Bill Text: CA SB625 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Senate Bill 625

Introduced

Bill Title: Housing: disaster areas.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-21 - From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23. [SB625 Detail]

Download: California-2025-SB625-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 625

Introduced by Senators Wahab and Richardson
(Principal coauthors: Senators Archuleta, Caballero, Cervantes, Cortese, Pérez, Reyes, and Umberg)
(Coauthor: Senator Laird)

February 20, 2025

An act relating to housing.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 625, as introduced, Wahab. Housing: disaster areas.

The State Housing Law establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards for buildings used for human habitation. That law requires the building department of every city or county to enforce within its jurisdiction the provisions of the State Building Standards Code, the provisions of the State Housing Law, and specified other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to that law.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact statutory changes designed to expedite the rebuilding of housing in areas impacted by major disasters, including, among others, statutory changes to create a streamlined ministerial approval process for development proposals that will rebuild residential developments on parcels that contain structures that were damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact statutory changes designed to expedite the rebuilding of housing in areas impacted by major disasters. It is the intent of the Legislature that the statutory changes will do all of the following:

(a) Create a streamlined ministerial approval process for development proposals that will rebuild residential developments on parcels that contain structures that were damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster.

(b) Ensure that local agencies and homeowners’ associations expedite the issuance of permits and approvals to property owners seeking to rebuild homes that are damaged in a declared disaster.

(c) Prohibit local agencies from enforcing ordinances that preclude the placement of manufactured homes or mobilehomes on private residential lots damaged in a declared state of emergency for a period of three years.