Assembly Local Government Committee advances housing, energy and small-business bills; AB 24 held without recommendation

The California State Assembly Local Government Committee on an undisclosed date advanced multiple measures on housing, clean energy and small-business permitting while holding one transportation-representation bill after it failed to receive a second.

The committee advanced measures that its members and witnesses said are intended to speed permitting for housing and restaurants, update the state’s solar-use easement approach for water-constrained farmland, and create tools for downtown recovery. Assemblymember DeMayo’s bill to alter board selection at the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) — aimed at increasing representation for unincorporated rural areas — did not receive a second and was held without recommendation.

AB 24 (DeMayo): held after no second Assemblymember DeMayo presented AB 24 as a response to long-running complaints about SANDAG decisions and perceived underinvestment in rural road projects. “My bill would require that 1 of the 2 board seats the San Diego County Board of Supervisors receives, 1 of the 2 board seats, will not be selected by the Board of Supervisors because they are, again, representing cities, but rather the San Diego, association of planning groups,” DeMayo said during the hearing. He framed the change as a way to give the county’s roughly 600,000 unincorporated residents—about 18% of the county population—“the voice they deserve” on regional transportation decisions.

Committee members asked for more local input. One member said the change “needs to marinate” with local officials before a statutory change is adopted. The bill did receive a motion but no second; the chair left the file open pending a possible second and therefore the bill was held in committee without recommendation.

AB 11 56 (Wicks): modernize solar use easements; passed to Utilities and Energy AB 11 56, presented by Assemblymember Wicks, seeks to update the state’s 2011 solar-use easement program for Williamson Act lands to allow water-constrained farmland to convert temporarily to solar use through an easement rather than cancellation of the agricultural contract. Wicks said the bill would not cancel Williamson Act contracts but would “suspend” them for the life of a solar project and allow land to return to farming if water conditions change. She told the committee state data show only three projects had used the easement program since 2011 and framed AB 11 56 as an attempt to make the program workable.

Stakeholders split on the measure. Supporters including the Large Scale Solar Association and multiple developers argued the bill would enable renewable development on lands that cannot be farmed and advance climate goals. Rural counties’ representatives and agricultural groups including the Rural County Representatives of California and the California Farm Bureau asked for stronger local authority to require mitigation and safeguards and for the ability to non‑renew an easement if a project is not built. The author accepted committee amendments to remove certain state-agency roles and to clarify CEQA applicability; the committee moved the bill to the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee.

AB 671 (Wicks): restaurant permitting streamlining; passed as amended to Business and Professions AB 671 would allow qualified architects or engineers to self-certify plan reviews for projects that convert existing facilities to restaurants, with randomized audits and mandatory construction inspections retained. Supporters from the California Restaurant Association and operators said permitting delays increase costs and delay openings. The committee adopted amendments and voted to pass AB 671 as amended to the Business and Professions Committee.

AB 920 (Carlos): centralized portal to track housing projects; passed as amended to Housing AB 920 would require jurisdictions with populations above 50,000 to provide a centralized online portal to submit and track housing permit applications. Proponents from Abundant Housing LA and California YIMBY said the change would reduce confusion and delay, particularly for small and mid-size developers. The committee passed the bill as amended to the Housing and Community Development Committee (roll call shown in committee record).

Housing-permitting and construction pipeline bills advanced The committee also moved forward several bills in the so-called fast-track housing package: - AB 660 (Wilson) — tighten timelines and create remedies for delays in post-entitlement permitting and inspections; passed as amended to Housing and Community Development. - AB 1308 (Hoover) — allow certified third-party inspectors to perform final inspections when local departments cannot complete inspections within a 30-day window; passed as amended to Housing and Community Development. Supporters said the change prevents completed units from sitting vacant while waiting for inspection. - AB 818 (Avila Farias) — streamline temporary manufactured housing permitting after disasters to speed safe on-site occupancy during rebuilding; passed as amended to Housing and Community Development.

Downtown recovery and miscellaneous measures - AB 1445 would expand an approach that San Francisco is using to create downtown recovery financing districts for conversions of commercial property to affordable mixed-use housing; the committee passed it as amended to Housing and Community Development. - AB 1061 (Quirk-Silva) — clarify SB 9 application in historic districts with limits to preserve character; passed as amended to Appropriations.

Votes at a glance: key outcomes from the hearing AB numbers below are the bill numbers as presented in committee with the outcome recorded in the committee transcript. Where the transcript did not list a roll-call tally, the field is marked “not specified.”

- AB 24 (DeMayo): motion made but no second; held in committee without recommendation; outcome: held (no second). Vote tally: not specified. - AB 671 (Wicks): do pass as amended to Business and Professions Committee; outcome: approved; vote tally: not specified in transcript summary. - AB 11 56 (Wicks): do pass to Utilities and Energy Committee; outcome: approved; vote tally: not specified. - AB 920 (Carlos): do pass as amended to Housing and Community Development Committee; outcome: approved; vote tally: 6–0 on that roll call as recorded in committee minutes. - AB 1061 (Quirk-Silva): do pass to Appropriations Committee; outcome: approved; vote tally: 5–1 recorded when vote was taken and left open for additions. - AB 818 (Avila Farias): do pass as amended to Housing and Community Development Committee; outcome: approved; vote tally: 8–0 as recorded. - AB 660 (Wilson): do pass as amended to Housing and Community Development Committee; outcome: approved; vote tally: not specified in the summarized record. - AB 1308 (Hoover): do pass as amended to Housing and Community Development Committee; outcome: approved; vote tally: 9–0 as recorded. - AB 1445 (Wicks): do pass as amended to Housing and Community Development Committee; outcome: approved; vote tally: not specified. - AB 964 (author Shasta County sponsor): do pass to Education Committee; outcome: approved; vote tally: 8–0 as recorded.

Why the hearing matters Committee members emphasized that many measures aim to reduce permitting time and bureaucratic barriers that stakeholders say are driving up costs and slowing housing and small-business recovery after the pandemic. The solar-use easement bill prompted the most sustained debate about balancing climate goals, farmland preservation and local control. The SANDAG board composition proposal (AB 24) revealed local political sensitivity in San Diego and stopped for further local input after it failed to receive a second.

What’s next Most bills that passed the committee move to the next referral listed in the transcript (for example, Utilities and Energy; Business and Professions; Housing and Community Development; Appropriations). AB 24 remains eligible for reconsideration if the author secures a second and the committee reopens the item.