All Roll Calls
Yes: 275 • No: 0
CaliforniaAB 13082025-2026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
Planning and Zoning Law.
Sponsored By: Josh Hoover (Republican)
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Builder’s remedy projects get protections
If your project serves very low-, low-, or moderate-income households and the city lacked a compliant housing element when you applied, special rules apply. The city can only use objective, written standards and cannot make the project infeasible. You get two extra density bonus incentives on top of normal ones. You do not need extra plan or rezoning changes beyond what similar sites need, and your project is treated as consistent.
Rules lock in at preliminary filing
When you file a complete preliminary application, your project follows the rules in place that day. Exceptions include indexed fee bumps, later rules needed to fix a specific health or safety threat, and rules to reduce environmental harms. If you do not start construction within 2.5 years after final approval (3.5 years for affordable housing), or you make big changes (20% or more units or square footage), the lock can end. These limits reduce surprise rule changes after you file.
Stronger housing enforcement and steep fines
Applicants, eligible residents, and housing groups can sue to enforce these rules. Courts must order compliance within 60 days and can order approval for bad-faith actions; winners usually get attorney fees. If an agency ignores the court, fines are at least $10,000 per unit, and money must go to a housing trust fund and be spent in five years on new homes for extremely low-, very low-, or low-income households or it goes to the state fund. Bad-faith noncompliance multiplies fines by five, with more increases for repeat violations in the same planning period. You must file within 90 days, and the agency must certify the record in 30 days; appeal timelines are short. Some fee limits and finality provisions end on January 1, 2031.
Tougher limits on city housing denials
Cities and counties must use clear, objective rules and must allow the density the site allows. If a project meets objective rules, they can only deny or cut density with written proof of a specific health or safety harm and no feasible fix. For affordable housing and shelters, denials need written findings from a short, listed set of reasons. If they think a project is inconsistent, they must give written details within 30 days (150 units or fewer) or 60 days (more than 150 units), or the project is deemed consistent. Using a state density bonus cannot be used as a reason to say a project is inconsistent. These rules also apply to charter cities, and the law defines key terms like “feasible” and “disapproval.”
Faster inspections for small housing projects
For new homes with 1 to 10 units, or small additions that keep the total at 10 or fewer units, the building department must inspect within 10 business days after it gets the notice of completion. Projects must be only residential and have no occupied floors more than 40 feet above ground. Missing the 10-day window is a legal violation.
Conditional section tied to SB 838
A replacement section takes effect only if SB 838 also becomes law by January 1, 2026, both bills change the same code section, and this bill was enacted after SB 838. If that happens, Section 1 does not take effect.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Josh Hoover
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Buffy Wicks
Democratic • House
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 9/10/2025
Item 221 — Assembly AFLOOR
Yes: 75 • No: 0
Senate vote • 9/9/2025
Item 314 — Senate SFLOOR
Yes: 40 • No: 0
Senate vote • 8/25/2025
Item 263 — Senate SFLOOR
Yes: 37 • No: 0
legislature vote • 7/15/2025
Vote in CS75
Yes: 10 • No: 0
legislature vote • 7/9/2025
Vote in CS82
Yes: 7 • No: 0
House vote • 5/23/2025
Item 121 — Assembly AFLOOR
Yes: 71 • No: 0
legislature vote • 5/14/2025
Vote in CX25
Yes: 15 • No: 0
legislature vote • 4/30/2025
Vote in CX10
Yes: 10 • No: 0
legislature vote • 4/23/2025
Vote in CX15
Yes: 10 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 509, Statutes of 2025.
10/10/2025SenateApproved by the Governor.
10/10/2025legislatureEnrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
9/22/2025legislatureSenate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 3253.).
9/10/2025HouseIn Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
9/9/2025HouseRead third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2738.).
9/9/2025SenateRead second time. Ordered to third reading.
9/8/2025SenateRead third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
9/5/2025SenateOrdered to third reading.
9/5/2025SenateAction rescinded whereby the bill was read third time, passed, and to Assembly.
9/5/2025SenateIn Senate. Held at Desk.
8/28/2025SenateOrdered to the Senate.
8/28/2025HouseIn Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
8/26/2025HouseRead third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 2252.).
8/25/2025SenateRead second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
8/20/2025SenateFrom committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.
8/19/2025SenateFrom committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
7/16/2025SenateRead second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HOUSING.
7/10/2025SenateFrom committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on HOUSING. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 9).
7/9/2025SenateReferred to Coms. on L. GOV. and HOUSING.
6/4/2025SenateIn Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
5/23/2025SenateRead third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 1665.)
5/23/2025HouseRead second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
5/15/2025HouseFrom committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).
5/14/2025HouseFrom committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
4/30/2025House
Bill Text
Chaptered
10/10/2025
Enrolled
9/12/2025
Amended Senate
9/5/2025
Amended Senate
7/10/2025
Amended Assembly
4/24/2025
Amended Assembly
3/24/2025
Introduced
2/21/2025