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2026 State Legislation
The California Legislature introduces thousands of bills every year, and 2026 was no exception.
Cities across the state of California have zoned for many times more new homes than are needed to meet the needs of their residents. Despite that capacity, the Legislature continues to push local zoning overrides as the panacea for the housing affordability challenges faced by working Californians.
On September 29, Governor Newsom signed a pile of land deregulation bills. Here are the bills that we think will have the greatest impact and how San Diego County legislators voted on these bills:
Bill Number | Bill Title | Position | Voted Aye | Voted No-NVR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
AB 956 PASSED | Accessory dwelling units: ministerial approval: single-family dwellings. | Alvarez (Asm 80),
DeMaio (Asm 75),
Sharp-Collins (Asm 79),
Ward (Asm 78),
Blakespear (Sen 38),
Padilla (Sen 18),
Weber Pierson (Sen 39) | Boerner (Asm 77),
Patel (Asm 76),
Jones (Sen 40)
| |
AB 1621 PASSED | Planning and Zoning Law: postentitlement phase permits: Housing Accountability Act. | Alvarez (Asm 80), Boerner (Asm 77), DeMaio (Asm 75), Patel (Asm 76), Sharp-Collins (Asm 79), Ward (Asm 78), Blakespear (Sen 38), Jones (Sen 40), Padilla (Sen 18), Weber Pierson (Sen 39) | ||
AB 1751 PASSED | Missing Middle Townhome Ownership Act. | Alvarez (Asm 80),
DeMaio (Asm 75),
Patel (Asm 76),
Sharp-Collins (Asm 79),
Ward (Asm 78),
Blakespear (Sen 38),
Jones (Sen 40),
Padilla (Sen 18),
Weber Pierson (Sen 39)
| Boerner (Asm 77) | |
AB 2118 PASSED | Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022: use by right: objective standards. | Alvarez (Asm 80),
Davies (Asm 74),
DeMaio (Asm 75),
Patel (Asm 76),
Sharp-Collins (Asm 79),
Ward (Asm 78),
Blakespear (Sen 38),
Jones (Sen 40),
Padilla (Sen 18),
Weber Pierson (Sen 39) | Boerner (Asm 77) | |
AB 2433 PASSED | Housing development: density bonus. | Alvarez (Asm 80),
Boerner (Asm 77),
Davies (Asm 74),
DeMaio (Asm 75),
Patel (Asm 76),
Sharp-Collins (Asm 79),
Ward (Asm 78),
Blakespear (Sen 38),
Jones (Sen 40),
Padilla (Sen 18),
Weber Pierson (Sen 39) | Boerner (Asm 77),
Patel (Asm 76)
| |
AB 2576 PASSED | Transit-oriented development: exclusions: historic sites. | Alvarez (Asm 80),
Boerner (Asm 77),
Davies (Asm 74),
DeMaio (Asm 75),
Patel (Asm 76),
Sharp-Collins (Asm 79),
Ward (Asm 78),
Blakespear (Sen 38),
Jones (Sen 40),
Padilla (Sen 18),
Weber Pierson (Sen 39)
| ||
SB 344 PASSED | California Environmental Quality Act: City of San Diego: mixed-use development project | Alvarez (Asm 80),
Davies (Asm 74),
Patel (Asm 76),
Sharp-Collins (Asm 79),
Ward (Asm 78),
Blakespear (Sen 38),
Jones (Sen 40),
Padilla (Sen 18),
Weber Pierson (Sen 39) | Boerner (Asm 77), DeMaio (Asm 75) | |
SB 457 PASSED | Housing element compliance: committed assistance: in-kind services: realistic capacity formula. | Alvarez (Asm 80),
Boerner (Asm 77),
Patel (Asm 76),
Sharp-Collins (Asm 79),
Ward (Asm 78),
Blakespear (Sen 38),
Padilla (Sen 18),
Weber Pierson (Sen 39) | Davies (Asm 74),
DeMaio (Asm 75),
Jones (Sen 40) | |
SB 677 PASSED | Land use: housing development approvals: tax-exempt private activity bonds: subdivisions: tentative and final maps: appeals. | Alvarez (Asm 80),
Davies (Asm 74),
Patel (Asm 76),
Sharp-Collins (Asm 79),
Ward (Asm 78),
Blakespear (Sen 38),
Padilla (Sen 18),
Weber Pierson (Sen 39) | Boerner (Asm 77),
DeMaio (Asm 75),
Jones (Sen 40) | |
SB 958 PASSED | California Environmental Quality Act: environmental impacts: building height. | Alvarez (Asm 80),
Davies (Asm 74),
Sharp-Collins (Asm 79),
Ward (Asm 78),
Blakespear (Sen 38),
Jones (Sen 40),
Padilla (Sen 18),
Weber Pierson (Sen 39) | Boerner (Asm 77),
DeMaio (Asm 75),
Patel (Asm 76) | |
SB 1014 PASSED | Development projects: preliminary estimate of required improvements: onsite and offsite improvements. | Alvarez (Asm 80), Davies (Asm 74), Patel (Asm 76), Sharp-Collins (Asm 79), Ward (Asm 78), Blakespear (Sen 38), Padilla (Sen 18), Weber Pierson (Sen 39) | Boerner (Asm 77), DeMaio (Asm 75), Jones (Sen 40) | |
SB 1116 PASSED | Planning and zoning: housing development projects: subdivisions. | Alvarez (Asm 80),
Boerner (Asm 77),
Davies (Asm 74),
DeMaio (Asm 75),
Patel (Asm 76),
Sharp-Collins (Asm 79),
Ward (Asm 78),
Blakespear (Sen 38),
Jones (Sen 40),
Padilla (Sen 18),
Weber Pierson (Sen 39)
| ||
SB 1117 PASSED | Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units. | Alvarez (Asm 80), Boerner (Asm 77), DeMaio (Asm 75), Sharp-Collins (Asm 79), Ward (Asm 78), Blakespear (Sen 38), Jones (Sen 40), Padilla (Sen 18), Weber Pierson (Sen 39) | Davies (Asm 74), Patel (Asm 76) | |
SB 1256 PASSED | Subdivision Map Act: action or proceeding | Alvarez (Asm 80),
Boerner (Asm 77),
Davies (Asm 74),
Sharp-Collins (Asm 79),
Ward (Asm 78),
Blakespear (Sen 38),
Jones (Sen 40),
Padilla (Sen 18),
Weber Pierson (Sen 39) | DeMaio (Asm 75),
Patel (Asm 76) | |
SB 1361 PASSED | Transit-oriented housing developments: local governments: transit agencies and projects. | Alvarez (Asm 80),
Patel (Asm 76),
Sharp-Collins (Asm 79),
Ward (Asm 78),
Blakespear (Sen 38),
Padilla (Sen 18),
Weber Pierson (Sen 39) | Boerner (Asm 77),
Davies (Asm 74),
DeMaio (Asm 75),
Jones (Sen 40) |
There were some bills that were tracked by Neighbors For A Better San Diego that did not receive final votes in this session:
Bill Number | Bill Title | Position | Summary Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
Construction defects. | Allows for a developer to address construction defects without litigation, and, upon mutual agreement of the builder and the homeowner, allows for a release of future claims upon acceptance of the repairs. | ||
Transit Oriented Housing Developments: Alternative Plans | Allows cities (<150,000) to shift more density in SB 79 Alternative Plans from locally designated historic districts. Recommend amendment to also include state-designated historic districts and change cutoff date from January 1, 2000, to January 1, 2025. | ||
Housing Crisis Act of 2019. | Prohibits local referendums and other local actions that limit housing development. | ||
Bikeways: reversions and modifications. | Makes it illegal for cities to reconfigure bike lanes even if safety issues arise after their implementation. |
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