AB 158: Land use.

Official summary

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

(1)Existing law, the Governor’s Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025 (GRP), which became effective on July 5, 2025, reorganized specified state agencies and departments, including establishing the Housing Development and Finance Executive Committee (executive committee) within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency for the purpose of centralizing affordable housing finance policymaking across state government. The GRP requires the executive committee to, among other things, work to align state housing funding sources for the creation of a consolidated application for multifamily affordable housing developers and a coordinated review process for the application of funds. The GRP, beginning July 1, 2026, establishes the Housing Development and Finance Committee within the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, which the GRP also establishes, and transfers the executive committee to the Housing Development Finance Committee effective July 1, 2026.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature that, in addition to the other duties required of the executive committee created by the GRP to align state housing funding sources, as described above, the executive committee be required to make recommendations to the Legislature regarding improvements the Department of Housing and Community Development may make to optimize loan administration, as specified.

(2)Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires each county and each city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city, and specified land outside its boundaries, that includes, among other specified mandatory elements, a housing element. That law requires the planning agency of a city or county to provide by April 1 of each year an annual report to, among other entities, the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, formerly known as the Office of Planning and Research, and the Department of Housing and Community Development.

This bill would require an annual report required by its provisions to be prepared using standards, forms, and definitions adopted by the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, except as specified. The bill would also make a nonsubstantive change to update a reference to the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation in these provisions.

(3)The Permit Streamlining Act establishes requirements for the review and approval of applications for development projects by public agencies. Existing law defines “development project” for purposes of those provisions to include a housing development project that requires an entitlement from a local agency.

This bill would define “housing development project” for purposes of those provisions.

Sponsors

“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. September 10, 2025In committee: Set, first hearing. Testimony taken. Further hearing to be set.
2. September 9, 2025From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. & F. R.
3. September 9, 2025Senate Rule 29.3(b) suspended. (Ayes 28. Noes 8. Page 2568.)
4. April 2, 2025Referred to Com. on B. & F. R.
5. March 20, 2025In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
6. March 20, 2025Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 53. Noes 17. Page 742.)
7. March 18, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
8. March 17, 2025(Ayes 53. Noes 17. Page 643.)
9. March 17, 2025Ordered to second reading.
10. March 17, 2025Withdrawn from committee.
11. February 3, 2025Referred to Com. on BUDGET.
12. January 9, 2025From printer. May be heard in committee February 8.