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AB-1162 • 2026

Challenges to housing and community-serving projects.

Challenges to housing and community-serving projects.

Education Healthcare Housing
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Bonta
Last action
2025-08-29
Official status
In committee: Held under submission.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details about how courts will handle bond amounts or specific protections against delays.

Expanding Protection for Housing and Community Projects

This law allows developers of housing projects for low- and moderate-income people and community-serving projects to ask courts to make plaintiffs post a bond as security if the lawsuit might delay or stop the project.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows developers of housing projects for low- and moderate-income people to request that plaintiffs post a bond (money) as security in lawsuits challenging these projects.
  • Expands this rule to include community-serving projects, like schools or hospitals.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Developers of housing and community-serving projects
  • People who sue such projects

Terms To Know

Undue economic hardship
A situation where someone would face serious financial problems if they had to pay a bond.
Community-serving project
Projects like schools, hospitals, or other facilities that benefit the community as defined by law.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if someone cannot afford to post a bond.
  • It is unclear how this will affect small lawsuits compared to large ones.
  • The exact definition of 'community-serving project' needs further clarification.

Bill History

  1. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Held under submission.

  2. 2025-07-07 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  3. 2025-06-25 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. 2025-05-21 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on JUD. and APPR.

  5. 2025-05-13 California Legislative Information

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

  6. 2025-05-12 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 1521.)

  7. 2025-05-07 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

  8. 2025-05-06 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (May 6).

  9. 2025-04-29 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  10. 2025-04-28 California Legislative Information

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

  11. 2025-03-19 California Legislative Information

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

  12. 2025-03-10 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

  13. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

  14. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1162, as amended, Bonta.
Challenges to housing and community-serving projects.
Existing law provides that in a civil action brought by a plaintiff to challenge a housing development project that meets or exceeds the requirements for low- or moderate-income housing, a defendant may seek an order requiring the plaintiff to furnish an undertaking as security for costs and damages that may be incurred by the defendant if the bringing of the action would result in preventing or delaying the project, as specified. Existing law authorizes the court to limit the amount of the undertaking or to decline to require the plaintiff to furnish an undertaking if the court determines that, based on evidence submitted by the plaintiff, furnishing an undertaking would cause the plaintiff to suffer undue economic hardship.
This bill would expand the type of civil actions for which motions for undertaking may be filed to include actions that
challenge a community-serving project, as defined.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF