Plain English Breakdown
The official summary provided ends abruptly in section (3), leaving the full definition of 'disapprove' and specific consequences for missing time limits incomplete.
AB-1621: Rules for Housing Permit Reviews and Appeals
This law limits agencies to two plan check reviews, shortens the time allowed to decide on appeals, and changes which outside agency reviews pause the permit clock.
What This Bill Does
- Prohibits local or state agencies from requiring more than two plan check and specification reviews for a building permit application, except as specified.
- Allows an agency to deny an application if it does not meet standards after those two reviews are finished.
- Shortens appeal decision deadlines to 30 business days for projects with 25 units or fewer, and 45 business days for larger projects.
- Changes the rule on pausing time limits so they only stop if federal or state law requires an independent public agency to review the application first.
- Removes requirements that agencies must allow appeals to go to both a planning commission and a governing body, or to an agency director.
Who It Names or Affects
- Local government agencies like cities and counties
- State agencies involved in permitting
- Applicants seeking building permits for housing projects
Terms To Know
- Postentitlement phase permit
- A specific type of building permit required after a project has already received initial approval to be built.
- Plan check review
- An inspection by an agency to see if the construction plans match safety and design rules before work begins.
- Tolling time limits
- Pausing or stopping the official clock that counts down how long an agency has to make a decision on an application.
Limits and Unknowns
- The source text is truncated and does not fully explain all consequences of missing time limits under the Housing Accountability Act.
- Specific exceptions where agencies can request more than two plan checks are mentioned but not detailed in this summary.
- The effective date for when these new rules start is not listed in the provided material.