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SB-655 • 2026

Dwelling units: indoor temperature.

Dwelling units: indoor temperature.

Housing
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Stern
Last action
2025-10-10
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 522, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify a specific date by which state agencies must adhere to the policy in their regulations.

Indoor Temperature Standards for Homes

This law declares it as the established policy of California that all homes must be able to attain and maintain a safe maximum indoor temperature, and requires state agencies to consider this policy when making rules or programs related to housing.

What This Bill Does

  • Declares it to be the established policy of the state that all dwelling units can attain and maintain a safe maximum indoor temperature.
  • Requires relevant state agencies to consider this policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, programs, and criteria, including grant criteria, related to achieving the state policy.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who live in homes
  • State government agencies that set rules for buildings and housing

Terms To Know

Dwelling units
Homes or apartments where people live.
Building Standards Commission
A group in the California government that sets rules for buildings and homes.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what a 'safe maximum indoor temperature' is.
  • It's unclear how this policy will be enforced or if there are penalties for non-compliance.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-10 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 522, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-10 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-22 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 31. Noes 8. Page 2874.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 66. Noes 5. Page 3089.) Ordered to the Senate.

  7. 2025-09-04 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-09-04 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended.

  9. 2025-09-03 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  10. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  11. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 29).

  12. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  13. 2025-07-17 California Legislative Information

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

  14. 2025-07-16 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (July 16).

  15. 2025-06-16 California Legislative Information

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

  16. 2025-06-16 California Legislative Information

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

  17. 2025-06-05 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  18. 2025-06-04 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1506.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  19. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  20. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  21. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1208.) (May 23).

  22. 2025-05-16 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 23.

  23. 2025-05-12 California Legislative Information

    May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  24. 2025-05-02 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 12.

  25. 2025-04-30 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0. Page 937.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  26. 2025-04-22 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 29.

  27. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

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

  28. 2025-04-17 California Legislative Information

    April 22 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.

  29. 2025-04-08 California Legislative Information

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

  30. 2025-04-04 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 22.

  31. 2025-03-25 California Legislative Information

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

  32. 2025-03-05 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on HOUSING.

  33. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

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

  34. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 655, Stern.
Dwelling units: indoor temperature.
Existing law, the California Building Standards Law, establishes the California Building Standards Commission (commission) within the Government Operations Agency. Existing law requires the commission to approve and adopt building standards and to codify those standards in the California Building Standards Code. Existing law requires the commission to publish, or cause to be published, editions of the code in its entirety every 3 years, and to publish, or cause to be published, supplements as necessary in the intervening period. Existing law requires all state agencies that adopt or propose to adopt a building standard to submit the building standard to the commission for approval and adoption.
Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development (department) in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Existing
law, the State Housing Law, requires the department to propose the adoption, amendment, or repeal of building standards to the commission and to adopt, amend, or repeal rules and regulations for the protection of the health, safety, and general welfare of the occupant and the public relating to specified residential structures, as provided, which apply throughout the state.
This bill would declare it to be the established policy of the state that all dwelling units, as defined, are required to be able to attain and maintain a safe maximum indoor temperature. The bill would require all relevant state agencies to consider this state policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, programs, and criteria, including grant criteria, that are relevant to achieving the state policy and, beginning January 1, 2027, when revising, adopting, or establishing regulations that are relevant to achieving this state policy.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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