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AB-413 • 2026

Department of Housing and Community Development: guidelines: translation.

Department of Housing and Community Development: guidelines: translation.

Housing
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Fong
Last action
2025-10-10
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 489, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify which languages must be translated, leaving this detail to future implementation or interpretation.

Department of Housing and Community Development: Translation Guidelines

This law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to review its guidelines and translate those that explain public rights or services into non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of people in California.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to review all their guidelines.
  • Determines which guidelines explain public rights or services.
  • Translates these guidelines into any non-English language spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Housing and Community Development
  • People who speak languages other than English

Terms To Know

Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
A government agency that works on housing issues in California.
Guidelines
Rules or instructions given by the DHCD to help people understand how to follow laws about housing.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify which languages must be translated.
  • It is unclear what 'a substantial number of non-English-speaking people' means in practice.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-10 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 489, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-10 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

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

  4. 2025-09-04 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.

  5. 2025-09-04 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2520.).

  6. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  7. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).

  9. 2025-06-30 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  10. 2025-06-18 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  11. 2025-06-11 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on HOUSING.

  12. 2025-06-03 California Legislative Information

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

  13. 2025-06-02 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1826.)

  14. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  15. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (May 23).

  16. 2025-05-07 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  17. 2025-04-28 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (April 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  18. 2025-02-18 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on H. & C.D.

  19. 2025-02-05 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 7.

  20. 2025-02-04 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 413, Fong.
Department of Housing and Community Development: guidelines: translation.
Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development (department) in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Existing law grants the department various powers, including the power to provide bilingual staff in connection with services of the department and make available departmental publications in a language other than English when necessary to effectively serve groups for which the services or publications are made available. Existing law authorizes the department to adopt and amend guidelines for various purposes, including for the preparation of housing elements or to implement uniform standards or criteria, as provided.
This bill would require the department to review all guidelines it has adopted or amended to determine whether those guidelines explain rights or services available to the public. For
guidelines that meet that criteria, the bill would require the department to translate those guidelines into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, as defined.

Current Bill Text

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