Plain English Breakdown
The official text mentions a 'nonsubstantive change' to the Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation annual report, but does not explain what that change is.
AB-748: Preapproved Plans for Single-Family and Multifamily Housing
This law requires cities and counties to create programs that preapprove housing plans, allowing them to approve or deny building applications within 30 days if specific conditions are met.
What This Bill Does
- Requires local agencies to develop a program for the preapproval of single-family and multifamily residential housing plan submissions.
- Sets deadlines of July 1, 2027, for large jurisdictions and January 1, 2029, for small jurisdictions to have these programs ready.
- Mandates that local agencies post approved plans and applicant contact information on their official websites.
- Requires cities or counties to approve or deny applications using preapproved plans within 30 days if the lot meets certain conditions.
- Exempts projects approved through this ministerial process from environmental review requirements under CEQA.
- Asks local agencies to report annually starting in April 2028 for large jurisdictions and April 2030 for small jurisdictions on how many housing units were approved using these preapproved plans.
Who It Names or Affects
- Cities, counties, and other local government agencies responsible for zoning and planning.
- Homeowners or developers who submit applications to build single-family or multifamily homes.
- The Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, which receives the annual reports.
Terms To Know
- Preapproval
- A process where a local agency reviews and approves housing plans before they are used for specific building projects.
- Ministerial approval
- An automatic decision to approve or deny an application based on set rules, without needing extra meetings or discretionary judgment.
- CEQA
- The California Environmental Quality Act, which usually requires environmental reports for new projects but does not apply here if the project uses preapproved plans and is approved ministerially.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law states that lots must meet 'certain conditions' to qualify for fast approval but does not list those specific conditions in this summary.
- It excludes certain communities and developments from using this program, but the text does not specify exactly which ones are excluded.
- The bill states that no state reimbursement is required for local agencies' costs, though it mentions a 'specified reason' without detailing what that reason is.