AB 1308: Residential building permits: inspections: Housing Accountability Act.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing law, the State Housing Law, establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards for buildings used for human habitation. Existing law requires a county’s or city’s building department to enforce the State Housing Law and the California Building Standards Code, and other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the State Housing Law pertaining to standards for buildings used for human habitation. Existing law requires a county or city, upon the applicant’s request, to contract with or employ temporarily a private entity or person to check the plans and specifications submitted with an application for a residential building permit to comply with the State Housing Law or local ordinances adopted pursuant to the State Housing Law, when the building department takes more than 30 days, as specified, to complete the plan check. Existing law authorizes an enforcement agency to inspect any building to secure compliance with the State Housing Law and the California Building Standards Code, and other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the State Housing Law.

This bill would require the building department to conduct an inspection of the permitted work for specified new residential constructions of a building and residential additions to an existing building within 10 business days of receiving a notice of the completion of the permitted work authorized by a building permit issued for those projects. By imposing new duties on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)Existing law, the Housing Accountability Act, among other things, prohibits a local agency from disapproving, or conditioning approval in a manner that renders infeasible, a housing development project for very low, low-, or moderate-income households unless the local agency makes written findings as to one of certain sets of conditions, as specified. The act also requires, when a proposed housing development project complies with applicable, objective general plan, zoning, and subdivision standards and criteria in effect at the time that the application was deemed complete, but the local agency proposes to disapprove the project or to impose a condition that the project be developed at a lower density, that the local agency base its decision regarding the proposed housing development project upon written findings supported by a preponderance of the evidence on the record that 2 specified conditions exist. Existing law defines the term “disapprove the housing development project” for these purposes to include any instance in which a local agency takes certain actions or fails to comply with certain requirements, including the failure to meet specified time limits relating to postentitlement phase permits. Existing law makes, among other things, a local agency’s failure to meet those specified time limits relating to postentitlement phase permits a violation of the Housing Accountability Act.

This bill would revise the definition of “disapprove the housing development project” under the Housing Accountability Act to include any instance in which a building department fails to inspect permitted work for specified new residential constructions of a building and residential additions to an existing building within 10 business days of receiving a notice of the completion of the permitted work authorized by a building permit issued for those projects, as described above. The bill would also make the failure of a building department to inspect permitted work for those projects within that time limit a violation of the Housing Accountability Act. By requiring local agencies to take certain actions, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would correct cross-references in the Housing Accountability Act.

(3)This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 65589.5 of the Government Code proposed by SB 838 to be operative only if this bill and SB 838 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1 · Republican 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. October 10, 2025Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 509, Statutes of 2025.
2. October 10, 2025Approved by the Governor.
3. September 22, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
4. September 10, 2025Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 3253.).
5. September 9, 2025In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
6. September 9, 2025Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2738.).
7. September 8, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
8. September 5, 2025Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
9. September 5, 2025Ordered to third reading.
10. September 5, 2025Action rescinded whereby the bill was read third time, passed, and to Assembly.
11. August 28, 2025In Senate. Held at Desk.
12. August 28, 2025Ordered to the Senate.