WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

AB 610

Relating to: a sales and use tax exemption for firearms, bows and arrows for archery, crossbows, and ammunition sold during certain times of the year. (FE)

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Elijah Behnke and 11 co-sponsors

Requires cities/counties to include a constraints disclosure with 7th+ housing elements, listing new/amended governmental rules since last cycle; helps HCD review and transparency.

Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · AB 610

AB 610 — Summary (Housing Element: governmental constraints disclosure statement)

Status: Chaptered — Approved by Governor Oct 10, 2025 (Chapter 494, Statutes of 2025)
Author: Assemblymember (Alvarez)
Primary subject: Amendments to Government Code §65583 (Housing Element Law)

Overview / Purpose

AB 610 strengthens the Housing Element Law’s requirements for how local jurisdictions disclose and analyze governmental constraints on housing. For the 7th and subsequent housing-element cycles, the bill requires cities and counties to include a specific “potential and actual governmental constraints disclosure statement” with their housing element submissions to the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The intent is to ensure newly adopted or amended local regulations that could constrain housing are transparently identified and considered during HCD review.

Key provisions

  • Amends Government Code §65583 to add a new disclosure requirement for the 7th and later housing element updates.
  • The disclosure statement must identify each new or amended potential or actual governmental constraint, or any revision that increases the stringency of an existing governmental constraint, that was adopted after the due date of the prior housing element and before the local jurisdiction submits its current draft housing element to HCD.
  • Reinforces and references HCD guidance (Building Blocks) regarding what constitutes governmental constraints (land-use controls, building codes/enforcement, fees/exactions, processing/permit procedures, etc.) and the need to analyze cumulative impacts and local efforts to remove constraints.
  • Declares the subject a matter of statewide concern (thus applying to charter cities as well as general-law cities).
  • Incorporates related changes proposed by SB 340 and AB 650 to §65583, conditioned to be operative only if AB 610 and either/both of those bills are enacted with AB 610 enacted last.
  • Designates the new disclosure requirement as a state-mandated local program; the bill includes a provision stating no state reimbursement is required for the mandate (per specified reason).

Who is affected

  • Local governments (cities and counties), including charter cities — responsible for preparing and submitting housing elements.
  • Department of Housing and Community Development — will receive and consider the disclosure as part of its substantial compliance review.
  • Developers, housing advocates, and the public — gain more transparency about local regulatory changes that may affect housing supply and affordability.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Applies to adoption of the 7th and all subsequent housing element revisions (i.e., future housing element cycles after enactment).
  • AB 610 progressed through multiple Assembly and Senate committees during 2025 and was enrolled, approved, and chaptered on Oct 10, 2025.

Fiscal / practical impact

  • The bill was sent to fiscal committees; it does not appropriate state funds. It creates a state-mandated local program (additional documentation and analysis for housing element submittals), but the bill states no state reimbursement is required.
  • Administrative/technical workload for local planning staffs may increase because jurisdictions must compile and describe any new/amended constraints adopted between housing element cycles and integrate that into the constraints analysis.

Note: Among the supplied documents was an unrelated fiscal estimate from Wisconsin (AB‑0610) proposing a limited sales‑tax exemption for firearms and archery items on certain days; that is a distinct bill in a different state and is not part of California AB 610 (Alvarez).

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

Sign in to ask a question.