Senate Local Government committee advances housing, permitting and electrification bills; several measures pass on 5–7 member votes

The Senate Committee on Local Government on July 9 considered a package of bills on housing production, permitting timelines, local enforcement tools and local electrification planning and advanced multiple measures to the next committee.

Assemblymember James Ward opened with AB 253, which would allow homeowners and small developers to use licensed third‑party plan check professionals if a local building department cannot complete a plan review within 30 business days. Supporters, including Eduardo Mendoza of California YIMBY and Andrew Slocum, CEO of Green Development Company, said delays in post‑entitlement plan checks can stall construction and raise carrying costs, citing an average permit delay of nine months for fully entitled apartment projects. Opponents — led by the California State Association of Counties and local government groups — said they opposed the bill unless amended, citing liability and oversight concerns. Assemblymember Ward and supporters said local agencies would retain final permit authority and that the bill targets small, less‑complex projects. The committee voted to pass AB 253 as amended to the Committee on Housing (final recorded vote: 6–0).

The committee also considered AB 632 (Assemblymember Hart), which would create an expedited administrative path for counties and cities to collect unpaid fines for certain egregious code violations such as illegal cannabis grows, dangerous housing conditions and fire hazards. Supporters including rural county representatives and code enforcement officers described cases in which violators ignored fines for years and created public‑safety and environmental harms; opponents including legal aid and the ACLU warned…