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California 20252026

AB 1738

State Housing Law: remote inspections.

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Source: Open States / PluralUpdated 2026-09-12 13:12:55 UTC.

Official record

Measure details

Jurisdiction
California
Session
20252026
Chamber
lower
Classification
bill
Subjects
StateHousingLaw, remoteinspections
Introduced / first action
2026-02-05 00:00:00

Source-supplied abstracts

Existing law, the State Housing Law, establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards for buildings used for human habitation. Existing law requires the building department of every city or county to enforce the provisions of the State Housing Law, the State Building Standards Code, and other specified rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the State Housing Law pertaining to standards for buildings used for human habitation. Existing law authorizes an officer, employee, or agent of an enforcement agency to enter and inspect any building or premises whenever necessary to secure compliance with, or prevent a violation of, any provision of the State Housing Law, the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code, and other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the provisions of the State Housing Law. Existing law provides certain immunities to a public entity or employee immunity relative to an inspection or license, as provided. This bill would require a city, including a charter city, county, or city and county, except as specified, to offer a homeowner or contractor, as described, the option of requesting remote inspections for all or a subset of an inspection required by a building permit for specified works in one- or 2-family dwelling units, by either January 1, 2028, or July 1, 2028, as provided. The bill would authorize these local agencies to adopt reasonable protocols governing the technical conduct of a remote inspection, as specified. The bill would apply the above-described immunities to remote inspections. The bill would authorize these local agencies to temporarily ban the homeowner or contractor from using the remote inspection if a homeowner is found to have willfully misrepresented the work, as provided. By imposing new duties on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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. 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.

Sponsors

Source-supplied history

Actions

  1. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  2. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 68. Noes 0.).

    amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable

  3. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  4. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 29. Noes 6.).

    passage, reading-1, reading-3

  5. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1, reading-2, reading-3

  6. From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

    committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2

  7. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee

  8. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 2.) (June 30).

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee

  9. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HOUSING.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee

  10. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on HOUSING. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (June 17).

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee

  11. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee

  12. Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and HOUSING.

    referral-committee

  13. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1, referral-committee

  14. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 62. Noes 0. Page 5256.)

    passage, reading-1, reading-3

  15. Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading. (Page 5141.)

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-3

  16. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1, reading-2, reading-3

  17. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).

    committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable

  18. In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  19. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee

  20. Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

    referral-committee

  21. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2

  22. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (March 25).

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee

  23. Re-referred to Com. on H. & C.D.

    referral-committee

  24. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on H. & C.D. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee

  25. Referred to Coms. on H. & C.D. and L. GOV.

    referral-committee

  26. From printer. May be heard in committee March 8.

  27. Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

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