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AB-1895 • 2026

Surplus Land Act: exemptions: land unsuitable for housing.

Surplus Land Act: exemptions: land unsuitable for housing.

Housing
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Hadwick
Last action
2026-03-02
Official status
Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and H. & C.D.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on how local agencies must declare land as either surplus or exempt surplus.

Surplus Land Act: Exemptions for Unusable Housing Land

This law changes the Surplus Land Act to add land that is not good for building houses due to certain risks as exempt surplus land.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the definition of exempt surplus land to include land unsuitable for housing because it has slope instability and other hazards like mudslides, landslides, subsidence, liquefaction, and seismic hazards.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local government agencies that manage land
  • People who might want to buy or develop land

Terms To Know

Surplus Land Act
A law about how local governments can get rid of extra land they own.
Exempt surplus land
Land that does not need special procedures to be sold or given away because it is unsuitable for housing development.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill text does not specify how the new exemptions will affect current disposal processes.
  • It's unclear what happens if land becomes suitable for housing after being declared exempt surplus land.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-02 California Legislative Information

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

  2. 2026-02-13 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.

  3. 2026-02-12 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1895, as introduced, Hadwick.
Surplus Land Act: exemptions: land unsuitable for housing.
Existing law requires land to be declared either surplus land or exempt surplus land, as supported by written findings, before a local agency may take any action to dispose of it consistent with an agency’s policies or procedures. Existing law establishes procedures for the disposal of surplus land, including requiring certain information to be provided to the Department of Housing and Community Development. These procedures do not apply to the disposal of exempt surplus land. Existing law establishes various categories of exempt surplus land, including surplus land that is a former street, right-of-way, or easement, and is conveyed to an owner of an adjacent property.
This bill would broaden the definition of exempt surplus land to include land that is unsuitable for housing development due to the presence of one or more specified
characteristics, including land with slope instability that increases risk of mudslides, landslides, subsidence, liquefaction, and other seismic hazards.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF