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SB-1352 • 2026

Property taxation: newly constructed: reconstructed property.

Property taxation: newly constructed: reconstructed property.

Budget Education Taxes
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Valladares (S) , Allen
Last action
2026-05-14
Official status
May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact conditions under which property owners can use their old tax value are detailed in the bill but may be complex for a grade 6-8 audience to fully understand.

Property Tax Rules for Reconstructed Property

This law changes how property taxes are calculated for buildings that need to be rebuilt after a disaster, allowing owners to use their old tax value on new, reconstructed buildings under certain conditions.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the rules about when rebuilding is considered 'new construction' and not taxed as such if it's similar to what was there before.
  • Allows owners of property damaged or destroyed by a disaster declared by the Governor to use their old tax value on new, reconstructed buildings for up to five years after the disaster.
  • Sets limits on how much bigger the rebuilt structure can be compared to the original one to keep using the same base year value.
  • Makes these rules apply only until January 1, 2036.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who own property that has been damaged or destroyed by a disaster and need to rebuild it.
  • Local agencies and school districts that might lose some tax revenue from this change.

Terms To Know

Base year value
The assessed value of the property for tax purposes in the first year after a major event like construction or damage.
Full cash value
The total worth of the property as determined by an assessor, used to calculate property taxes.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law only applies until January 1, 2036.
  • It does not provide funding for rebuilding or tax breaks beyond what is already allowed under current laws.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-14 California Legislative Information

    May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

  2. 2026-05-12 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 14.

  3. 2026-05-11 California Legislative Information

    May 11 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  4. 2026-05-04 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 11.

  5. 2026-04-28 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  6. 2026-04-27 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (April 22).

  7. 2026-04-13 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.

  8. 2026-04-09 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 22.

  9. 2026-04-01 California Legislative Information

    April 8 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.

  10. 2026-03-25 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 8.

  11. 2026-03-04 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.

  12. 2026-02-23 California Legislative Information

    Read first time.

  13. 2026-02-23 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.

  14. 2026-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 1352, as amended, Valladares.
Property taxation: newly constructed: reconstructed property.
The California Constitution generally limits ad valorem taxes on real property to 1% of the full cash value of that property. For purposes of this limitation, “full cash value” is defined as the assessor’s valuation of real property as shown on the 1975–76 tax bill under “full cash value” or, thereafter, the appraised value of that real property when purchased, newly constructed, or a change in ownership has occurred. Existing property tax law defines “newly constructed” and “new construction” to mean any addition to real property since the last lien date and any alteration of land or of any improvement since the last lien date that constitutes a major rehabilitation thereof or that converts the property to a different use. Existing property tax law, in the case of real property that has been damaged or destroyed by misfortune or calamity, excludes from the definition of “newly
constructed” and “new construction” any timely reconstruction of the real property, or portion thereof, where the property after reconstruction is substantially equivalent to the property prior to damage or destruction.
Existing property tax law authorizes the owner of property substantially damaged or destroyed by a disaster, as declared by the Governor, to apply the base year value of that property to replacement property reconstructed on the same site of the damaged or destroyed property within 5 years after the disaster if the reconstructed property is comparable to the substantially damaged or destroyed property. Existing property tax law requires the assessor to use a specified procedure in determining the appropriate base year value of the reconstructed property. In that regard, existing property tax law applies the adjusted base year value of the property substantially damaged or destroyed to the reconstructed property as its base year value if the full cash
value of the reconstructed property does not exceed 120% of the full cash value of the property substantially damaged or destroyed.
This bill
would revise these provisions to instead authorize the owner of property substantially damaged or destroyed by a disaster, for which the Governor proclaimed a state of emergency, to apply the base year value of that property to replacement property, as described above. The bill
would, for the determination of base year values of reconstructed property for the 2026–27 fiscal year to the 2034–35 fiscal year, inclusive, apply the lesser of either the above-described determination based on full cash value, or the adjusted base year value of the property substantially damaged or destroyed if the size of the reconstructed property does not exceed 110% of the size of the property substantially damaged or destroyed, to the
reconstructed property as its base year value. The bill would make its provisions operative only until January 1, 2036.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations related to a gift of public funds.
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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law requires the state to reimburse local agencies annually for certain property tax revenues lost as a result of any exemption or classification of
property for purposes of ad valorem property taxation.
This bill would provide that, notwithstanding those provisions, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for property tax revenues lost by them pursuant to the bill.

Current Bill Text

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