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: 2026-05-18
Official status: Referred to Coms. on JUD. and APPR.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Civil actions: housing development projects.

SB 916, as amended, Ashby.

What This Bill Does

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.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-05-18 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on JUD. and APPR.
2026-05-07 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2026-05-07 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 36. Noes 0.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2026-05-05 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-05-04 California Legislative Information
From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to consent calendar.
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. Page 3976.) (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

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