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Temecula council places Assembly Bill 306 on watch over local-control, green-building concerns
Summary
Council voted unanimously to monitor AB 306 and directed staff to report amendments and updates; members cited potential overreach where state standards could preempt local building standards, especially where the State Fire Marshal’s determinations would control exemptions.
The Temecula City Council on April 8 received a staff report on Assembly Bill 306, a state bill introduced in January that would impose a moratorium (June 1, 2025–June 1, 2031) on adopting new state or local building standards that affect residential units, with limited exceptions for emergency health-and-safety standards and certain fire‑hardening categories.
City staff reported the bill had support among some housing advocates and opposition among environmental groups; Cal Cities committees split, with the Housing Policy Committee voting to support and the Environmental Quality Policy Committee voting to oppose. Staff told the council no government agency had taken a formal position yet and recommended the city ‘‘watch’’ the bill while monitoring committee action and potential amendments.
Councilmember Ron, who had requested the item, said the bill raised red flags about erosion of local control and that professional code and standards organizations’ opposition warranted careful monitoring. He said he was not asking the city to take an immediate advocacy position but wanted the city to track the bill’s language changes and amendments closely.
Action: On a unanimous voice vote council adopted a formal watch position and directed staff to monitor AB 306, coordinate with the city’s state lobbyist as appropriate, and report back by email or when substantive amendments occur. No formal support or opposition was adopted.
The council did not request any new legislative language changes but asked staff to use the League of California Cities (Cal Cities) process and the city’s lobbyists to track and, if needed, seek narrowly tailored amendments.
