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End-of-Session Legislative Update
California Building Industry Association
CBIA's Sponsored bills
1. AB 226 (Calderon and Alvarez): Increases stability of the insurance market and helps address the housing policy crisis by authorizing the Insurance Commissioner to work with financial institutions to issue bonds to strengthen the claims-paying capacity of the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan (FAIR Plan) and repay bonds issued for that purpose.
Status: On the Governor's Desk
Key Team Members Involved:
Steve Cruz / Audrey Ratajczak (Cruz Strategies)
Dan Dunmoyer
2. AB 420 (Petrie-Norris): Creates a de minimis exemption to an existing requirement for large Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) to obtain approval from the California Public Utilities Commission when an IOU abandons an old utility easement and is granted a new one. The existing approval process can take up to 18 months and stall new developments. This bill effectively exempts a super-majority of approval requests from the aforementioned requirement in existing law, saving new developments both time and money.
Status: On the Governor's Desk
Key Team Members Involved:
Kirk Kimmelshue (Fernández Jensen Kimmelshue Government Affairs)
Karim Drissi / Nick Cammarota
Lori Holt Pfeiler (San Diego BIA)
3. AB 1007 (Rubio): Expedites the approval of housing by shortening the time frame from 90 days to 45 days for state and regional agencies to approve or disapprove applications for housing development projects for which they are a responsible agency.
Status: On the Governor's Desk
Key Team Members Involved:
Kirk Kimmelshue (Fernández Jensen Kimmelshue Government Affairs)
Karim Drissi / Nick Cammarota / Paul Campos
4. AB 660 (Wilson): Would have provided that a local agency cannot require or request more than two plan check and specification reviews in connection with an application for a building permit, unless the local agency’s requirement or request for additional review was accompanied by written findings based on substantial evidence in the record that the additional review was necessary to address a specific, adverse impact on public health or safety.
Status: Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense File (Held "Under Submission" — Dead)
Key Team Members Involved:
Steve Cruz / Audrey Ratajczak (Cruz Strategies)
Karim Drissi / Nick Cammarota / Paul Campos
Housing Killers
1. AB 52 (Aguiar-Curry): Substantially broadens the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) consultation process with California Native American tribes. However, it does so in a way that could create an indefinite CEQA review cycle, leaving projects without certainty — even after environmental documents are certified and all necessary permits have been approved. Moreover, AB 52 could require projects to be permanently halted even after construction has begun. This approach overlooks the comprehensive tribal consultation process already built into the early stages of project planning, which is specifically designed to surface and address these critical issues upfront — helping to prevent delays and ensure timely delivery of much-needed housing for California families.
Position: Oppose (Housing Killer)
Status: Dead for 2025, but may return in 2026 (Two-Year Bill)
2. SB 601 (Allen): Exacerbates California’s housing crisis by, among other provisions, imposing burdensome new water quality regulations on housing projects. While proponents argue that SB 601 is needed in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting federal regulations, the bill as written goes far beyond what federal law previously required.
Position: Oppose (Housing Killer)
Status: Dead for 2025, but may return in 2026 (Two-Year Bill)
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