AB 1815

Existing law, the California Building Standards Law, establishes the California Building Standards Commission (commission) within the Government Operations Agency. Existing law requires the commission to approve and adopt building standards and to codify those standards in the California Building Standards Code. Existing law, the California Factory-Built Housing Law, requires all factory-built housing after a specified date that is sold or offered for sale to first users within the state to bear insignia of approval issued by the department, deems that housing to comply with the requirements of all ordinances or regulations enacted by any city, county, city and county or district that may be applicable to the construction of housing, as specified, and prohibits a city, county, city and county, and district from requiring submittal of plans for any factory-built housing manufactured, or to be manufactured pursuant to these provisions, as specified. That law specifically and entirely reserves to local jurisdictions certain local requirements, including local use zone requirements. That law also requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to enforce its provisions, except for in-plant inspections of the manufacture and installation of factory-built housing by local enforcement or inspection agencies, as specified. That law provides that any person who violates any of these provisions and other specified law is guilty of a misdemeanor, as specified. This bill would prohibit a city, county, or city and county from imposing or enforcing building standards that exceed the state minimum building standards in the California Building Standards Code on a housing construction project that utilizes factory-built housing, provided that at least 15% of the project’s hard costs, as defined, are spent on factory-built housing that bears the insignia of the Department of Housing and Community Development. By adding to the duties of local officials, and expanding the scope of a crime, this 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 specified reasons.