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2026 State Legislation
The California Legislature introduces thousands of bills every year, and 2026 is no exception. Neighbors For A Better San Diego has been tracking more than 100 bills related to land use and housing development.
Here are the most impactful bills that are awaiting final votes:
Bill Number | Bill Title | Position | Summary Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
Accessory dwelling units: ministerial approval: single-family dwellings. | Allows a second detached ADU to be built on any single-family lot, which will encourage real estate speculation on the small starter homes that would otherwise be available to first time home buyers. | ||
California Environmental Quality Act: City of San Diego: mixed-use development project | Strongly Oppose | This project is located in an area that is especially vulnerable to sea-level change, adding to the foolishness of skipping environmental review. Senator Padilla and Assembly Member Ward have been added as co-authors of the bill. | |
Bikeways: reversions and modifications. | Makes it illegal for cities to reconfigure bike lanes even if safety issues arise after their implementation. | ||
California Environmental Quality Act: environmental impacts: building height. | Weakens the California Environmental Protection Act by removing building heights as a consideration regardless of the height of the building. Originally intended just as a political favor to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, this bill has been expanded statewide. | ||
Transit-oriented housing developments: local governments: transit agencies and projects. | Prohibits cities from exercising their free-speech rights to advocate against transit projects based on how the surrounding areas would be impacted by SB 79's forced upzoning. |
Because these bills are written in the Sacramento lobbyist/donor bubble, legislators must hear from their constituents.
Click here to find the contact information for your State Assembly Member and Senator, and call or write them to share your position on the key bills listed above. (AB-956, SB-344. SB-569, SB-958, SB-1116, and SB-1361)
While in our analysis the bills listed above would be the most impactful, NFABSD has been tracking other important bills, as summarized below.
Bill Number | Bill Title | Position | Summary Statement |
|---|---|---|---|
Construction defects. | Addresses construction defect litigation through building certification. Needs to be amended to include disclosure to the buyer. | ||
Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022: use by right: objective standards. | Prohibits cities from imposing reasonable objective standards that result in less than the zoned maximum allowed development on a site. | ||
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 development: density bonus. | Reduces affordability requirements on Bonus Density projects if they include for-sale units. Construction defect litigation reform, as addressed in AB-1903, is the more appropriate incentive to spur condominium construction. | ||
Housing element compliance: committed assistance: in-kind services: realistic capacity formula. | Standardizes process for estimating how many homes will be produced in a housing cycle. Recommend amendment to require the formulas and the underlying housing targets (RHNA) are developed by objective analysis independent from Housing and Community Development. | ||
Land use: housing development approvals: tax-exempt private activity bonds: subdivisions: tentative and final maps: appeals. | Takes away the rights of citizens to seek redress of ill-considered projects through the courts. | ||
Subdivision Map Act: action or proceeding | Limits the rights of citizens to sue for redress under both the California Environmental Protection Act and the Subdivision Map Act. |
As we get to the end of the Legislative session, which ends on Monday, August 31, 2026, bills are receiving their final votes and being passed on to Governor Newsom, who will have until the end of September to veto or sign into law.
Here are how San Diego County legislators voted on these bills:
Bill Number | Bill Title | Position | Voted Aye | Voted No-NVR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 2576 PASSED | Transit-oriented development: exclusions: historic sites. | 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)
| ||
SB 1014 PASSED | Development projects: preliminary estimate of required improvements: onsite and offsite improvements. | 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), DeMaio (Asm 75), Jones (Sen 40) | |
SB 1116 PASSED | Planning and zoning: housing development projects: subdivisions. | 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)
| ||
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) | Patel (Asm 76) |
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