CALBO Position: Oppose
CALBO’s Opposition Letter: Click Here

Location: Dual Referral:  Senate Housing & Senate Local Government Committees 

Bill Summary: The California Building Standards Law establishes the California Building Standards Commission (commission) within the Department of General Services. Current law requires the commission to approve and adopt building standards and to codify those standards in the California Building Standards Code (code). The State Housing Law establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards for buildings used for human habitation. Current law requires, among other things, the building standards adopted and submitted by the department for approval by the commission, as specified, to be adopted by reference, with certain exceptions. Current law authorizes any city or county to make changes in those building standards that are published in the code, including to green building standards. Current law requires the governing body of a city or county, before making modifications or changes to those green building standards, to make an express finding that those modifications or changes are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions. This bill would, from June 1, 2025, until June 1, 2031, inclusive, prohibit a city or county from making changes that are applicable to residential units to the above-described building standards unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. By requiring a city or county to take certain actions relating to building standards, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (Based on 03/05/2025 text)

CALBO’s Opposition:

• Unnecessary bill.  AB 306 has been characterized as a necessity to rebuild the Los Angeles area post-wildfires, but local government already has the authority to permit previous versions of the code to be applied and permitted.  
• Complicated application and enforcement.  AB 306 would change the current codes that apply to different types of development.  Residential construction would be built to a different standard than commercial, which would make it very difficult to apply the current (questionable) codes and standards to redevelopment and new construction projects.  
• Political motivation.  This bill would roll back recent (10+) years of energy and sustainability code changes that “softly” kill progressive movement towards California’s declared efforts towards carbon offsets and neutrality.  
• Public Safety.  Changing the building codes on a routine (36 month) basis ensures that the latest technologies and innovations are applied to new construction.  “Taking us back” to previous versions of the code does nothing in the name of public safety.  Codes evolve with time, with good reason – because situations and disasters occur, and we respond accordingly with new public safety code provisions.