Hoover, with coauthor Wicks, advances a measure that ties housing approvals to a new inspection deadline for small-scale residential projects, coupling a specific timeline for post-permit checks with the state’s housing-enforcement framework. The core change would require building departments to inspect completed permitted work on eligible small projects within 10 business days after a notice of completion, and it would treat a failure to meet that deadline as a potential disapproval or violation under the Housing Accountability Act.
The measure adds a dedicated 10-day inspection window through a new Health and Safety Code provision applicable to two project types: (1) new residential construction containing 1–10 units, all residential, with no occupied floors taller than 40 feet; and (2) residential additions to existing buildings containing 1–9 dwelling units (total not exceeding 10) with no occupied floors taller than 40 feet. If the building department misses the 10-day window, it is considered to be in violation of the Government Code’s Housing Accountability Act framework. The bill preserves the existing enforcement mechanisms under the Act—private actions, court orders, and awards of attorney’s fees—while expanding the set of actions that can constitute disapproval to include inaction on timely inspections. It also incorporates cross-reference corrections and includes conditional operative language tying amendments to 65589.5 to coordinated enactment with Senate Bill 838, such that certain amendments would be operative only if both bills are enacted and AB 1308 becomes effective after SB 838. The measure fends off state reimbursement on the grounds that the changes impose a local program with costs borne locally.
In terms of implementation and policy context, the measure imposes a new duty on local building departments and introduces a new trigger for Housing Accountability Act enforcement focused on inspection timeliness for a narrow class of small-scale projects. It contemplates penalties and remedies carried through the Act, including minimum fines per housing unit and potential allocation of funds to local housing trust funds or the Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund, with specified return provisions if funds are not expended. Local fiscal impact is expected to depend on project throughput and enforcement outcomes, and the overall effect will hinge on how the SB 838 amendments interact with the sequencing conditions. The proposal does not alter core housing standards but adds a procedural timeliness requirement intended to address inspection delays within the small-project segment, aligning with broader concerns about housing supply and approval timelines.
![]() Buffy WicksD Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
![]() Josh HooverR Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted |
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Hoover, with coauthor Wicks, advances a measure that ties housing approvals to a new inspection deadline for small-scale residential projects, coupling a specific timeline for post-permit checks with the state’s housing-enforcement framework. The core change would require building departments to inspect completed permitted work on eligible small projects within 10 business days after a notice of completion, and it would treat a failure to meet that deadline as a potential disapproval or violation under the Housing Accountability Act.
The measure adds a dedicated 10-day inspection window through a new Health and Safety Code provision applicable to two project types: (1) new residential construction containing 1–10 units, all residential, with no occupied floors taller than 40 feet; and (2) residential additions to existing buildings containing 1–9 dwelling units (total not exceeding 10) with no occupied floors taller than 40 feet. If the building department misses the 10-day window, it is considered to be in violation of the Government Code’s Housing Accountability Act framework. The bill preserves the existing enforcement mechanisms under the Act—private actions, court orders, and awards of attorney’s fees—while expanding the set of actions that can constitute disapproval to include inaction on timely inspections. It also incorporates cross-reference corrections and includes conditional operative language tying amendments to 65589.5 to coordinated enactment with Senate Bill 838, such that certain amendments would be operative only if both bills are enacted and AB 1308 becomes effective after SB 838. The measure fends off state reimbursement on the grounds that the changes impose a local program with costs borne locally.
In terms of implementation and policy context, the measure imposes a new duty on local building departments and introduces a new trigger for Housing Accountability Act enforcement focused on inspection timeliness for a narrow class of small-scale projects. It contemplates penalties and remedies carried through the Act, including minimum fines per housing unit and potential allocation of funds to local housing trust funds or the Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund, with specified return provisions if funds are not expended. Local fiscal impact is expected to depend on project throughput and enforcement outcomes, and the overall effect will hinge on how the SB 838 amendments interact with the sequencing conditions. The proposal does not alter core housing standards but adds a procedural timeliness requirement intended to address inspection delays within the small-project segment, aligning with broader concerns about housing supply and approval timelines.
Ayes | Noes | NVR | Total | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
75 | 0 | 5 | 80 | PASS |
![]() Buffy WicksD Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
![]() Josh HooverR Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted |