Bill Commons

CA AB 712

enacted

Housing reform laws: enforcement actions: fines and penalties.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 712 pass?

Yes. CA AB 712 has been enacted into law as of 2025-10-10. Latest recorded action (2025-10-10): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 496, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA AB 712 about?

Existing law within the Planning and Zoning Law describes various reforms and incentives enacted by the Legislature to facilitate and expedite the construction of affordable housing. Existing law within the Planning and Zoning Law, in certain civil actions or proceedings against a public entity that has issued specified approvals for a housing development, authorizes a court to award all reasonably incurred costs of suit to a prevailing public entity or nonprofit housing corporation that is a real party in interest and the permit applicant of the low- or moderate-income housing if the court makes specified findings. This bill, where the applicant for a housing development is a prevailing party in an action brought by the applicant to enforce the public agency's compliance with a housing reform law as applied to the applicant's housing development project, would entitle an applicant for a housing development project to reasonable attorney's fees and costs and would require a court to impose fines on a local agency, as specified. The bill would extend any period of limitation for actions under any state law for a period of 60 days beginning on the date the applicant provides written notice to the local agency indicating its intent to commence an action. The bill would prohibit a public agency from requiring the applicant to indemnify, defend, or hold harmless the public agency in any action alleging the public agency violated the applicant's rights or deprived the applicant of the benefits or protection provide by a housing reform law. The bill would define housing reform law as a law that establishes or facilitates protections for the benefit of applicants for housing development projects or imposes limitations on a public agency for the benefit of housing development projects.

Who sponsors CA AB 712?

Wicks is the primary sponsor of CA AB 712.

Description

Existing law within the Planning and Zoning Law describes various reforms and incentives enacted by the Legislature to facilitate and expedite the construction of affordable housing. Existing law within the Planning and Zoning Law, in certain civil actions or proceedings against a public entity that has issued specified approvals for a housing development, authorizes a court to award all reasonably incurred costs of suit to a prevailing public entity or nonprofit housing corporation that is a real party in interest and the permit applicant of the low- or moderate-income housing if the court makes specified findings. This bill, where the applicant for a housing development is a prevailing party in an action brought by the applicant to enforce the public agency's compliance with a housing reform law as applied to the applicant's housing development project, would entitle an applicant for a housing development project to reasonable attorney's fees and costs and would require a court to impose fines on a local agency, as specified. The bill would extend any period of limitation for actions under any state law for a period of 60 days beginning on the date the applicant provides written notice to the local agency indicating its intent to commence an action. The bill would prohibit a public agency from requiring the applicant to indemnify, defend, or hold harmless the public agency in any action alleging the public agency violated the applicant's rights or deprived the applicant of the benefits or protection provide by a housing reform law. The bill would define housing reform law as a law that establishes or facilitates protections for the benefit of applicants for housing development projects or imposes limitations on a public agency for the benefit of housing development projects.

Introduced
2025-03-10
Latest action
2025-10-10 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 496, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Wicksauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-02-14

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

  2. 2025-02-15

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.

  3. 2025-03-10

    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

  4. 2025-03-10

    Referred to Coms. on H. & C.D. and JUD.

    referral-committee

  5. 2025-03-11

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

    referral-committee

  6. 2025-04-09

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (April 9). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

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

  7. 2025-04-10

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

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

  8. 2025-04-21

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  9. 2025-04-22

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  10. 2025-04-30

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 30).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  11. 2025-05-01

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  12. 2025-05-05

    Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading. (Page 1436.)

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3

  13. 2025-05-12

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 64. Noes 2. Page 1512.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  14. 2025-05-13

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

    reading-1,referral-committee

  15. 2025-05-21

    Referred to Coms. on HOUSING and JUD.

    referral-committee

  16. 2025-07-02

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 10. Noes 1.) (July 1).

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

  17. 2025-07-03

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

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

  18. 2025-07-16

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  19. 2025-08-19

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

    committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  20. 2025-08-20

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  21. 2025-09-03

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 35. Noes 2. Page 2462.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  22. 2025-09-04

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  23. 2025-09-04

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 64. Noes 2. Page 2932.).

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

  24. 2025-09-11

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  25. 2025-10-10

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  26. 2025-10-10

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 496, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

Versions

  • 02/14/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-14Compare
  • 03/10/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-03-10Compare
  • 04/10/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-04-10Compare
  • 05/05/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-05-05Compare
  • 07/03/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-07-03Compare
  • 09/08/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-08Compare
  • 10/10/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-10Compare
  • AB712Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]

    2025-04-09 · pass · 11-0

    Member-level votes (12)
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Patterson: other

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-04-22 · pass · 9-0

    Member-level votes (12)
    • Kalra: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: other
    • Macedo: other
    • Sanchez: other

  • Do pass.

    2025-04-30 · pass · 12-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Hart: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Sanchez: other
    • Dixon: other
    • Pellerin: other

  • AB 712 Wicks Assembly Third Reading

    2025-05-12 · pass · 64-2

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Sanchez: no
    • DeMaio: no
    • Irwin: other
    • Bauer-Kahan: other
    • Ellis: other
    • Muratsuchi: other
    • Tangipa: other
    • Patel: other
    • Macedo: other
    • Patterson: other
    • Papan: other
    • Castillo: other
    • Stefani: other
    • Chen: other
    • Lackey: other

  • Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Judiciary]

    2025-07-01 · pass · 10-1

    Member-level votes (11)
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Seyarto: no

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-07-15 · pass · 13-0

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Valladares: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Stern: yes

  • 3rd Reading AB712 Wicks By Caballero

    2025-09-03 · pass · 35-2

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Becker: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Seyarto: no
    • Choi: no
    • Strickland: other
    • Alvarado-Gil: other
    • Jones: other

  • AB 712 Wicks Concurrence in Senate Amendments

    2025-09-04 · pass · 64-2

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Mark González: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Dixon: no
    • DeMaio: no
    • Irwin: other
    • Chen: other
    • Alvarez: other
    • Gallagher: other
    • Hadwick: other
    • Tangipa: other
    • Muratsuchi: other
    • Bauer-Kahan: other
    • Castillo: other
    • Macedo: other
    • Patterson: other
    • Sanchez: other
    • Ahrens: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB712

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

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