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AB-1021 • 2026

Housing: local educational agencies.

Housing: local educational agencies.

Education Housing Labor Land
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Wicks (A) , Muratsuchi
Last action
2025-10-10
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 503, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details about the specific environmental requirements that affordable housing projects might be exempt from.

Housing: Local Educational Agencies

AB-1021 modifies rules regarding housing development projects on property owned by local educational agencies, applying the Housing Accountability Act and providing exemptions from certain requirements.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes conditions under which a housing project can be built on land owned by schools or other educational institutions.
  • Applies the Housing Accountability Act to these projects, making it harder for local agencies to disapprove them.
  • Allows school districts to skip appointing advisory committees when selling or leasing land for teacher housing.
  • Exempts certain affordable housing projects involving educational agency property from some environmental review requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local educational agencies that own real estate
  • School districts and their governing boards
  • Housing developers working on projects related to local educational agencies

Terms To Know

Density bonus
An extra allowance of housing units in a development project, given as an incentive for building affordable housing.
Environmental impact report (EIR)
A document that assesses the environmental effects of a proposed project and suggests ways to reduce negative impacts.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify who will fund these housing projects.
  • It is unclear how many local educational agencies will take advantage of this new flexibility.
  • There are no details on the specific environmental requirements that affordable housing projects might be exempt from.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-10 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 503, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-10 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-15 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4:30 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-08 California Legislative Information

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 63. Noes 7. Page 3020.).

  5. 2025-09-03 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-03 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 32. Noes 6. Page 2463.).

  7. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-08-19 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

  9. 2025-07-17 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  10. 2025-07-16 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 1.) (July 15).

  11. 2025-07-03 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HOUSING.

  12. 2025-07-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on HOUSING. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (July 2).

  13. 2025-06-04 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and HOUSING.

  14. 2025-05-28 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  15. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 62. Noes 3. Page 1731.)

  16. 2025-05-15 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  17. 2025-05-14 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (May 14).

  18. 2025-05-06 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  19. 2025-05-05 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  20. 2025-05-01 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 30).

  21. 2025-04-22 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  22. 2025-04-22 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

  23. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. Read second time and amended.

  24. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

  25. 2025-04-17 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  26. 2025-04-10 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. Read second time and amended.

  27. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. (Ayes 8. Noes 1.) (April 9). Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

  28. 2025-03-24 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on H. & C.D. and L. GOV.

  29. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

  30. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1021, Wicks.
Housing: local educational agencies.
(1) The Planning and Zoning Law requires each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for its physical development, and the development of certain lands outside its boundaries, that includes, among other mandatory elements, a housing element. That law, until January 1, 2033, deems a housing development project an allowable use on any real property owned by a local educational agency if the housing development satisfies specified conditions, including, among others, consisting of at least 10 housing units, 100% of the units being rented by local educational agency employees, local public employees, and general members of the public pursuant to a specified priority, and a majority of the units being deed restricted for lower income or moderate-income households, as specified.
Existing law, the
Housing Accountability Act, among other things, prohibits a local agency from disapproving 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, and describes various requirements applicable to housing development projects.
This bill would revise and recast the provisions deeming a housing development project an allowable use on any real property owned by a local educational agency. The bill would require the housing development to satisfy specified conditions, and would apply the requirements of the Housing Accountability Act to review of housing development projects subject to these provisions. The bill would provide that a proposed housing
development project is eligible for a density bonus, as specified, and would define various terms for these purposes. The bill would extend the operation of these provisions until January 1, 2036.
(2) Existing law, prior to the sale, lease, or rental of any excess real property, requires the governing board of each school district to appoint a school district advisory committee to advise the governing board of the school district in the development of districtwide policies and procedures governing the use or disposition of school buildings or space in school buildings that is not needed for school purposes. Notwithstanding that law, existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to elect not to appoint a school district advisory committee in the sale, lease, or rental of excess real property to be used for teacher or school district employee housing.
This bill would specify that the
governing board of a school district is authorized to elect not to appoint a school district advisory committee in the sale, lease, or rental of excess real property to be used for teacher or school district employee housing and that is subject to the provisions governing real property owned by a local educational agency described above.
(3) The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. Existing law, until January 1, 2033, exempts from CEQA certain actions taken by a public agency related to affordable housing projects, as defined, if certain requirements are met.
This
bill would provide that an affordable housing project for purposes of the CEQA exemption includes real property owned by a local educational agency, as described above, and would exempt these projects from certain of the requirements for other affordable housing projects.
(4) The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.
(5) By adding to the duties of local planning officials with respect to approving certain development projects, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions
establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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