Do You Have Questions About AB 130 and SB 131?

In late September, the Department of General Service Building Standards Commission released an information bulletin (25 – 03) on the impacts of AB 130. Several AIA members have reached out to me seeking greater clarity about AB 130 and SB 131, which were signed by Governor Gavin Newsom as part of the 2025 – 2026 fiscal budget.

AB 130 (Chapter 22, Statutes of 2025) and Impact on Process for Local Amendments to Title 24, California Building Standards Code

Summary of AB 130 and SB 131

Assembly Bill (AB) 130 and Senate Bill (SB) 131 are sweeping budget trailer bills, enacted on June 30, 2025, designed to accelerate California housing production by tackling building code certainty, zoning restrictions, and permitting delays.

The central provision of AB 130 is a nearly six-year moratorium (October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031) on state and local agencies adopting new building standards or “reach codes” for residential units. This “building code freeze” is intended to provide cost certainty, with limited exceptions for emergency standards, home hardening, and specific pre-approved general plan alignments.

AB 130 also makes permanent several developer protections from the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330), including project vesting rights upon preliminary application. Furthermore, it expands the Permit Streamlining Act (PSA) to cover ministerial projects, imposing a 60-day “shot clock” for approval. Other AB 130 provisions include a 10-year lock-in for model home designs, a statewide VMT mitigation bank, and a $100 cap on most HOA fines.

SB 131 complements these efforts by exempting local rezoning actions from CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) review, so long as the rezoning is being done to implement a jurisdiction’s certified Housing Element commitments.

Top 12 Take-Aways

1. Building Code Freeze (AB 130): A moratorium is in effect from October 1, 2025, until June 1, 2031, prohibiting state and local agencies from adopting or modifying building standards applicable to residential units.
2. “Reach Code” Moratorium (AB 130): Local jurisdictions are now prohibited from establishing more restrictive building standards, including “green building” codes, that deviate from the state code during this 6-year period.
3. Exceptions to the Freeze (AB 130): The only significant local amendments allowed are those “substantially equivalent” to an ordinance in effect as of September 30, 2025; emergency standards; standards related to “home hardening”; or standards implementing a mixed-fuel/all-electric incentive strategy tied to a General Plan approved before June 10, 2025.
4. Ministerial “Shot Clock” (AB 130): Ministerial housing projects (e.g., SB 35, AB 2011) are now subject to the Permit Streamlining Act and have a 60-day deadline for the local agency to approve or disapprove the application.
5. Permanent SB 330 Protections (AB 130): Key provisions of the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330) are now permanent, including vesting rights (locking in local ordinances at the time of a preliminary application) and the 5-hearing limit for discretionary projects.
6. Model Home Design Lock-in (AB 130): A “model home design” approved under the current building standards can be built for the next 10 years in that jurisdiction without having to comply with new code updates, unless the design substantially changes.
7. CEQA Exemption for Rezoning (SB 131): Local governments can now bypass CEQA review when rezoning land, if that rezoning is being done to implement the commitments made in their certified Housing Element.
8. Support for Single-Stair Reform (AB 130): The state-level code freeze includes a specific carve-out to allow standards for “single-exit, single-stairway, three-story-plus apartments” to advance, signaling institutional support for this reform.
9. Coastal Commission Appeals Reduced (AB 130): For residential projects under a certified Local Coastal Program, two grounds for appeal to the Coastal Commission have been removed: projects in a “sensitive coastal area” and projects approved by a coastal county.
10. ADU Protections Strengthened (AB 130): The law now clarifies that HOAs cannot impose fees or other financial requirements on ADUs. It also eliminates a provision that “grandfathered” in old, restrictive local ADU ordinances.
11. VMT Mitigation Bank (AB 130): A new statewide VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) mitigation bank is established, allowing developers to pay into a fund for affordable housing and infrastructure as an alternative to on-site VMT mitigation.
12. HOA Fine Cap (AB 130): Most monetary penalties for HOA governing document violations are now capped at $100 per violation.

Recommendations for Architects

For your consideration, here are several recommendations that AIA|LA and its membership can aim to prioritize based on these new laws, focusing on streamlining resilient housing and overcoming regulatory hindrances.

• Update Your Firm’s Standard Details: Ensure your firm’s standard details and specifications are up to date with the 2025 California Building Standards Code. This code is now the locked-in, predictable standard for all residential projects until June 1, 2031.
• Challenge Local “Reach Codes” if they make your project no longer feasible: If a local building department attempts to enforce a more restrictive “green” code or other amendment adopted after October 1, 2025, inform them that AB 130 (amending Health & Saf. Code § 17958, et al.) makes this illegal.
• Master “Home Hardening”: Since “home hardening” is a key exception to the code freeze, invest in R&D and lead client discussions on resilient design, WUI-compliant materials, and fire-resistive assemblies. This is an area where standards can still be locally adopted.
• Design “10-Year” Model Homes: For developer clients, design and gain approval for a “model home design.” Per AB 130, this approval locks in the 2025 code for 10 years for that design, insulating future projects from triennial code updates.
• Submit Preliminary Applications Immediately: On day one, submit an SB 330 “preliminary application” for all housing projects. AB 130 makes these vesting protections permanent, locking in the local zoning and development standards for your project.
• Enforce the “60-Day Shot Clock”: For any ministerial project, clearly label the application as such and track the 60-day deadline. If the agency fails to act, they may be in violation of the Housing Accountability Act.
• Target Housing Element Sites: Actively seek project sites that local jurisdictions have identified for rezoning in their Housing Elements. SB 131’s CEQA exemption for this rezoning makes these the fastest sites to get to market.
• Explore “Single-Stair” Designs: Begin feasibility studies for single-stairway multifamily projects (“point access blocks”). AB 130’s specific carve-out for this reform signals that the state is clearing the path for this efficient design typology.
• Log All Public Hearings: For discretionary projects, track every hearing. AB 130 makes the 5-hearing limit permanent. If a jurisdiction exceeds this limit, its ability to deny the project is severely restricted.
• Verify Old Local Amendments: If a jurisdiction claims a restrictive local amendment is still valid, require them to provide proof it was filed with the CBSC and was in effect “as of September 30, 2025.”
• Design for Coastal Streamlining: When designing in the coastal zone, prioritize “exclusively residential” projects. AB 130 removes major appeal grounds for these projects, reducing a significant source of delay and risk.
• Ask About the VMT Mitigation Bank: In your project’s entitlement strategy, ask the local agency if they will accept payment into the new statewide VMT mitigation bank as an alternative to costly project redesigns or on-site mitigation.
• Standardize ADU/JADU Plans: Create state-compliant ADU/JADU design packages. AB 130’s elimination of “grandfathered” restrictive ordinances makes a single, compliant design more universally and ministerially approvable across the state.
• Advise Clients on HOA Liabilities: When designing common interest developments, advise the developer/HOA that AB 130 now caps most violation fines at $100, which may influence design choices for community enforcement (e.g., designing for compliance).
• Anticipate Administrative Workarounds: While the building code is frozen, be vigilant for local agencies attempting to achieve similar goals via administrative rules, such as “administrative” changes to fee schedules or internal operations, which are allowed under the new law.

NOTES ON THE AIA HOUSING SUMMIT

On October 21st, AIA National hosted a Housing Summit.  To read more about the key takeaways, Click Here.

The U.S. housing market is failing most Americans, marked by a historic high median age for first-time homebuyers (38) and a significant housing shortfall estimated at 4.7 million homes. At the AIA Housing Summit on October 21, 2025, leaders like Congressman Mike Quigley stressed the urgency of the crisis, exacerbated by high mortgage rates and soaring rents, noting that the “American dream is just outside [the] grasp” for many.
Industry experts identified key barriers, including restrictive zoning, lengthy permitting delays, and a chronic lack of federal funding, with one expert noting a “four-decade-long underfunding” of national housing programs. Matthew Murphy of NYU’s Furman Center argued the housing system is “stuck” and urged architects to leverage their “unique credibility” to advocate for policy changes. He highlighted local solutions like upzoning and legalizing “gentle density,” already implemented in cities like Minneapolis and states like California.

While federal help appears unlikely in the near term, AIA is prioritizing support for the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Bill, which would create flexible grants to help communities increase housing supply. Speakers emphasized the need for a broad coalition of stakeholders to capitalize on the current “rare political moment” and push for systemic solutions, including building more housing of all types to help reduce overall rents. The construction labor shortage, worsened by restrictive immigration policies, was also cited as a significant compounding factor constraining supply.

Recommendations:

Based on the challenges and solutions identified at the AIA Housing Summit, here are several recommendations AIA|LA can prioritize to advance housing opportunities in the Los Angeles region:

Lead on Zoning and Land-Use Reform: Actively lobby the LA City Council and LA County Board of Supervisors to eliminate restrictive single-family-only zoning, championing upzoning near transit corridors and the legalization of “gentle density” (e.g., duplexes, triplexes) across the region.

Advocate for Permitting Streamlining: Form a dedicated task force to work directly with agencies like LADBS to identify and eliminate bottlenecks in the permitting process, pushing for “by-right” approvals for projects that meet objective design standards.

Champion Innovative Housing Models: Use AIA|LA platforms to showcase feasible, cost-effective, and sustainable housing typologies suitable for Los Angeles, such as modular construction, co-living, micro-units, and adaptive reuse of underutilized commercial buildings.

Mobilize Member Advocacy: Train and encourage AIA|LA members to leverage their professional credibility, as suggested by Matthew Murphy – Executive Director, NYU Furman Center, by testifying at public hearings and using design visualization to demystify density and show how it can enhance communities.

Build a “Pro-Housing” Coalition: Strengthen partnerships with local stakeholders, including affordable housing developers, private sector builders, labor unions, and community groups, to form a unified front advocating for state and local pro-housing legislation.

Focus on Local and State Funding: Given the identified federal funding shortage, redirect advocacy efforts toward expanding local and state resources, such as supporting new housing bonds and defending developer incentive programs (like Transit Oriented Communities) from legal challenges.

Address the Construction Labor Shortage: Partner with local community colleges, trade schools, and non-profits to support programs that expand the skilled construction labor force, including advocating for pathways for immigrant and formerly incarcerated populations.

Support Federal Legislation Locally: Coordinate with AIA National to organize local member outreach to Southern California’s congressional delegation, urging them to co-sponsor and pass the ROAD to Housing Bill to secure flexible federal grants for LA-area communities.

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The AIA LA & LACP Professional Volunteer Program (PVP)

Architects & designers passionate about improving the design quality of newly proposed projects throughout the City of Los Angeles are encouraged to participate in the Professional Volunteer Program (PVP), which is a collaborative design review program organized by AIA LA & Los Angeles City Planning (LACP)’s Urban Design Studio.

This year, we will be coordinating thirty-one virtual design review sessions, which will serve as opportunities for architects and designers to help the Los Angeles City Planning’s Urban Design Studio critically review upcoming projects throughout our City.

Nov 4 (10am)

Nov 11 (10am)

Nov 18 (10am)

RSVP HERE (virtual on zoom)

Design Review Sessions w/ LACP Urban Design Studio 2025

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Will Wright, Hon. AIA|LA
Director, Government & Public Affairs
t: 213.639.0764
e: will@aialosangeles.org
www.aialosangeles.org

*Disclaimer: The advice and perspectives shared here belong to the author and should not be considered official recommendations from AIA Los Angeles.