AB 748CALIFORNIASession 20252026

High Impact

California AB 748 requires cities and counties to create preapproved housing plan programs

Original title: Single-family and multifamily housing units: preapproved plans.

August 13, 2026

Housing Zoning Local Government Building Permits Urban Planning Single-familyandmultifamilyhousingunits preapprovedplans

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The Frame

What this does

This bill aims to reduce construction timelines and costs for developers and homeowners by allowing for (automatic) approval of housing projects that use preapproved designs, effectively exempting these projects from certain environmental reviews.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Local agencies

They are required to develop new preapproval programs and include new data in their annual housing reports.

Housing developers

They may utilize preapproved plans to receive faster, ministerial approval for residential projects.

What changed

Last recorded activity August 13, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

AB 748 requires local governments to establish programs for preapproving single-family and multifamily residential housing plans to speed up the building permit process. Large jurisdictions must implement these programs by July 1, 2027, and small jurisdictions by January 1, 2029.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this bill make it faster to get a building permit?

Yes, for projects using preapproved plans, the bill requires local agencies to approve or deny applications within 30 days.

Does this bill apply to all housing projects?

No, it applies to single-family and multifamily residential housing plans that meet specific lot conditions and use preapproved designs; it does not apply to certain communities or developments specified by the local agency.

News Coverage

Center1

1 source

Blind spot - only covered by center outlets

Harabedian Housing Measure Takes Aim at California’s Permitting Delays in Eaton, Palisades Fire

Pasadena NowJul 2, 2026

Assemblymember John Harabedian has introduced AB 748, a bill designed to simplify and accelerate the permitting process for single-family and small-scale multifamily housing projects in California. The bill recently passed the Senate Housing Committee.

Bias ratings based on AllSides / Media Bias/Fact Check

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Expansion of Preapproval Mandates

The state is expanding the preapproval mandate from just ADUs (required by 2025) to all single-family and multifamily housing, signaling a broader push for standardized, ministerial housing approvals.

Local agencies

Connected Entities

otherCalifornia Environmental Quality Act“State law requiring environmental impact reports for certain projects; the bill ”Map →

organizationOffice of Land Use and Climate Innovation“The state office that receives annual reports from local planning agencies regar”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level

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