KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to California

AB-920 • 2026

Permit Streamlining Act: housing development projects: centralized application portal.

Permit Streamlining Act: housing development projects: centralized application portal.

Education Housing
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Caloza
Last action
2025-10-10
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 501, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on the exact requirements for setting up the centralized application portal or what happens if a city fails to start the process by January 1, 2028.

Streamlining Housing Project Permits

AB-920 requires large cities (population over 150,000) to establish an online portal for housing development project applications and tracking by January 1, 2030, if certain actions are taken by January 1, 2028.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires cities with populations of at least 150,000 people to create a centralized online application portal for housing development projects.
  • Allows these cities until January 1, 2030, if they start the process by January 1, 2028, to set up this online system.
  • Specifies that the city or county is not required to provide information about permits or inspections from other local agencies, state agencies, or utility providers through their portal.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People applying for permits to build new homes in large cities (population over 150,000).
  • Large cities with populations of at least 150,000 people who need to set up an online application portal.

Terms To Know

Centralized Application Portal
An online system where all permit applications for housing projects are submitted and tracked by the city or county.
Lead Agency
The main government agency responsible for approving a development project.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not require cities to provide information about permits from other agencies through their portal.
  • Does not specify what happens if a city does not start the process by January 1, 2028.
  • The bill applies only to large cities with populations of at least 150,000 people.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-10 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 501, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-10 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-04 California Legislative Information

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

  4. 2025-08-28 California Legislative Information

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 2762.).

  5. 2025-08-26 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  6. 2025-08-25 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 2251.).

  7. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

  8. 2025-08-19 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.

  9. 2025-07-16 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  10. 2025-07-07 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 HOUSING.

  11. 2025-07-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HOUSING with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 2). Re-referred to Com. on HOUSING.

  12. 2025-05-28 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and HOUSING.

  13. 2025-05-20 California Legislative Information

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

  14. 2025-05-19 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 1605.)

  15. 2025-05-15 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  16. 2025-05-14 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).

  17. 2025-04-30 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  18. 2025-04-30 California Legislative Information

    Coauthors revised.

  19. 2025-04-28 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on H. & C.D.

  20. 2025-04-24 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  21. 2025-04-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on H. & C.D. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 23).

  22. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

    (Pending re-refer to Com. on H. & C. D.)

  23. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

    Assembly Rule 56 suspended. (Page 1163.)

  24. 2025-03-25 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

  25. 2025-03-24 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. Read second time and amended.

  26. 2025-03-24 California Legislative Information

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

  27. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.

  28. 2025-02-19 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 920, Caloza.
Permit Streamlining Act: housing development projects: centralized application portal.
The Permit Streamlining Act requires a public agency that is the lead agency for a development project to approve or disapprove that project within specified time periods. Existing law requires a city or county that has an internet website to, among other things, make a fee estimate tool that the public can use to calculate an estimate of fees and exactions for a proposed housing development project available on its internet website.
This bill would require a city or county with a population of 150,000 or more persons to make a centralized application portal available on its internet website to applicants for housing development projects, as prescribed. The bill would, notwithstanding that provision, authorize a city or county
described above to make a centralized application portal available on its internet website no later than January 1, 2030, if the legislative body of the city or county, on or before January 1, 2028, takes certain action, including initiating a procurement process to make a centralized application portal available on its internet website.
The bill would require the centralized application portal to allow for tracking of the status of an application. The bill would specify that a city or county is not required to provide the status of any permit or inspection required by another local agency, a state agency, or a utility provider. The bill would define various terms for purposes of its provisions.
The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF