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AB 2748

Building standards: affordable housing developments: electric vehicle charging.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Sharon Quirk-Silva

Exempts qualifying affordable housing from 2025 EV charging rules during 2025–2035 window, instead using older standards, repealing January 1, 2037.

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
#buildingstandards #affordablehousingdevelopments #electricvehiclecharging
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · AB 2748

Overview

AB 2748 (2025-2026, California) aims to modify electrical vehicle charging (EV) requirements for affordable housing developments. It provides a temporary exemption from certain EV charging receptacle mandates in the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code for qualifying affordable housing projects, and instead requires compliance with lower-tier standards from an earlier code edition. The bill repeals these provisions on January 1, 2037 (2032 in the text appears to be a cross-reference issue). It also expands local duties and is subject to state-mandated local program considerations and state reimbursements where applicable.

Purpose and intent

  • To alleviate potential upfront construction barriers or cost concerns for new or existing affordable housing developments by easing EV charging requirements for a defined period.
  • To align certain affordable housing projects with older code standards (low power Level 2 or higher), rather than the more stringent or newer standards in the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code.
  • To balance advancing EV infrastructure with the practicalities of delivering affordable housing within a specified timeframe.

Key provisions and changes

  • Exemption window: Affordable housing developments with a permit application submitted between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2035 (the text lists 2030 or 2035 intermittently; the most recent version indicates 2035) would be exempt from the installation requirements for low power Level 2 or higher EV charging receptacles as specified in the 2025 Green Building Standards Code.
  • Alternative compliance: Instead of the 2025 code requirements, these developments would be required to comply with the applicable requirements for low power Level 2 or higher EV charging receptacles as specified in the 2022 edition of the California Building Standards Code.
  • Sunset/date of repeal: The exemption and related provisions would be repealed on January 1, 2037.
  • Scope of impact: The bill would apply to new or existing affordable housing developments meeting the permit-application window, and it would effectively extend or reintroduce earlier code requirements for those projects.
  • Local government implications: The bill adds duties for local officials related to implementing these provisions, potentially impacting local plan checks and enforcement.
  • State-mandated local program: The bill asserts that it imposes a state-mandated local program, triggering considerations under California’s mandate reimbursement framework.
  • Fiscal considerations: If the California Commission on State Mandates determines the bill imposes costs mandated by the state, reimbursements would follow established procedures. Some provisions specify no reimbursement for certain mandates.

Who/what is affected

  • Affordable housing developments with permit applications submitted within the eligible window (2025–2035 as clarified by the latest language).
  • Local building and planning departments responsible for implementing EV charging requirements and related enforcement under the California Building Standards Code.
  • Developers and property owners of eligible affordable housing projects, who may face different EV charging installation requirements during the exemption period.
  • The broader housing and construction industry, due to shifts in EV infrastructure mandates and potential cost implications.
  • State agencies (California Building Standards Commission and Department of Housing and Community Development) involved in adopting or enforcing building standards.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduction and committee reviews have occurred in 2026, with amendments and passage moves noted.
  • Key dates:
    • Permit-application window: January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2035 (as amended; some references suggest 2030 or 2035; the most recent version notes 2035).
    • Repeal of provisions: January 1, 2037.
  • Legislative action history shows multiple committee hearings and amendments, with a May 18, 2026 update indicating the bill is read second time and amended, then ordered back to second reading.
  • Fiscal/mandate provisions: The bill interacts with the state’s mandate reimbursement framework, including possible no-reimbursement determinations for certain mandates and standard procedures for others.

Practical implications

  • Short-term effect: Potentially reduced immediate costs and construction complexity for affordable housing projects applying within the eligible window, by deferring or simplifying EV charging infrastructure requirements.
  • Long-term effect: By requiring compliance with older code standards during the exemption period, projects may not meet the more modern or higher-capacity EV charging standards that a later code would have mandated, potentially affecting EV readiness.
  • Repeal impact: After January 1, 2037, the existing exemptions would no longer apply, and projects would then need to meet the post-exemption EV charging requirements as dictated by the then-applicable code.

If you’d like, I can tailor this into a one-page briefing for stakeholders or prepare a side-by-side comparison with the current (2025) Green Building Standards Code requirements.

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

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