State real property: office space: consolidation.

Assembly Member Haney's proposal to optimize state office space utilization would require the Department of General Services to conduct annual audits of state buildings and consolidate underutilized areas for California's public higher education systems. The legislation responds to changing workplace patterns that have altered space needs in state facilities.

The Department would evaluate space usage at the suite, floor, and building levels starting January 1, 2027, identifying opportunities to reduce square footage allocated to state agencies without decreasing employee headcount. Based on these assessments, the Department would then consolidate office spaces accordingly. Any areas freed up through this process would be reserved specifically for use by the University of California, California State University, and California Community Colleges systems.

The measure builds upon existing requirements for state agencies to review and report on excess property holdings, as well as recent mandates for the Department to develop plans for converting underutilized state buildings into housing. According to the bill's findings, these new space optimization provisions aim to maximize the use of state-owned facilities that will remain in active government service rather than being repurposed for other uses.