Asm. Blanca Rubio

(1) The Planning and Zoning Law requires a local agency or state agency to compile one or more lists that specify in detail the information required from any applicant for a postentitlement phase permit, as defined. Existing law also establishes time limits for completing reviews regarding whether an application for a postentitlement phase permit is complete and compliant, and whether to approve or deny an application. Existing law requires the time limits to be tolled, if the local agency or state agency requires review of the application by an outside entity, until the outside entity completes the review and returns the application, as specified. This bill would prohibit a local agency or state agency from requiring or requesting more than 2 plan check and specification reviews in connection with an application for a building permit, as part of its review. The bill would authorize a local agency or state agency to deny an application that is not compliant with the permit standards following 2 plan check and specification reviews. The bill would also authorize an applicant to request additional submittals of applications that are not compliant with the permit standards. The bill, if a local agency or state agency finds that a complete application is noncompliant, would prohibit a local agency or state agency from requesting or requiring any action or inaction as a result of a building inspection undertaken to assess compliance with the applicable building permit standards that would represent a deviation from a previously approved building plan or similar approval for the building permit, except as specified. This bill would remove the above-described tolling requirements relating to outside entity reviews and, instead, would require, if federal or state law requires review of the application by another public agency that is independent of the local agency or state agency before the local agency or state agency is authorized to act on the application, the time limits to be tolled for the application until the public agency completes the review and returns the application to the local agency or state agency. The bill would require the local agency or state agency to notify the applicant of the tolling, as specified. (2) Existing law, if a postentitlement phase permit is determined to be incomplete or noncompliant, requires a local agency or state agency to provide a process for an applicant to appeal that decision in writing to the governing body of the agency or, if there is no governing body, to the director of the agency, as provided by that agency. Existing law requires the city or county to provide that the right of appeal is to the governing body or, at their option, the planning commission, or both. Existing law requires a local agency or state agency to provide a final written determination on the appeal not later than 60 business days after receipt of the applicant's written appeal, for housing development projects with 25 units or fewer, and not later than 90 business days for a housing development projects with 26 units or more. Existing law also specifies that the fact that an appeal is permitted to both the planning commission and to the governing body does not extend the specified time period. This bill would revise those timelines to not later than 30 business days for housing development projects with 25 units or fewer and 45 business days for housing development projects with 26 units or more. The bill would remove the specification that the fact that an appeal is permitted to both the planning commission and to the governing body does not extend the specified time period. The bill would remove the requirement that, if a postentitlement phase permit is determined to be incomplete or noncompliant, a local agency or state agency provide a process for an applicant to appeal that decision to the director of the agency if there is no governing body, as provided by that agency. The bill would remove the requirement that a city or county provide that the right of appeal is to the governing body or, at their option, the planning commission, or both. This bill would authorize the applicant to seek a writ of mandate to compel approval of the application, if the applicant's appeal is denied, or a decision on the appeal is not made within the timelines provided, or an appeals process is not provided as required. By imposing additional duties on local agencies regarding postentitlement phase permits, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law, the Housing Accountability Act, among other things, prohibits a local agency from disapproving, or conditioning approval in a manner that renders infeasible, a housing development project for very low, low-, or moderate-income households unless the local agency makes written findings as to one of certain sets of conditions, as specified. The act also requires, when a proposed housing development project complies with applicable, objective general plan, zoning, and subdivision standards and criteria in effect at the time that the application was deemed complete, but the local agency proposes to disapprove the project or to impose a condition that the project be developed at a lower density, that the local agency base its decision regarding the proposed housing development project upon written findings supported by a preponderance of the evidence on the record that 2 specified conditions exist. Existing law defines the term "disapprove the housing development project" for these purposes to include any instance in which a local agency takes certain actions or fails to comply with certain requirements, including the time limits described above. Existing law makes a local agency's failure to meet the above-described time limits relating to postentitlement phase permits a violation of the Housing Accountability Act. This bill would, instead, make a violation of the above-described provisions relating to postentitlement phase permits, among others, a violation of the Housing Accountability Act. The bill would also revise the definition of "disapprove the housing development project" under the Housing Accountability Act to include any instance in which a local agency fails to comply with any of the provisions described above relating to postentitlement phase permits. By requiring local agencies to take certain actions, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) The bill would make other conforming changes and would provide that certain changes are declaratory of existing law. (5) The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. (6) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 65589.5 of the Government Code proposed by SB 1072 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1072 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (7) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

This measure would urge the President of the United States and Congress of the United States to immediately restore full and consistent funding and staffing for the National Park Service.

Maddy summaryCalifornia Assembly Resolution 140 designates August 2026 as Children's Get Offline and Get Outdoors Month to promote awareness of the benefits of screen-free play for child development. The resolution cites research linking excessive social media use and reduced free play time to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and other behavioral issues among teenagers. It encourages families and communities to support unstructured outdoor activities and highlights ongoing federal efforts to protect children's mental health through technology guardrails.

Existing law provides that if a city council member is absent without permission from all regular city council meetings for a specified number of days from the last regular meeting they attended, their office becomes vacant and shall be filled as any other vacancy. This bill would require a city to establish a process for a city council member to notify the city clerk or other designated official in writing that they are taking parental leave, as defined, for 12 workweeks or longer if the city council member's city provides a parental leave period longer than 12 workweeks for their employees. The bill would exclude parental leave from counting toward the number of allowed absences allotted to each council member. The bill would prohibit the process from requiring a council member to make the declaration at a public hearing. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

This measure would urge President Donald J. Trump to avoid raising the cost of living for American consumers by rescinding the tariffs that he has imposed since taking office in January 2025 and refunding the American people for the costs passed on to them by his tariffs. The measure would also urge the United States Congress to enact a joint resolution to rescind President Trump's tariffs and to oppose all future unilateral and arbitrary tariff increases imposed by President Trump.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new legal definition for the term "industrial city" within state and local government classifications. By establishing this specific category, the legislation clarifies how certain municipalities are identified for administrative purposes. The change updates existing laws that currently outline how governmental entities are defined, ensuring the terminology accurately reflects the nature of these specific cities.

Maddy summaryCalifornia Assembly Resolution 137 formally recognizes the Diwali festival scheduled for November 8, 2026, and encourages state residents to participate in the celebration. The resolution highlights the cultural significance of the holiday for Indian Americans and South Asian communities, noting its themes of unity, joy, and the triumph of light over darkness. It also acknowledges that California previously designated Diwali as an official state holiday in 2025. This measure serves as a commemorative statement rather than a law with new regulatory or financial provisions.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the application for, the issuance of, the suspension of, and the conditions imposed upon, various alcoholic beverage licenses. The act requires an applicant for a new permanent on-sale general public premises (Type 48) license or the holder of an existing Type 48 license to offer for sale to their customers drink lids and drug testing devices at a cost not to exceed a reasonable amount based on the wholesale cost of those lids and devices and to post a specific notice about the availability of the drink lids and drug testing devices. The act defines "drug testing devices" for this purpose to mean specified devices designed to detect the presence of controlled substances in a drink. The act requires the department to post on its internet website a link to a page that contains information about the drug testing device requirements. The act repeals these requirements on January 1, 2027. This bill would instead require one of 2 specified notices about the availability of the drink lids and drug testing devices to be posted and would repeal the January 1, 2027, sunset date, thereby indefinitely extending these requirements.

This measure would declare the Legislature's opposition to any federal executive action that restricts, burdens, or interferes with California's vote by mail system and would call upon the United States Congress to reject any federal legislation that would restrict or eliminate vote by mail options and to protect the constitutional authority of states to administer their own elections.

Existing law requires, in the event of an emergency within the jurisdiction of a local agency that provides emergency response services and that serves a population within which 5% or more of the people speak English less than "very well," according to American Community Survey data, and jointly speak a language other than English, that the local agency provide information related to the emergency in English and in all languages spoken jointly by the 5% or more of the population that speaks English less than "very well," as specified. This bill would revise these provisions to instead require the local agency to provide information related to an emergency within a local agency's jurisdiction in English and translated in each language spoken by 5% or more of the population that speaks English less than "very well." The bill, to determine whether a language meets the criteria for translation, would require a local agency to calculate the total population of those within its jurisdiction that speaks English less than "very well," and, for each language included in the American Community Survey data, or data from an equally reliable source, determine whether speakers of any language who speak English less than "very well" comprise at least 5% of the total population of that jurisdiction that speaks English less than "very well." The bill would make organizational and clarifying changes to the above-described provisions, as specified. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.