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AB 306

California Building Standards Commission: appeals: code interpretations.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jesse Gabriel and 5 co-sponsors

limits local changes to residential building standards from 2025-2031, requiring emergency status for any modifications and aiming to standardize rules statewide.

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
#californiabuildingstandardscommission #appeals #codeinterpretations
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Bill Summary · AB 306

AB 306 (Schultz) — Building regulations: state building standards

Status: Introduced Jan 23, 2025. Passed Assembly (Apr 1, 2025). Sent to Senate and referred to committees; most recent action (Jun 23, 2025): from committee chair, with author's amendments — amended and re‑referred to Assembly Committee on Housing. Declares itself an urgency statute (requires 2/3 vote).

Purpose / Intent

To limit local and some state changes to building standards for residential units for a defined period, with the stated goal of addressing California’s housing shortage by reducing variations in local residential building requirements that the bill’s sponsors say impede housing production.

Key provisions

  • Time window and urgency: Many restrictions apply from October 1, 2025 through June 1, 2031. The bill declares urgency and immediate effect upon enactment.
  • Limits on local modifications:
    • From Oct 1, 2025 to June 1, 2031, cities and counties are prohibited from adopting changes to state building standards that apply to residential units unless the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) determines the change is necessary as an emergency standard to protect health and safety.
    • The commission must reject local-filed modifications affecting residential units unless that emergency condition is met, and must review such filings within 45 days.
    • During the same period, local governments are generally precluded from adopting more restrictive standards for residential units (including green building requirements) unless approved as emergency standards by the commission.
  • Limits on state adoption process:
    • The usual 18‑month code adoption cycle requirements do not apply to building standards affecting residential units during the period; the commission and other adopting agencies are prohibited from considering, approving, or adopting proposed residential building standards unless the commission deems them emergency standards for health and safety.
  • Model-home/permit grandfathering:
    • The state and local standards in effect at the time a building‑permit application is submitted for a residential dwelling based on an approved “model home design” must apply to all future residential dwellings based on that approved model home design in the same jurisdiction, unless a specified condition applies (creates an extended grandfathering/consistency requirement).
  • Definition change:
    • Expands the statutory definition of “model code” to expressly include the latest edition of the International Wildland‑Urban Interface Code (IWUIC).
  • Limits to interim code changes:
    • Between triennial code editions, allowable intervening changes would be limited to editorial/clarity edits, emergency standards, certain State Fire Marshal amendments, specified necessary state amendments, and some administrative practice changes.
  • Preemption and statewide concern:
    • Includes legislative findings that these matters are of statewide concern and thus apply to all cities (including charter cities).
  • Fiscal/administrative:
    • Bill states no state reimbursement is required for specified reasons; flagged as a bill imposing a state‑mandated local program. Fiscal committee review required.

Who is affected

  • Local governments (cities/counties) — reduced authority to change or tighten residential building standards during the specified period.
  • California Building Standards Commission and other state adopting agencies — constrained adoption/consideration of residential standards except as emergencies.
  • Developers, builders, model‑home applicants, and homeowners — potential changes to permit grandfathering, predictability of standards for model designs, and limits on local variation.
  • State Fire Marshal — retains specified amendment authority.

Potential impacts (summary)

  • Reduces local discretion to impose stricter or locally tailored residential building requirements for ~5.5 years, potentially increasing uniformity of residential standards statewide.
  • May accelerate predictability for developers using approved model home designs but could limit local ability to respond to regional hazards (e.g., wildfire, seismic, climate) unless the commission grants an emergency standard.
  • Adds IWUIC to recognized model codes, formalizing its consideration in statewide standards.
  • Creates administrative burdens on the CBSC (45‑day review requirement) and may shift some policy decisions to the state level.

Procedural notes

  • Passed Assembly with urgency clause adopted. Requires 2/3 vote as an urgency measure. Pending further committee consideration (Assembly Housing as of last amendment).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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