-based organizations. Existing law specifies that a development project eligible for approval as a use by right pursuant to the act includes any religious institutional use or any use that was previously existing and legally permitted if, among other things, the total parking requirement for nonresidential space on the site does not exceed the lesser of the amount existing or of the amount required by a conditional use permit. This bill would delete that parking requirement and would instead require the proposed development to provide up to one space per unit, unless a state law or local ordinance provides for a lower standard of parking. Existing law, for a housing development project that qualifies as a use by right pursuant to the act, allows a certain density based on zoning and other factors, as applicable, including a height of one story above the maximum height otherwise applicable to the parcel. This bill would instead specify the development is entitled to a height of one story or 11 feet above the maximum height otherwise applicable to the parcel. The Planning and Zoning Law requires each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for its physical development, and the development of certain lands outside its boundaries, that includes, among other mandatory elements, a housing element. After a legislative body has adopted all or part of a general plan, existing law requires, among other things, that a planning agency provide by April 1 of each year an annual report to specified entities that includes prescribed information, including the number of units of housing demolished and new units of housing that have been issued a completed entitlement, a building permit, or a certificate of occupancy, thus far in the housing element cycle, and the income category, by area median income category, that each unit of housing satisfies, as specified. This bill would require the annual report to also include specified information with respect to housing development projects under the Affordable Housing on Faith and Higher Education Lands Act of 2023. (8) Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires each county and each city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city, and specified land outside its boundaries, that contains certain mandatory elements, including a housing element. That law requires each local government to review its housing element and to revise the housing element in accordance with a specified schedule. For the 4th and subsequent revisions of the housing element, existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to determine the existing and projected need for housing for each region, and requires the appropriate council of governments, or the department for cities and counties without a council of governments, to adopt a final regional housing need plan that allocates a share of the regional housing need to each city, county, or city and county, as provided. Existing law requires the department to meet and consult with the council of governments regarding the assumptions and methodology used to determine a region's housing needs at least 26 months prior to the scheduled revision. Existing law requires the council of governments to provide certain data assumptions from the council's projections, if available, including, among other things, the percentage of households that are overcrowded, the overcrowding rate for a comparable housing market, the percentage of households that are cost burdened, and the rate of housing cost burden for a healthy housing market. This bill would revise these data assumptions requirements to, instead, require the council of governments to provide data on the percentage of households that are overcrowded within the region, the percentage of households that are overcrowded throughout the nation, the percentage of households that are cost burdened within the region, and the percentage of households that are cost burdened throughout the nation. Existing law requires each council of governments, or delegate subregion, as applicable, to develop, in consultation with the department, a proposed methodology for distributing the existing and projected regional housing need to cities, counties, and cities and counties within the region or within the subregion, where applicable, at least 2 years before a scheduled revision. This methodology is also referred to as the allocation methodology. Existing law requires the council of governments, or delegate subregion, as applicable, to publish a draft allocation methodology on its internet website and submit the draft allocation methodology to the department. Existing law requires the department to determine whether the methodology furthers the specified objectives within 60 days. If the department determines that the methodology is not consistent with the objectives, existing law requires the council of governments, or delegate subregion, as applicable, to either (A) revise the methodology to further the objectives and adopt a final regional, or subregional, housing need allocation methodology or (B) adopt the regional, or subregional, housing need allocation methodology without revisions and include within its resolution of adoption findings, supported by substantial evidence, as to why the council of governments, or delegate subregion, believes that the methodology furthers the objectives, despite the findings of the department. This bill, if the department determines that the draft allocation methodology is not consistent with the objectives, would instead require the council of governments, or delegate subregion, to revise the methodology, in consultation with the department, to further the objectives within 45 days, receive department acceptance that the revised methodology furthers the objectives, and adopt a final regional, or subregional, housing need allocation methodology. The bill would remove the ability for a council of governments or delegate subregion to adopt the regional or subregional housing need allocation methodology without revision, as described above. (9) Existing law, except as provided, generally requires that a public hearing be held on an application for a variance from the requirements of a zoning ordinance, an application for a conditional use permit or equivalent development permit, a proposed revocation or modification of a variance or use permit or equivalent development permit, or an appeal from the action taken on any of those applications. Existing law, until January 1, 2034, prohibits a city or county from conducting more than 5 hearings, as defined, held pursuant to these provisions, or any other law, ordinance, or regulation requiring a public hearing, if a proposed housing development project complies with the applicable objective general plan and zoning standards in effect at the time an application is deemed complete, as defined. Existing law, until January 1, 2034, requires the city or county to consider and either approve or disapprove the housing development project at any of the 5 hearings consistent with the applicable timelines under the Permit Streamlining Act. This bill would remove the January 1, 2034, repeal date with respect to the requirements that a city or county conduct no more than 5 hearings on a housing development project, and either approve or disapprove that housing development at any of those hearings, as described above, thereby extending these provisions indefinitely. (10) Existing law, until January 1, 2030, for purposes of any state or local law, ordinance, or regulation that requires a city or county to determine whether the site of a proposed housing development project is a historic site, requires the city or county to make that determination, which remains valid for the pendency of the housing development, at the time the application is deemed complete, except as provided. This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, repeal date for these provisions, thereby extending them indefinitely. (11) Existing law, the Housing Accountability Act, among other things, prohibits a local agency from disapproving a housing development project that complies with applicable objective general plan, zoning, and subdivision standards and criteria, or from imposing a condition that it be developed at a lower density, unless the local agency bases its decision on written findings supported by the preponderance of the evidence on the record that specified conditions exist, as provided. That act also prohibits a local agency from disapproving, or from conditioning approval in a manner that renders infeasible, a housing development project for very low, low-, or moderate-income households or an emergency shelter unless the local agency makes written findings, based on the preponderance of the evidence, that one of 6 specified conditions exists. The act authorizes the applicant, a person who would be eligible to apply for residency in the housing development project or emergency shelter, or a housing organization to bring an action to enforce its provisions and authorizes a court to issue an order or judgment directing the local agency to approve the housing development project or emergency shelter under certain circumstances. Those circumstances include, among others and until January 1, 2030, that the local agency required or attempted to require a housing development project to comply with an ordinance, policy, or standard not adopted and in effect when a preliminary application was submitted, as specified. This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, inoperative date for this provision of the act, thereby extending this provision of the Housing Accountability Act indefinitely. The act, except as specified, requires that a housing development project be subject only to the ordinances, policies, and standards, as defined, adopted and in effect when a preliminary application, including specified information, required by specified law as described below, was submitted. The act makes this requirement inoperative on January 1, 2034. This bill would remove the January 1, 2034, inoperative date for this requirement under the act, thereby extending this provision of the Housing Accountability Act indefinitely. Among other terms, the act defines the term "deemed complete" for its purposes to mean, until January 1, 2030, that the applicant has submitted a preliminary application or a complete application, as specified, and requires that the local agency bear the burden of proof in establishing that the application is not complete. The act also defines the term "determined to be complete" for its purposes to mean, until January 1, 2030, that the applicant has submitted a complete application, as specified. The act also defines the term "objective" to mean, until January 1, 2030, involving no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and being uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant or proponent and the public official. This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, inoperative date for each of these definitions, thereby extending their application under the Housing Accountability Act indefinitely. (12) Existing law, the Permit Streamlining Act, requires public agencies to compile one or more lists that specify in detail the information that will be required from any applicant for a development project. The act requires a public agency to determine in writing whether the application is complete and to immediately transmit the determination to the applicant for the development project, not later than 30 calendar days after the public agency received the application for the development project. The act defines "development project" for purposes of its provisions to mean any project undertaken for the purpose of development, including a project involving the issuance of a permit for construction or reconstruction but not a permit to operate, and excludes from this definition any ministerial projects proposed to be carried out or approved by public agencies. This bill, notwithstanding the exclusion for ministerial projects, would include in the definition of "development project" under the Permit Streamlining Act a housing development project that requires an entitlement from a local agency, regardless of whether the process for permitting that entitlement is discretionary or ministerial. The bill would also exclude from this definition a postentitlement phase permit, as defined by specified law. The act requires a city or county to deem an applicant for a housing development project to have submitted a preliminary application upon providing specified information about the proposed project to the city or county from which approval for the project is being sought. Existing law also authorizes a development proponent that submits a preliminary application for a housing development project to request a preliminary fee and exaction estimate, as defined, and requires a city, county, or city and county to provide the estimate within 30 business days of the submission of the preliminary application. Existing law repeals these provisions as of January 1, 2030. This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, repeal date for these provisions, thereby extending the provisions indefinitely. No later than 30 calendar days after receiving an application for a development project, the act requires a local agency to determine in writing whether the application is complete and immediately transmit that determination to the applicant. The act, until January 1, 2030, requires a public agency, upon its determination that an application for a development project is incomplete, to provide the applicant with an exhaustive list of items that were not complete, as specified. The act, until January 1, 2030, requires each city and each county to make copies of any list compiled, as described above, with respect to information required from an applicant for a housing development project, as defined, available in writing to those persons to whom the agency is required to make information available, as provided, and publicly available on the internet website of the city or county. This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, repeal date with respect to provision of an exhaustive list of requirements not complete, and availability of lists compiled with respect to housing development projects, thereby extending these provisions indefinitely. The act requires public agencies to approve or disapprove of a development project within certain timeframes, as specified. The act, until January 1, 2030, generally requires that a public agency that is the lead agency for certain development projects approve or disapprove the project within 90 days from the date of certification by the lead agency of an environmental impact report prepared for the project, but reduces this time period to 60 days from the certification of an environmental impact report if the project meets certain additional conditions relating to affordability. The act, until January 1, 2030, defines the term "development project" for this purpose to mean a housing development project, as that term is defined for purposes of the Housing Accountability Act, except as specified. Beginning January 1, 2030, the act extends the above-described timelines from 90 days to 120 days, and from 60 days to 90 days, respectively, and defines the term "development project" to mean a use consisting of residential units only or certain mixed-use developments. This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, repeal date for the 90-day and 60-day timelines described above and for the definition of "housing development project," thereby extending these provisions indefinitely, and would make a conforming change by repealing the above-described provisions that take effect on January 1, 2030. This bill would also require that a public agency that is the lead agency for a development project approve or disapprove a project within 60 days, as specified, from the date of receipt of a complete application, if the project is subject to ministerial review by the public agency. The bill would, for a development project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the below-described CEQA exemption for housing development projects, require that a public agency that is the lead agency for the development projects approve or disapprove the project within 30 days from the conclusion of specified environmental assessments. Existing law requires a public agency, other than the California Coastal Commission, that is a responsible agency for a housing development, as defined, that has been approved by the lead agency to approve or disapprove the development within specified time periods. This bill would require the California Coastal Commission to comply with those time periods applicable to a responsible agency. The act authorizes an applicant for a permit for a development project, if any provision of law requires a lead agency or responsible agency to provide public notice of the development project or to hold a public hearing on the development project and the agency has not done so at least 60 days before the expiration of specified time limits, to file an action to compel the agency to provide the public notice or hold the hearing, as specified. In the event that a lead agency or a responsible agency fails to act to approve or to disapprove a development project within the time limits required by the act, existing law deems the failure to act as an approval of the permit application for the development project, only if the public notice required by law has occurred, as specified. This bill would remove the requirement that the public notice required by law has occurred, in order for the failure to act to be deemed as an approval of the permit application for the development project. The act provides that the time limits specified in the act are maximum time limits for approving or disapproving development projects. The act requires, if possible, public agencies to approve or disapprove development projects in shorter periods of time. This bill would require that the time limits specified in the act only apply to the extent that the time limits are equal to or shorter than the applicable time limits for public agency review established in any other law. (13) Existing law, known as the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, prohibits an affected county or an affected city, as defined and determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development, as specified, from enacting certain development policies, standards, or conditions with respect to land where housing is an allowable use, including policies, standards, or conditions that impose a moratorium or similar restriction or limitation on housing development or that limit the number of land use approvals or permits necessary for the approval and construction of housing that will be issued or allocated. The act also prohibits an affected city or an affected county from approving a housing development project that will require the demolition of one or more residential dwelling units, unless the project will create at least as many residential dwelling units as will be demolished, or from approving a development project that will require the demolition of occupied or vacant protected units or that is located on a site where protected units were demolished in the previous 5 years, unless specified conditions are met. The act repeals these provisions as of January 1, 2034. This bill would remove the above-described January 1, 2034, repeal date, thereby extending application of the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 indefinitely. (14) Existing law, the Subdivision Map Act, vests the authority to regulate and control the design and improvement of subdivisions in the legislative body of a local agency and sets forth procedures governing the local agency's processing, approval, conditional approval or disapproval, and filing of tentative, final, and parcel maps, and the modification thereof. The act generally requires a subdivider to file a tentative map or vesting tentative map with the local agency, as specified, and the local agency, in turn, to approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove the map within a specified time period. A violation of any provision of this act is a crime. Existing law, known as the Starter Home Revitalization Act of 2021, among other things, requires a local agency to ministerially consider, without discretionary review or a hearing, a parcel map or a tentative and final map for a housing development project that meets certain requirements, including that the housing development project on the lot proposed to be subdivided will contain 10 or fewer residential units, except as provided. This bill would authorize the proposed subdivision to designate a remainder parcel, as described, that retains existing land uses or structures, does not contain any new residential units, and is not exclusively dedicated to serving the housing development project. Under the bill, the remainder parcel would not count against the 10-parcel maximum, as described above. The bill would also exclude the area of any designated remainder parcel from specified residential density calculations under the Starter Home Revitalization Act of 2021. By expanding the duties for a local agency to ministerially consider a housing development project, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would make nonsubstantive and related conforming changes to the Starter Home Revitalization Act of 2021. Existing law authorizes a local agency to condition the approval and recordation of a subdivision map upon the completion of a residential structure in compliance with all applicable provisions of the California Building Standards Code that contains at least one dwelling unit on each resulting parcel that does not already contain an existing legally permitted residential structure or is reserved for internal circulation, open space, or common area. This bill would, instead, generally prohibit a person from selling, leasing, or financing any parcel or parcels of real property resulting from a subdivision under this section, as specified, separately from any other such parcel or parcels, unless each parcel that is sold, leased, or financed meets one of 4 specified alternative criteria, including that the parcel contains a residential structure completed in compliance with all applicable provisions of the California Building Standards Code that includes at least one dwelling unit. Under the bill, a violation of this prohibition would constitute the sale of real property that has been divided in violation of the Subdivision Map Act, subject to the penalties and remedies set forth in specified provisions of the Subdivision Map Act. However, the bill would authorize a local agency, by ordinance or map condition, to authorize the sale, lease, or finance of any parcel or parcels of real property resulting from a subdivision, as specified, without compliance with the above-described prohibition on the sale, lease, or finance of a parcel or parcels of real property. Because a violation of these prohibitions would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (15) Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development (department) in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Existing law, the California Building Standards Law, establishes the California Building Standards Commission (commission) within the Department of General Services. Existing law requires the commission to approve and adopt building standards and to codify those standards in the California Building Standards Code (code) . Existing law, the State Housing Law, establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards for buildings used for human habitation. Existing law requires, among other things, the building standards adopted and submitted by the department for approval by the commission, as specified, to be adopted by reference, with certain exceptions. Existing law authorizes any city or county to make changes in those building standards that are published in the code, including to green building standards. Existing law requires the governing body of a city or county, before making modifications or changes to those green building standards, to make an express finding that those modifications or changes are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions. This bill would, from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, prohibit a city or county from making changes that are applicable to residential units to the above-described building standards unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. This bill would, from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, require the commission to reject a modification or change to any building standard, as described above, affecting a residential unit and filed by the governing body of a city or county unless a certain condition is met (excluded conditions) , including that the commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. The bill would also make related findings and declarations. The bill would authorize the commission to rely on a statement by the local agency that specified excluded conditions are met. The bill would also authorize the city or county to request the commission to review one of the excluded conditions relating to changes or modifications related to administrative practices. The California Building Standards Law defines various terms to govern the construction of its provisions, including "model code," which means any building code drafted by private organizations or otherwise, and is required to include, but not be limited to, the latest edition of various codes. This bill would modify the definition of "model code" to add the latest edition of the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code of the International Code Council. Existing law requires the commission to receive proposed building standards from state agencies for consideration in an 18-month code adoption cycle and to develop regulations, as specified, setting forth the procedures for the 18-month adoption cycle. This bill, from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, would provide that the above-described requirement does not apply to any building standards affecting residential units and would prohibit the commission from considering, approving, or adopting any proposed building standards affecting residential units, unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. The California Building Standards Law provides for the adoption of building standards by state agencies by requiring all state agencies that adopt or propose adoption of any building standard to submit the building standard to the commission for approval and adoption. This bill, from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, would prohibit the commission or any other adopting agency from considering, approving, or adopting any proposed building standards affecting residential units, unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. Existing law requires only those building standards approved by the commission, and that are effective at the local level at the time an application for a building permit is submitted, to apply to the plans and specifications for, and to the construction performed under, that building permit. Existing law requires a local ordinance adding or modifying building standards for residential occupancies, which are published in the California Building Standards Code, to apply only to an application for a building permit submitted after the effective date of the ordinance and to the plans and specifications for, and the construction performed under, that permit, subject to certain exceptions. This bill would, notwithstanding those provisions, require the state and local building standards in effect at the time an application for a building permit is submitted, for a residential dwelling based on a model home design approved under those standards, to apply to all future residential dwellings based on that approved model home design in the same jurisdiction, unless a certain condition applies. By requiring local entities to apply certain building standards, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law provides that neither the State Building Standards Law, nor the application of certain building standards, limits the authority of a city, county, or city and county to establish more restrictive building standards, including, but not limited to, green building standards, reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions, and pursuant to making certain findings. This bill would, notwithstanding those provisions, from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, prohibit a city or county from establishing more restrictive building standards that are applicable to residential units, unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. Existing law requires the commission to publish, or cause to be published, editions of the code in its entirety once in every 3 years, and supplements as necessary in the intervening period. Existing law also requires an emergency building standards supplement to be published whenever the commission determines it is necessary. This bill would limit the changes adopted during the intervening period to changes deemed necessary for editorial or clarity reasons, certain technical updates to existing code requirements, emergency building standards, amendments by the State Fire Marshal to specified building standards, certain necessary building standards and related state amendments, certain changes or modifications to administrative practices, and building standards necessary to incorporate minimum federal accessibility requirements, as specified. (16) Existing law provides authority for an enforcement agency to enter and inspect any buildings or premises whenever necessary to secure compliance with or prevent a violation of the building standards published in the California Building Standards Code and other rules and regulations that the enforcement agency has the power to enforce. Existing law requires an inspection, by January 1, 2026, and by January 1 every 6 years thereafter, of exterior elevated elements and associated waterproofing elements, as defined, including decks and balconies, for buildings with 3 or more multifamily dwelling units, as specified. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding the above-described inspection timeline, a building owner who confirms the presence of asbestos containing material (ACM) during an inspection, as specified, has up to 9 months to complete the necessary ACM abatement, as provided. The bill would require the building owner to, upon completion of ACM abatement, complete the inspection within no more than 4 months. The bill would require the building owner to retain records confirming the presence of ACM and its abatement for 3 years after completion of the inspection. By imposing additional duties on local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (17) The State Housing Law, among other things, requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to adopt, amend, or repeal rules and regulations for the protection of the health, safety, and general welfare of the occupant and the public relating to specified residential structures, as provided, which apply throughout the state. Existing law requires the housing or building department of every city or county, or the health department if there is no building department, to enforce within its jurisdiction the provisions of the State Housing Law, building standards, and the other rules and regulations adopted by the department pertaining to the maintenance, sanitation, ventilation, use, or occupancy of apartment houses, hotels, or dwellings. Existing law authorizes an officer, employee, or agent of an enforcement agency to enter and inspect any building or premises whenever necessary to secure compliance with, or prevent a violation of, specified law, including the State Housing Law. A violation of the State Housing Law, or of the building standards or rules and regulations adopted pursuant to that law, is a misdemeanor. Existing law requires a city or county that receives a complaint from an occupant of a homeless shelter, as defined, or an agent of an occupant, alleging that a homeless shelter is substandard to, among other things, inspect the homeless shelter or portion thereof intended for human occupancy that may be substandard, as specified. Existing law requires a city or county that determines a homeless shelter is substandard to issue a notice to correct the violation to the owner or operator of the homeless shelter, as specified. Existing law makes the owner or operator of a homeless shelter responsible for correcting any violation cited pursuant to these provisions. This bill would require a city or county to additionally perform an annual inspection of every homeless shelter located in its jurisdiction, as prescribed. The bill would authorize the above-described inspection or annual inspection to be announced or unannounced. The bill would require homeless shelters to prominently display notice of an occupant's rights, the process for reporting a complaint alleging a homeless shelter is substandard, and prescribed information, including specified contact information. The bill would require the homeless shelter to provide the same notice in writing to new occupants upon intake. Existing law authorizes a city or county to impose additional civil penalties on an owner or operator that fails to correct a violation within the required time period. Existing law prohibits a city or county from awarding or distributing any state funding, as defined, to the owner or operator of a homeless shelter for purposes of operating the homeless shelter if, among other things, the owner or operator fails to correct a violation within the required time period. Existing law also authorizes legal action to enforce the requirements of these provisions, as specified. This bill would entitle a plaintiff who prevails in an above-described legal action to recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs. The bill would additionally authorize the Department of Housing and Community Development to bring a civil action to enforce these provisions. Existing law requires each city and county to annually submit a report that provides specified information relating to inspections of homeless shelters, including a list of owners or operators of homeless shelters who received 3 or more violations within any 6-month period. If there are no outstanding violations or violations corrected during the applicable period, existing law exempts a city or county from submitting that report. Existing law authorizes the Department of Housing and Community Development or the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency to deem an owner or operator of a shelter ineligible for state funding, as defined, for shelter operations based on the information provided in the report. This bill would, instead, require a city or county to submit a report each year, regardless of whether the city or county received any complaints, and to include in its annual report the number of complaints received by the city or county that year, including if the city or county did not receive any complaints. The bill would require the department to withhold state funding from a city or county that fails to comply with its reporting requirements or fails to take action to correct a violation by a homeless shelter. By adding to the duties of local officials with respect to enforcement of the State Housing Law, the violation of which is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (18) The California Constitution prohibits the development, construction, or acquisition in any manner of a low-rent housing project by any state public body, as defined, until a majority of the qualified electors of the city, town, or county in which it is proposed to develop, construct, or acquire the same, voting upon that issue, approve the project by voting in favor at an election. The California Constitution, for purposes of this prohibition, defines "low-rent housing project" to mean any development composed of urban or rural dwellings, apartments, or other living accommodations for persons of low income, financed in whole or in part by the federal government or a state public body, or to which the federal government or a state public body extends assistance by supplying all or part of the labor, by guaranteeing the payment of liens, or otherwise. Existing law establishes exclusions from this definition of "low-rent housing project," including, among others, a development that consists of the acquisition, rehabilitation, reconstruction, alterations work, new construction, or any combination thereof of lodging facilities or dwelling units using moneys appropriated and disbursed pursuant to the Zenovich-Moscone-Chacon Housing and Home Finance Act and the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program. Existing law, the Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act of 2024 (bond act) , which establishes the Behavioral Health Infrastructure Fund, requires specified proceeds of interim debt and bonds that are issued and sold pursuant to the bond act to be deposited in the fund, and continuously appropriates the fund for purposes of the bond act. Existing law requires the moneys in the fund to be used for certain purposes, including making loans or grants administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development to state, regional, and local public entities and development sponsors to acquire capital assets for the conversion, rehabilitation, or new construction of permanent supportive housing for persons who are homeless, chronically homeless, or are at risk of homelessness, and are living with a behavioral health challenge, are veterans, or are part of a veteran's household. Existing law allocates moneys in the fund for those purposes. This bill would expand the above-described exclusion to include a development that consists of the acquisition, rehabilitation, reconstruction, alterations work, new construction, or any combination thereof of lodging facilities or dwelling units using moneys appropriated and disbursed pursuant to the bond act, thereby excluding the developments that receive moneys from the specified fund and program from the scope of the above-described constitutional provision. (19) Existing law establishes the Interagency Council on Homelessness and requires the goals of the council to include, among other things, identifying mainstream resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California. Existing law requires the council to administer certain grant programs to assist local governments in addressing homelessness. Existing law establishes the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program (HHAP) for the purpose of providing jurisdictions with grant funds to support regional coordination and expand or develop local capacity to address their immediate homelessness challenges, as specified. Existing law provides for the allocation of funding under the program among continuums of care, cities, counties, and tribes in 6 rounds, which are administered by the council. Existing law requires a program applicant to provide specified information through data collection, reporting, performance monitoring, and accountability framework. Existing law mandates that responsibility for administering specified grant programs transferred from the council to the Department of Housing and Community Development, including the HHAP program. This bill would specify that the reporting requirements described above apply to all rounds of the HHAP program and make conforming changes to reflect the transfer of responsibility for the reporting framework from the council to the department. (20) Existing law establishes the Encampment Resolution Funding program, administered by the Interagency Council on Homelessness, to increase collaboration between the council, local jurisdictions, and continuums of care for specified purposes. Existing law requires the council to administer the funding round 1 moneys of the programs in accordance with specified timelines, and requires recipients of funding round 1 moneys to expend all program funds no later than June 30, 2024, as specified. Existing law requires recipients of additional funding round moneys for projects from prior funding rounds that the council determined satisfied applicable program requirements but were not funded in the prior round to expend at least 50% of their allocation within 2 fiscal years of the appropriation from the Legislature, to obligate 100% of their allocation within 2 fiscal years of the appropriation, and to expend all program funds within 3 fiscal years of the appropriation, as specified. Existing law requires recipients of additional funding round moneys awarded on a rolling basis pursuant to specified provisions to expend at least 50% of their allocation within 2 fiscal years of the appropriation from the Legislature, to obligate 100% of their allocation within 2 fiscal years of the appropriation, and to expend all program funds within 4 fiscal years of the appropriation. This bill would revise the above-described timelines to instead be within the above-specified fiscal years of the date of the award. (21) Existing law, the Zenovich-Moscone-Chacon Housing and Home Finance Act, among other things, establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development and requires it to administer various programs intended to promote the development of housing and to provide housing assistance and home loans. Existing law sets forth various general powers of the department in implementing these programs, including authorizing the department to enter into long-term contracts or agreements of up to 30 years for the purpose of servicing loans or grants or enforcing regulatory agreements or other security documents. Existing law, unless an extension of a department loan, the reinstatement of a qualifying unpaid matured loan, the subordination of a department loan to new debt, or an investment of tax credit equity would result in a rent increase for tenants of a development, authorizes the department to approve an extension, reinstatement, subordination, or investment pursuant to specified rental housing finance programs, as specified, or if the department determines that a project has, or will have after rehabilitation or repairs, a potential remaining useful life equal to or greater than the term of the restructured loan. Existing law authorizes the adjustment of rents for assisted units to the minimum extent necessary to support new debt to pay for rehabilitation, as specified, and provides formulas to calculate the maximum allowable rent increase for different programs. Existing law authorizes the department to charge a monitoring fee to cover the aggregate monitoring costs in years the loan is extended and a transaction fee to cover its costs for processing restructuring transactions, and requires developer fee limitations to be consistent with specified laws and regulations, including regulations by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee. This bill would revise and recast these provisions, including additionally authorizing the department to approve the payoff of a department loan in whole or part before the end of its term and the extraction of equity from a development for purposes approved by the department. The bill would specify eligible uses of loan and equity sources, if the department determines that a project has, or will have after rehabilitation or repairs, a potential remaining useful life equal to or greater than the term of the department's regulatory agreement for purposes of approving an extension, reinstatement, subordination, payoff, extraction, or investment, as described above. The bill would prohibit the extension, reinstatement, subordination, payoff, extraction, or investment, as described above, if it would result in a rent increase for tenants of a development over and above the annual adjustment to the tenants' rents under the department's regulatory agreement. This bill would recast certain provisions related to regulatory agreements, including authorizing the department to add another regulatory agreement and authorizing the department to waive specified requirements in the regulatory agreement if the loan is paid off, including requiring occupancy and financial reports. The bill would specify that rents for assisted units may not be adjusted to support new debt for the extraction of equity. The bill would revise certain provisions related to calculating a permitted rent increase, as provided. The bill would authorize the department to charge additional fees as necessary to cover its costs for processing restructuring transactions, and would provide that the monitoring fees continue until the end of the term of the department's regulatory agreement, as specified. The bill would limit developer fees to the amount allowed by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee or to 25% of actual rehabilitation costs, as applicable. This bill would require the department, subject to certain conditions, to allow property owners subject to a regulatory agreement with the department to take out additional debt on the development in order to finance, with the department's approval, the rehabilitation of the property or investment in new affordable housing. Existing law, known as the No Place Like Home Program, requires the department to award up to $2,000,000,000 among counties to finance capital costs, including, but not limited to, acquisition, design, construction, rehabilitation, or preservation, and to capitalize operating reserves, of permanent supportive housing for the target population, as specified. This bill would define "capitalized operating reserves" for purposes of the Zenovich-Moscone-Chacon Housing and Home Finance Act and the No Place Like Home Program. (22) Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to administer various programs intended to promote the development or rehabilitation of housing, including the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program, the Multifamily Housing Program, the Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Program, the Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Act of 2014, the No Place Like Home Program, the Deferred-Payment Rehabilitation Loan Program, the Family Housing Demonstration Program, and the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program. Existing law authorizes the department to set aside, designate, use, or expend a portion of the funds in those programs for specified purposes, including to cure or avert a default on certain loans or obligations, or to bid at a foreclosure sale where the default or foreclosure sale would jeopardize the department's security in certain rental housing developments. This bill would establish the Affordable Housing Default Reserve Account. The bill would provide that all moneys in the account are continuously appropriated to the department for the purpose of curing or averting a default on the terms of any loan or other obligation by the recipient of financial assistance, or bidding at any foreclosure sale where the default or foreclosure sale would jeopardize the department's security in the rental housing development assisted by the department. The bill also would authorize the department to use the funds in the account to repair or maintain specified rental housing developments. The bill would authorize the Department of Finance to transfer amounts in specified funds or programs to the Affordable Housing Default Reserve Account for expenditure by the department. During any fiscal year, if the department spends a total of more than 25% of the balance that was in the account at the start of that fiscal year, the bill would require, within 30 days of surpassing that amount, the department to provide written notice to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, as specified. (23) Existing law establishes the Regional Early Action Planning Grants Program of 2021 (program) for the purpose of providing regions with funding, including grants, for transformative planning and implementation activities, as defined. Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (department) to develop and administer the program, in collaboration with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, the Strategic Growth Council, and the State Air Resources Board, and to distribute funds, upon appropriation, in accordance with specified requirements. Existing law requires a recipient of funds under the program to obligate those funds no later than September 30, 2024, and expend those funds no later than June 30, 2026. Existing law requires each eligible entity that receives an allocation of funds pursuant to certain of the program's provisions to submit a final report on the use of those funds to the department, as specified, no later than December 31, 2026. This bill would instead require a recipient of funds under the program to expend those funds no later than December 31, 2026, and would require the above-described final report to be submitted no later than June 30, 2027. The bill would also require the final invoice submission deadline to reimburse those funds to be June 30, 2027. If certain of those entities that received an allocation have unexpended funds after June 30, 2026, existing law authorizes the department to make those funds available to other of those entities for reimbursement of expenditures incurred before June 30, 2026, as specified, before December 31, 2026, as specified. This bill would instead, if certain of those entities that received an allocation have unexpended funds after December 31, 2026, authorize the department to make those funds available to other of those entities for reimbursement of expenditures incurred before December 31, 2026, as specified, before December 31, 2027, as specified. (24) Under existing law, the Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Program is administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide local assistance to developers for the purpose of developing higher density uses within close proximity to transit stations, as provided. This bill would instead authorize the program to provide local assistance for the purpose of supporting the development of higher density vehicle miles traveled-efficient affordable housing or related infrastructure. The bill would additionally authorize the program to provide local assistance to cities, counties, cities and counties, transit agencies, and eligible tribal applicants, as defined. Existing law establishes the Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Fund and, to the extent funds are available, requires the department to make loans for the development and construction of housing development projects within close proximity to a transit station that meet specified criteria. This bill would instead authorize the department, to the extent funds are available, to make repayable or forgivable loans for the development and construction of vehicle miles traveled-efficient affordable housing and to make grants for infrastructure necessary for the development of higher density vehicle miles traveled-efficient affordable housing or related infrastructure projects, as specified. This bill would require the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, subject to appropriation, and, with the agreement of the Regents of the University of California, contract with the University of California to conduct an evaluation of the mitigation measures used by projects participating in the Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Program to reduce vehicle miles traveled, as specified. The bill would require the office to complete the evaluation and submit a report to the Legislature on or before July 1, 2031. (25) CEQA requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA defines a responsible agency as a public agency, other than the lead agency, which has responsibility for carrying out or approving a project. CEQA exempts from its requirements various projects, including, but not limited to, housing projects that meet certain requirements. This bill would authorize, if a lead agency determines that a project will have a significant transportation impact, the lead agency to mitigate the transportation impact to a less than significant level by helping to fund or otherwise facilitating housing or related infrastructure projects, including by contributing an amount, to be determined pursuant to guidance issued by the office, into the Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Fund for purposes of the Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Program. The bill would authorize deposit of those contributions into the fund beginning on or before July 1, 2026, as determined by the department, and would make those moneys available to the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purpose of awarding funding for affordable housing or related infrastructure projects under the program in accordance with specified priorities. The bill would require, on or before July 1, 2026, and at least once every 3 years thereafter, the office, in consultation with other state agencies, to issue guidance related to the implementation of these provisions, as provided. The bill would require the office, in consultation with the department, the Transportation Agency, and regions, to evaluate the use of vehicle miles traveled mitigation resources allocated pursuant to the above-described program, as specified, beginning the year following the first distributions of funding. The bill would make related findings and declarations. Existing law requires workers employed on public works to be paid not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages for work of a similar character in the locality that the public work is performed, as prescribed, unless an exception applies. This bill would exempt from the requirements of CEQA any aspect of a housing development project, as defined, including any permits, approvals, or public improvements required for the housing development project, as may be required by CEQA, if the housing development project meets certain conditions relating to, for example, size, density, location, and use, including specific requirements for any housing on the project site located within 500 feet of a freeway. This bill would require a local government to, within specified timeframes, provide formal notification to each California Native American tribe that is traditionally and culturally affiliated with the project site as an invitation to consult on the proposed project, as specified. The bill would require a local government, as a condition of approval for the development, to require the development proponent to complete a specified environmental assessment regarding hazardous substance releases. If a recognized environmental condition is found, the bill would require the development proponent to complete a preliminary endangerment assessment and specified mitigation based on that assessment. This bill would also require specified housing development projects that are subject to this CEQA exemption to be paid prevailing wage rates, as specified, regardless of whether the housing development project is a public work. The bill would require specified projects, including specified projects of 50 units or greater in the City and County of San Francisco, to comply with specified labor standards, extend the liability to a development proponent, as defined, for any debt owed to a wage claimant or third party on the wage claimant's behalf under specified law, and authorize a joint labor-management cooperation committee to bring an action to enforce the specified requirements, as specified. Because a lead agency would be required to determine whether a housing development project qualifies for the above-described exemption and because a local government would be required to provide formal notification to California Native American tribes, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (26) The Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2021 authorizes the Governor, until January 1, 2032, to certify environmental leadership development projects that meet specified conditions for certain streamlining benefits related to CEQA. The act requires a lead agency to prepare the record of proceedings for an environmental leadership development project, as provided, and to provide a specified notice within 10 days of the Governor certifying the project. Among other categories of projects, the act authorizes the Governor to certify a housing development project that, among other things, will result in a minimum investment of $15,000,000, but less than $100,000,000, in California upon completion of construction. This bill would authorize the governor to designate for this streamlining one of these housing development projects that will result in an investment of $15,000,000 or more in California upon completion, without an upper limit on the resulting investment. The act requires, as one of the conditions for certification of a housing development project, that it not result in any net additional emission of greenhouse gases, including greenhouse gas emissions from employee transportation. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires the State Air Resources Board to prepare and approve a scoping plan for achieving the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and to update the scoping plan at least once every 5 years. The bill would authorize, as an alternative to the no net additional greenhouse gas condition for certification of a housing development project as an environmental leadership development project, a demonstration that the project is consistent with the most recent scoping plan adopted by the state board. By expanding the duties imposed on lead agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (27) Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, establishes the California Coastal Commission and prescribes the powers and responsibilities of the commission with regard to the regulation of development along the California coast. The act prescribes procedures for the approval and certification of a local coastal program by the commission, and provides for the delegation of development review authority to a local government, as defined, with a certified local coastal program. Under the act, an action taken by a local government after certification of its local coastal program on a coastal development permit application may be appealed to the commission only on specified grounds and only for certain types of developments, including certain developments located in a sensitive coastal resource area and any development approved by a coastal county that is not designated as the principal permitted use under the zoning ordinance or zoning district map, as specified. This bill would exempt a residential development project, as defined, from the above provisions relating to the appeal of developments located in a sensitive coastal resource area and developments approved by a coastal county. The bill would also require the commission, no later than July 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, to submit a report to the Legislature that includes specified information relating to residential development projects for the preceding calendar year, as specified. (28) Existing law, the Personal Income Tax Law, authorizes various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including a credit for qualified renters in the amount of $120 for spouses filing joint returns, heads of household, and surviving spouses if adjusted gross income is $50,000, as adjusted, or less, and in the amount of $60 for other individuals if adjusted gross income is $25,000, as adjusted, or less. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax credit to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax credit will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. Existing law establishes the continuously appropriated Tax Relief and Refund Account in the General Fund and provides that payments required to be made to taxpayers or other persons from the Personal Income Tax Fund are to be paid from that account, including any amount allowable as an earned income tax credit in excess of any tax liabilities. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and only when specified annually in a bill relating to the Budget Act, would increase the credit amount for a qualified renter to $250 and $500, as provided. In the event the increased credit amount is not specified in a bill relating to the Budget Act, the existing credit amounts of $120 and $60, as described above, respectively, would be the credit amounts for that taxable year. The bill would provide findings and declarations relating to the goals, purposes, and objectives of this credit. (29) This bill would make its provisions severable. (30) This 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. (31) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the City and County of San Francisco with respect to the above-described CEQA exemption and minimum wage requirements. (32) 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 specified reasons. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (33) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.
(1) Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, authorizes a local agency to provide for the creation of accessory dwelling units in single-family and multifamily residential zones by ordinance, and sets forth standards the ordinance is required to impose with respect to certain matters, including, among others, maximum unit size, parking, and height standards. Existing law authorizes a local agency to provide by ordinance for the creation of junior accessory dwelling units, as defined, in single-family residential zones and requires the ordinance to include, among other things, standards for the creation of a junior accessory dwelling unit, required deed restrictions, and occupancy requirements. Existing law makes void and unenforceable any covenant, restriction, or condition contained in any deed, contract, security instrument, or other instrument affecting the transfer or sale of any interest in real property that either effectively prohibits or unreasonably restricts the construction or use of an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit on a lot zoned for single-family residential use that meets the above-described minimum standards established for those units. However, existing law permits reasonable restrictions that do not unreasonably increase the cost to construct, effectively prohibit the construction of, or extinguish the ability to otherwise construct, an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit consistent with those aforementioned minimum standards provisions. This bill would prohibit fees and other financial requirements from being included in the above-described reasonable restrictions. (2) Existing law regulates the hiring of real property and imposes various requirements on landlords relating to the application for, and leasing of, residential rental property. Existing law places limitations on the amount of rent and security that a landlord can charge a tenant, as specified. This bill would prohibit a landlord or their agent from charging certain fees, unless the fee is specified in the rental agreement. The bill would prohibit any fees charged, in total, from exceeding more than 5% of the monthly rental amount, except as specified. Under the bill, if a landlord or their agent charges and collects a fee from a tenant that is not authorized by law, the landlord or their agent would be liable to the tenant in a civil action for the cost of the fee, plus 5% interest compounded daily from the date the fee was collected. Existing law authorizes a landlord or their agent to charge an applicant who requests to rent a residential housing unit an application screening fee to cover the costs of obtaining information about the applicant. Existing law prohibits the amount of the application screening fee from being greater that the actual out-of-pocket costs of gathering information concerning the applicant, including, but not limited to, the cost of using a tenant screening service or a consumer credit reporting service, and the reasonable value of time spent by the landlord or their agent in obtaining information on the applicant, as provided. This bill, instead, would authorize the application screening fee to cover the actual costs of the screening, and would prohibit the amount of the application screening fee from being greater that the actual out-of-pocket costs of conducting the screening, including, but not limited to, the cost of using a tenant screening service or a consumer credit reporting service, as provided. The bill would thereby eliminate the authority of the landlord or their agent to charge, as part of the application screening fee, the reasonable value of time spent by the landlord or their agent in obtaining information on the applicant. (3) Existing law prescribes various requirements to be satisfied before the exercise of a power of sale under a mortgage or deed of trust. Existing law authorizes a borrower to bring an action for injunctive relief to enjoin material violations of certain of these requirements, and requires that the injunction remain in place and any trustee's sale be enjoined until the court determines that the violations have been corrected, as specified. This bill would make certain conduct an unlawful practice in connection with a subordinate mortgage, including, among others, that the mortgage servicer did not provide the borrower with any communication regarding the loan secured by the mortgage for at least 3 years. The bill would prohibit a mortgage servicer from conducting or threatening to conduct a nonjudicial foreclosure until the mortgage servicer (A) records or causes to be recorded a certification, as specified, under penalty of perjury that either the mortgage servicer did not engage in an unlawful practice or the mortgage servicer lists all instances when it committed an unlawful practice and (B) the mortgage servicer sends the recorded certification and a notice to the borrower, as specified. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law, the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, governs the formation and operation of common interest developments. Existing law requires that a common interest development be managed by an association. Existing law, if an association adopts or has adopted a policy imposing any monetary penalty on any association member for a violation of the governing documents, requires the board to adopt and distribute to each member a schedule of the monetary penalties that may be assessed for those violations, as provided, and prohibits an association from imposing a monetary penalty on a member for a violation of the governing documents in excess of that schedule. Existing law requires the board to notify a member 10 days before a meeting to consider or impose discipline on the member, as specified. Existing law requires the board to provide a member with written notification of a decision to impose discipline on the member within 15 days. This bill would prohibit monetary fees from exceeding the lesser of that specified schedule or $100 per violation. The bill would require the board to give a member the opportunity to cure a violation prior to the meeting to consider or impose discipline, as specified. The bill would reduce the time to provide written notification of a decision to impose discipline from 15 days to 14 days. (5) Existing law, until July 1, 2042, establishes the Seismic Retrofitting Program for Soft Story Multifamily Housing for the purposes of providing financial assistance to owners of soft story multifamily housing for seismic retrofitting to protect individuals living in multifamily housing that have been determined to be at risk of collapse in earthquakes, as specified. Existing law establishes the Seismic Retrofitting Program for Soft Story Multifamily Housing Fund, and its subsidiary account, the Seismic Retrofitting Account, within the State Treasury. Existing law requires the California Residential Mitigation Program, also known as the CRMP, to develop and administer the program, as specified. This bill would require, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the CRMP to fund the seismic retrofitting of affordable multifamily housing, as specified. The bill would require the CRMP to prioritize affordable multifamily housing serving lower income households, as defined. (6) Existing law prescribes requirements for the disposal of surplus land by a local agency. Existing law provides that an agency is not required to follow the requirements for disposal of surplus land for "exempt surplus land," except as provided. Existing law defines "exempt surplus land" to mean, among other things, real property that a school district is required to appoint a district advisory committee prior to sale, lease, or rental of any excess real property, as specified, and real property that a school district may exchange for real property of another person or private business firm, as specified. This bill would remove the above-described school district real property from the definition of "exempt surplus land," thereby requiring that the disposal of that property be done in accordance with the above-described requirements for surplus land disposal. (7) Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires each county and each city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city, and specified land outside its boundaries, that contains certain mandatory elements, including a housing element. That law requires each local government to review its housing element and to revise the housing element in accordance with a specified schedule. For the 4th and subsequent revisions of the housing element, existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to determine the existing and projected need for housing for each region, and requires the appropriate council of governments, or the department for cities and counties without a council of governments, to adopt a final regional housing need plan that allocates a share of the regional housing need to each city, county, or city and county, as provided. Existing law requires the department to meet and consult with the council of governments regarding the assumptions and methodology used to determine a region's housing needs at least 26 months prior to the scheduled revision. Existing law requires the council of governments to provide certain data assumptions from the council's projections, if available, including, among other things, the percentage of households that are overcrowded, the overcrowding rate for a comparable housing market, the percentage of households that are cost burdened, and the rate of housing cost burden for a healthy housing market. This bill would revise these data assumptions requirements to, instead, require the council of governments to provide data on the percentage of households that are overcrowded within the region, the percentage of households that are overcrowded throughout the nation, the percentage of households that are cost burdened within the region, and the percentage of households that are cost burdened throughout the nation. Existing law requires each council of governments, or delegate subregion, as applicable, to develop, in consultation with the department, a proposed methodology for distributing the existing and projected regional housing need to cities, counties, and cities and counties within the region or within the subregion, where applicable, at least 2 years before a scheduled revision. This methodology is also referred to as the allocation methodology. Existing law requires the council of governments, or delegate subregion, as applicable, to publish a draft allocation methodology on its internet website and submit the draft allocation methodology to the department. Existing law requires the department to determine whether the methodology furthers the specified objectives within 60 days. If the department determines that the methodology is not consistent with the objectives, existing law requires the council of governments, or delegate subregion, as applicable, to either (A) revise the methodology to further the objectives and adopt a final regional, or subregional, housing need allocation methodology or (B) adopt the regional, or subregional, housing need allocation methodology without revisions and include within its resolution of adoption findings, supported by substantial evidence, as to why the council of governments, or delegate subregion, believes that the methodology furthers the objectives, despite the findings of the department. This bill, if the department determines that the draft allocation methodology is not consistent with the objectives, would instead require the council of governments, or delegate subregion, to revise the methodology, in consultation with the department, to further the objectives within 45 days, receive department acceptance that the revised methodology furthers the objectives, and adopt a final regional, or subregional, housing need allocation methodology. The bill would remove the ability for a council of governments or delegate subregion to adopt the regional or subregional housing need allocation methodology without revision, as described above. (8) Existing law, except as provided, generally requires that a public hearing be held on an application for a variance from the requirements of a zoning ordinance, an application for a conditional use permit or equivalent development permit, a proposed revocation or modification of a variance or use permit or equivalent development permit, or an appeal from the action taken on any of those applications. Existing law, until January 1, 2034, prohibits a city or county from conducting more than 5 hearings, as defined, held pursuant to these provisions, or any other law, ordinance, or regulation requiring a public hearing, if a proposed housing development project complies with the applicable objective general plan and zoning standards in effect at the time an application is deemed complete, as defined. Existing law, until January 1, 2034, requires the city or county to consider and either approve or disapprove the housing development project at any of the 5 hearings consistent with the applicable timelines under the Permit Streamlining Act. This bill would remove the January 1, 2034, repeal date with respect to the requirements that a city or county conduct no more than 5 hearings on a housing development project, and either approve or disapprove that housing development at any of those hearings, as described above, thereby extending these provisions indefinitely. (9) Existing law, until January 1, 2030, for purposes of any state or local law, ordinance, or regulation that requires a city or county to determine whether the site of a proposed housing development project is a historic site, requires the city or county to make that determination, which remains valid for the pendency of the housing development, at the time the application is deemed complete, except as provided. This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, repeal date for these provisions, thereby extending them indefinitely. (10) Existing law, the Housing Accountability Act, among other things, prohibits a local agency from disapproving a housing development project that complies with applicable objective general plan, zoning, and subdivision standards and criteria, or from imposing a condition that it be developed at a lower density, unless the local agency bases its decision on written findings supported by the preponderance of the evidence on the record that specified conditions exist, as provided. That act also prohibits a local agency from disapproving, or from conditioning approval in a manner that renders infeasible, a housing development project for very low, low-, or moderate-income households or an emergency shelter unless the local agency makes written findings, based on the preponderance of the evidence, that one of 6 specified conditions exists. The act authorizes the applicant, a person who would be eligible to apply for residency in the housing development project or emergency shelter, or a housing organization to bring an action to enforce its provisions and authorizes a court to issue an order or judgment directing the local agency to approve the housing development project or emergency shelter under certain circumstances. Those circumstances include, among others and until January 1, 2030, that the local agency required or attempted to require a housing development project to comply with an ordinance, policy, or standard not adopted and in effect when a preliminary application was submitted, as specified. This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, inoperative date for this provision of the act, thereby extending this provision of the Housing Accountability Act indefinitely. The act, except as specified, requires that a housing development project be subject only to the ordinances, policies, and standards, as defined, adopted and in effect when a preliminary application, including specified information, required by specified law as described below, was submitted. The act makes this requirement inoperative on January 1, 2034. This bill would remove the January 1, 2034, inoperative date for this requirement under the act, thereby extending this provision of the Housing Accountability Act indefinitely. Among other terms, the act defines the term "deemed complete" for its purposes to mean, until January 1, 2030, that the applicant has submitted a preliminary application or a complete application, as specified, and requires that the local agency bear the burden of proof in establishing that the application is not complete. The act also defines the term "determined to be complete" for its purposes to mean, until January 1, 2030, that the applicant has submitted a complete application, as specified. The act also defines the term "objective" to mean, until January 1, 2030, involving no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and being uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant or proponent and the public official. This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, inoperative date for each of these definitions, thereby extending their application under the Housing Accountability Act indefinitely. (11) Existing law, the Permit Streamlining Act, requires public agencies to compile one or more lists that specify in detail the information that will be required from any applicant for a development project. The act requires a public agency to determine in writing whether the application is complete and to immediately transmit the determination to the applicant for the development project, not later than 30 calendar days after the public agency received the application for the development project. The act defines "development project" for purposes of its provisions to mean any project undertaken for the purpose of development, including a project involving the issuance of a permit for construction or reconstruction but not a permit to operate, and excludes from this definition any ministerial projects proposed to be carried out or approved by public agencies. This bill, notwithstanding the exclusion for ministerial projects, would include in the definition of "development project" under the Permit Streamlining Act a housing development project that requires an entitlement from a local agency, regardless of whether the process for permitting that entitlement is discretionary or ministerial. The bill would also exclude from this definition a postentitlement phase permit, as defined by specified law. The act requires a city or county to deem an applicant for a housing development project to have submitted a preliminary application upon providing specified information about the proposed project to the city or county from which approval for the project is being sought. Existing law also authorizes a development proponent that submits a preliminary application for a housing development project to request a preliminary fee and exaction estimate, as defined, and requires a city, county, or city and county to provide the estimate within 30 business days of the submission of the preliminary application. Existing law repeals these provisions as of January 1, 2030. This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, repeal date for these provisions, thereby extending the provisions indefinitely. No later than 30 calendar days after receiving an application for a development project, the act requires a local agency to determine in writing whether the application is complete and immediately transmit that determination to the applicant. The act, until January 1, 2030, requires a public agency, upon its determination that an application for a development project is incomplete, to provide the applicant with an exhaustive list of items that were not complete, as specified. The act, until January 1, 2030, requires each city and each county to make copies of any list compiled, as described above, with respect to information required from an applicant for a housing development project, as defined, available in writing to those persons to whom the agency is required to make information available, as provided, and publicly available on the internet website of the city or county. This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, repeal date with respect to provision of an exhaustive list of requirements not complete, and availability of lists compiled with respect to housing development projects, thereby extending these provisions indefinitely. The act requires public agencies to approve or disapprove of a development project within certain timeframes, as specified. The act, until January 1, 2030, generally requires that a public agency that is the lead agency for certain development projects approve or disapprove the project within 90 days from the date of certification by the lead agency of an environmental impact report prepared for the project, but reduces this time period to 60 days from the certification of an environmental impact report if the project meets certain additional conditions relating to affordability. The act, until January 1, 2030, defines the term "development project" for this purpose to mean a housing development project, as that term is defined for purposes of the Housing Accountability Act, except as specified. Beginning January 1, 2030, the act extends the above-described timelines from 90 days to 120 days, and from 60 days to 90 days, respectively, and defines the term "development project" to mean a use consisting of residential units only or certain mixed-use developments. This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, repeal date for the 90-day and 60-day timelines described above and for the definition of "housing development project," thereby extending these provisions indefinitely, and would make a conforming change by repealing the above-described provisions that take effect on January 1, 2030. The bill would also require that a public agency that is the lead agency for a development project approve or disapprove a project within 60 days from the date of receipt of a complete application, if the project is subject to ministerial review by the public agency. The act authorizes an applicant for a permit for a development project, if any provision of law requires a lead agency or responsible agency to provide public notice of the development project or to hold a public hearing on the development project and the agency has not done so at least 60 days before the expiration of specified time limits, to file an action to compel the agency to provide the public notice or hold the hearing, as specified. In the event that a lead agency or a responsible agency fails to act to approve or to disapprove a development project within the time limits required by the act, existing law deems the failure to act as an approval of the permit application for the development project, only if the public notice required by law has occurred, as specified. This bill would remove the requirement that the public notice required by law has occurred, in order for the failure to act to be deemed as an approval of the permit application for the development project. The act provides that the time limits specified in the act are maximum time limits for approving or disapproving development projects. The act requires, if possible, public agencies to approve or disapprove development projects in shorter periods of time. This bill would require that the time limits specified in the act only apply to the extent that the time limits are equal to or shorter than the applicable time limits for public agency review established in any other law. (12) Existing law, known as the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, prohibits an affected county or an affected city, as defined and determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development, as specified, from enacting certain development policies, standards, or conditions with respect to land where housing is an allowable use, including policies, standards, or conditions that impose a moratorium or similar restriction or limitation on housing development or that limit the number of land use approvals or permits necessary for the approval and construction of housing that will be issued or allocated. The act also prohibits an affected city or an affected county from approving a housing development project that will require the demolition of one or more residential dwelling units, unless the project will create at least as many residential dwelling units as will be demolished, or from approving a development project that will require the demolition of occupied or vacant protected units or that is located on a site where protected units were demolished in the previous 5 years, unless specified conditions are met. The act repeals these provisions as of January 1, 2034. This bill would remove the above-described January 1, 2034, repeal date, thereby extending application of the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 indefinitely. (13) Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, building design and construction standards and energy and water conservation design standards for new residential and nonresidential buildings to reduce wasteful, uneconomic, inefficient, and unnecessary consumption of energy and to manage energy loads to help maintain electrical grid reliability. Existing law requires the commission to periodically review the standards and adopt revisions that it deems necessary. This bill would require the commission, during the triennial update of the building energy efficiency standards, to review measures used to achieve a precise level of energy efficiency within a specific level of comfort, as specified. The bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2030, to report and make recommendations to the Legislature on how these measures could be incorporated into the building energy efficiency standards during their next available update. (14) Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, establishes the California Coastal Commission and prescribes the powers and responsibilities of the commission with regard to the regulation of development along the California coast. This bill would require, no later than July 1, 2027, the commission to create an electronic submission process and accept submissions from any application pursuant to the California Coastal Act of 1976 through electronic mail or other electronic means. The act prescribes procedures for the approval and certification of a local coastal program by the commission, and provides for the delegation of development review authority to a local government, as defined, with a certified local coastal program. Under the act, an action taken by a local government after certification of its local coastal program on a coastal development permit application may be appealed to the commission only on specified grounds and only for certain types of developments, including certain developments located in a sensitive coastal resource area and any development approved by a coastal county that is not designated as the principal permitted use under the zoning ordinance or zoning district map, as specified. This bill would exempt a residential project, as defined, from the above provisions relating to the appeal of developments located in a sensitive coastal resource area and developments approved by a coastal county. The bill would also require the commission to submit an annual report to the Legislature that includes specified information relating to residential projects for the preceding calendar year, as specified. (15) Existing law, the Personal Income Tax Law, authorizes various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including a credit for qualified renters in the amount of $120 for spouses filing joint returns, heads of household, and surviving spouses if adjusted gross income is $50,000, as adjusted, or less, and in the amount of $60 for other individuals if adjusted gross income is $25,000, as adjusted, or less. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax credit to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax credit will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. Existing law establishes the continuously appropriated Tax Relief and Refund Account in the General Fund and provides that payments required to be made to taxpayers or other persons from the Personal Income Tax Fund are to be paid from that account, including any amount allowable as an earned income tax credit in excess of any tax liabilities. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2031, and only when specified in a bill relating to the Budget Act, would increase the credit amount for a qualified renter to $250 and $500, as provided. In the event the increased credit amount is not specified in a bill relating to the Budget Act, the existing credit amounts of $120 and $60, as described above, respectively, would be the credit amounts for that taxable year. The bill would provide findings and declarations relating to the goals, purposes, and objectives of this credit. The bill, for credits allowable for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2030, would provide that the credit amount in excess of the qualified renter's liability would be refundable and paid from the Tax Relief and Refund Account to the qualified renter upon appropriation by the Legislature. (16) By imposing additional duties on local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 specified reasons.
