AB-76 • 2026

Surplus land: exempt surplus land: sectional planning area.

Education Housing

Vetoed

The latest official action shows the governor vetoed this bill. Check the bill history to see whether lawmakers later overrode that veto.

Sponsor: Alvarez
Last action: 2026-01-22
Official status: Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill was vetoed by the governor on January 22, 2026.

Surplus Land Exemption: Sectional Planning Area

This law changes the requirements for land declared as surplus but exempt from disposal by local agencies, focusing on housing density and income levels.

What This Bill Does

Changes the rules for land declared as surplus but exempt from being sold or given away by local government bodies.
Requires at least 25% of units in a sectional planning area document to be set aside for lower-income households if there are more than 500 units, or 25% of all units if fewer than 500 units, excluding housing designated for students, faculty, and staff of academic institutions.
Ensures that the land must have an average density of at least 10 housing units per acre.

Who It Names or Affects

Local government agencies
Developers working on sectional planning area projects

Terms To Know

Surplus land: Land owned by a local agency that is no longer needed for the agency's use.
Exempt surplus land: Land that meets certain requirements and can be exempt from disposal rules, such as being part of a sectional planning area document.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill was vetoed by the governor.
It is unclear if lawmakers will override the governor's veto.

Bill History

2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Vetoed by Governor.
2025-09-22 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
2025-09-10 California Legislative Information
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 3211.).
2025-09-09 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-09 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2658.).
2025-07-17 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered to third reading.
2025-07-16 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 16).
2025-07-09 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.
2025-05-21 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on L. GOV.
2025-05-08 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-05-08 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 66. Noes 0. Page 1483.)
2025-05-01 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-04-30 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 10. Noes 1.) (April 30).
2025-04-22 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on H. & C.D.
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2025-04-10 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on H. & C.D. (Ayes 8. Noes 1.) (April 9).
2025-04-01 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.
2025-03-28 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. Read second time and amended.
2025-02-03 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and H. & C.D.
2025-01-06 California Legislative Information
Read first time.
2024-12-17 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee January 16.
2024-12-16 California Legislative Information
Introduced. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 76, Alvarez.
Surplus land: exempt surplus land: sectional planning area.
Existing law prescribes requirements for the disposal of surplus land by a local agency. Existing law defines terms for these purposes, including, among others, “surplus land” to mean land owned in fee simple by any local agency for which the local agency’s governing body takes formal action in a regular public meeting declaring that the land is surplus and is not necessary for the agency’s use. Existing law defines “exempt surplus land” to mean, among other things, land that is subject to a sectional planning area document, as described, and meets specified requirements, including that the land identified in the adopted sectional planning area document was dedicated prior to January 1, 2019, at least 25% of the units are dedicated to lower income households, as specified, and that the land is developed at an average density of at least 10 units per acre calculated with respect to the
entire sectional planning area.
This bill would change those requirements so that at a minimum, 25% of units that are proposed by the sectional planning area document as adopted prior to January 1, 2019, and are not designated for students, faculty, or staff of an academic institution, or 500 units, whichever is greater, must be dedicated to lower income households, as specified, and that the land must be developed at an average density of at least 10 units per acre, in accordance with certain requirements and calculated with respect to the entire sectional planning area and inclusive of housing designated for students, faculty, and staff of an academic institution.

Current Bill Text

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