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SB 655 would push new housing to meet a 'safe' maximum indoor temperature as heat risk grows
Summary
Sen. Scott Wiener presented SB 655 to require HCD to identify and promote strategies so new residential dwellings can maintain a maximum indoor temperature of 82°F; witnesses emphasized heat as a public‑health threat and said the bill is a first step toward codifying HCD recommendations.
Sen. Scott Wiener presented SB 655, which would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to identify and promote passive and active strategies to enable new residential dwelling units to maintain a recommended maximum safe indoor air temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wiener and witnesses said extreme heat is an under‑appreciated, growing public‑health threat in California; HCD’s AB 209 report recommended an 82°F target as a reasonable goal for new construction to protect health. Giovanna Morales Tilden of Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability and climate and public‑health groups described living‑condition vulnerabilities in the San Joaquin and Coachella valleys (older housing stock, unaffordability of operating air conditioning) and urged state action.
Supporters include building decarbonization and environmental voter groups, which spoke in favor of code updates and electrification strategies. The bill drew no lead opposition at the hearing and multiple organizations entered support in the record (Building Decarbonization Coalition, California Environmental Voters).
Committee members asked about the scope (new units only), interplay with existing building codes, and whether the state should pursue retrofit policies for existing housing stock; the author said SB 655 is an initial step focused on new dwellings while future work will address retrofits.
The committee recorded a motion to pass the bill to Appropriations and left the bill on call; sponsors said they will continue stakeholder conversations on standards and implementation details.
The bill aims to create baseline expectations for new housing design that reduce heat exposure without prescribing a single technical compliance pathway.
