California Assembly passes package of housing and disaster-relief bills after wildfire emergency debate

The California State Assembly on March 6 passed a package of bills intended to speed housing production, create temporary housing options for people displaced by recent wildfires and shore up insurance mechanisms used after catastrophic losses.

Assemblymember McKenner presented AB 311, which the Assembly described as allowing a tenant to temporarily house a person or family — and their pet — displaced by a declared state of emergency; the clerk recorded an aye vote on the bill (Aye 70, No 0). "AB 3 11 provides an important option for displaced residents and their pets to temporarily reside in a friend or family member's rental home," McKenner said during floor remarks.

The bill package also included AB 299, which Assemblymember Gabriel said would allow families displaced by wildfires to stay at hotels, motels and short-term rentals for longer than 30 days without triggering a landlord-tenant relationship that might otherwise end their stay. Gabriel told colleagues the bill builds on his prior 2022 law, and the clerk recorded Aye 70, No 0 on the bill.

Several measures focused on easing and accelerating construction and permitting to help California rebuild and add housing. Assemblymember Schiavo said AB 301 would "establish clear and consistent timelines ensuring that state agencies adhere to the same permitting deadlines as local jurisdictions already do." Assemblymember Ward presented AB 253 to allow licensed third-party professionals to perform plan checks when local building departments take longer than 30 days. Both bills passed with unanimous recorded tallies.

Assemblymember Schultz presented AB 306, a temporary pause on new state building-code updates affecting residential construction. Schultz described the measure as a six-year moratorium on new code updates except for emergency health-and-safety changes and tied the pause to efforts to ease costs and speed homebuilding. After debate, the clerk recorded Aye 67, No 0 on AB 306.

Lawmakers also passed insurance-related measures. Assemblymember Calderon said AB 226 would let the California Fair Plan request that the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank issue bonds if the Fair Plan faces financial strain from catastrophic events. "The Fair Plan is California's insurance safety net," Calderon said; the clerk recorded I 73, No 0 on the bill.

Consumer protections for homeowners recovering from disaster also moved forward: Assemblymember Harbidian presented AB 493, which the Assembly recorded Aye 72, No 0, and AB 597, which the clerk recorded Aye 73, No 0. Harbidian said these measures would, among other things, cap public-adjuster fees and ban predatory solicitation practices.

Assemblymember Lowenthal presented AB 462 to exempt accessory dwelling units in Los Angeles County from coastal development-permit requirements, citing the county's acute housing need after the fires; the clerk recorded the vote in favor (I 75, No 0 on the bill). Assemblymember Haney, chair of the Assembly Housing Committee, urged support for the package, noting state permitting delays: "It takes nearly a year just to get approval on average, for a single family home, and 23 months on average for 5 units or more," he said.

Votes at a glance

- SB 26 (Umberg; Kalra on floor): passed Ayes 62, No 0 (urgency); immediate transmittal to the Senate announced for SB 26. - AB 311 (McKenner): passed Aye 70, No 0 (urgency on floor vote recorded separately). - AB 299 (Gabriel): passed Aye 70, No 0. - AB 226 (Calderon): passed I 73, No 0. - AB 253 (Ward): passed Aye 72, No 0. - AB 301 (Schiavo): passed Aye 73, No 0. - AB 306 (Schultz): passed Aye 67, No 0. - AB 462 (Lowenthal): passed I 75, No 0. - AB 493 (Harbidian): passed Aye 72, No 0. - AB 597 (Harbidian): passed Aye 73, No 0.

Why it matters

The package targets both immediate needs from the January wildfires — expanding temporary housing options, protecting disaster survivors from predatory practices — and longer-term barriers to housing production, including permitting delays and building-code cost drivers. Several measures were framed as emergency or urgency bills and received largely bipartisan support on the Assembly floor.

Key details and context

- Temporary post-disaster housing: AB 311 allows tenants to temporarily host people displaced by a declared state of emergency without running afoul of lease restrictions, and AB 299 allows extended stays at hotels, motels or short‑term rentals beyond 30 days in disaster contexts. Both authors said the bills are intended to reduce immediate displacement and school disruptions for children.

- Permitting and building standards: AB 253 permits third‑party, licensed plan checks when local agencies exceed set review times; AB 301 aligns state agency permitting timelines with local requirements; AB 306 pauses new state residential building-code updates for six years except in emergencies. Sponsors and supporters argued these measures will reduce delays and costs that hinder housing production; some members urged further, more sweeping reforms.

- Insurance and finance: AB 226 would give the California Fair Plan another financial tool — requesting bonds via the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank — to maintain claim‑paying capacity after catastrophic events. Supporters said the change followed oversight hearings and recent stress to the Fair Plan after multiple fires.

- Consumer protections: AB 493 and AB 597 were described as closing gaps in law around public adjusters and escrow interest in post‑loss insurance payouts, capping fees and banning predatory solicitation according to their authors.

Votes and procedure

Most measures passed with lopsided or unanimous tallies on urgency and final votes. Where the transcript recorded further procedural directions, the clerk noted retention on file or immediate transmittal (SB 26 was reported sent immediately to the Senate). The Assembly recorded roll-call tallies for each measure as shown above.

What’s next

Passed Assembly bills will proceed through the legislative process and, where applicable, be considered in the state Senate. SB 26 was announced for immediate transmittal to the Senate from the floor. Sponsors said they plan continued stakeholder discussions as bills move to the next house.

Sources and provenance

This article is based solely on the March 6, 2025 California State Assembly floor transcript and floor roll-call statements recorded on that date. Specific floor remarks and the recorded tallies for each bill are cited in the legislative record below.