SB-916 • 2026

Civil actions: housing development projects.

Education Housing

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Ashby
Last action: 2026-04-24
Official status: Set for hearing May 4.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on the nonsubstantive change regarding digital replicas, only stating it is a minor adjustment.

Civil Actions: Housing Development Projects

The bill modifies existing laws to include student housing developments in civil actions involving lawsuits against housing development projects meeting low- or moderate-income requirements, and makes a nonsubstantive change regarding digital replicas of deceased personalities.

What This Bill Does

Expands the applicability of existing laws on civil actions related to housing development projects that meet low- or moderate-income requirements to include student housing developments.

Who It Names or Affects

People involved in lawsuits about housing development projects, especially those related to student housing.

Terms To Know

Undue economic hardship: A situation where someone would face serious financial problems if they had to pay a large amount as security for a lawsuit.
Digital replica: An electronic copy or imitation of something, in this case, the voice or likeness of a deceased person used without permission.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much security is required for student housing projects.
It's unclear what changes are made to the existing law about digital replicas beyond being described as 'nonsubstantive'.

Bill History

2026-04-24 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 4.
2026-04-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-04-02 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 21.
2026-04-02 California Legislative Information
April 7 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
2026-03-27 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 7.
2026-03-25 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Coms. on JUD. and APPR.
2026-03-18 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
2026-02-11 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on RLS.
2026-01-28 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 27.
2026-01-27 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 916, as amended, Ashby.
Use of likeness: digital replica.
Civil actions: housing development projects.
Existing law provides that in a civil action brought by a plaintiff to challenge a housing development project that meets or exceeds the requirements for low- or moderate-income housing, a defendant may seek an order requiring the plaintiff to furnish an undertaking as security for costs and damages that may be incurred by the defendant if the bringing of the action would result in preventing or delaying the project, as specified. Existing law authorizes the court to limit the amount of the undertaking or to decline to require the plaintiff to furnish an undertaking if the court determines that, based on evidence submitted by the plaintiff, furnishing an undertaking would cause the plaintiff to suffer undue economic hardship.
This bill would make these provisions
applicable to a student housing development, as defined.
Existing law makes a person who produces, distributes, or makes available the digital replica, as defined, of a deceased personality’s voice or likeness in an expressive audiovisual work or sound recording without prior consent from a specified person liable to any injured party in an amount equal to the greater of $10,000 or the actual damages suffered by a person controlling the rights to the deceased personality’s likeness, except as prescribed.
This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that provision.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF