AB2252 - Building standards: residential buildings.

Amended IN Assembly March 16, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 2252 Introduced by Assembly Member Members Lee and Wicks (Principal coauthor: Senator Wiener) February 19, 2026 An act relating to housing. An act to amend Sections 17958, 17958.5, 17958.7, and 18941.5 of, and to add Section 17921.14 to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to housing. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2252, as amended, Lee. Housing: Single stair entry and exit. Building standards: residential buildings. Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Existing law, the Governor’s Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025 (GRP), which became effective on July 5, 2025, transfers the Department of Housing and Community Development to the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, which the GRP also establishes, as of July 1, 2026. Existing law, the California Building Standards Law, establishes the California Building Standards Commission (commission) within the Department of General Services. Existing law requires the commission to approve and adopt building standards and to codify those standards in the California Building Standards Code (code). Existing law, the State Housing Law, establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards for buildings used for human habitation. This bill would require the department to research, develop, and propose building standards for single-exit, single stairway multiunit residential buildings of up to 6 stories in height for inclusion in the next triennial edition of the code. In developing these standards, the bill would require the department to consult with the State Fire Marshal. Existing law, from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, prohibits a city or county from making changes that are applicable to residential units to building standards that are published in the code, including to green building standards, unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. Existing law, from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, requires the commission to reject a modification or change to any building standard affecting a residential unit and filed by the governing body of a city or county unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. Existing law provides that neither the State Building Standards Law, nor the application of certain building standards, limits the authority of a city, county, or city and county to establish more restrictive building standards, including, but not limited to, green building standards, reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions, and pursuant to making certain findings. Existing law, notwithstanding those provisions, from October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, prohibits a city or county from establishing more restrictive building standards that are applicable to residential units, unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. This bill would add a condition to each of the above-described provisions for changes or modifications that allow for single-exit, single stairway multiunit residential buildings of up to 6 stories in height. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to research standards for single-exit, single stairway apartment houses, with more than 2 dwelling units, in buildings above 3 stories and provide a report to specified legislative committees and to the California Building Standards Commission by January 1, 2026, as provided. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to allow housing buildings with 4 or more stories to have a single stair entry and exit. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 17921.14 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read: 17921.14. The department shall research, develop, and propose building standards for single-exit, single stairway multiunit residential buildings of up to six stories in height for inclusion in the next triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations). In developing these standards, the department shall consult with the State Fire Marshal, consistent with subdivision (b) of Section 17921. SEC. 2. Section 17958 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 17958. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), and in Sections 17958.8 and 17958.9, any city or county may make changes in the provisions adopted pursuant to Section 17922 and published in the California Building Standards Code or the other regulations thereafter adopted pursuant to Section 17922 to amend, add, or repeal ordinances or regulations which impose the same requirements as are contained in the provisions adopted pursuant to Section 17922 and published in the California Building Standards Code or the other regulations adopted pursuant to Section 17922 or make changes or modifications in those requirements upon express findings pursuant to Sections 17958.5 and 17958.7. If any city or county does not amend, add, or repeal ordinances or regulations to impose those requirements or make changes or modifications in those requirements upon express findings, the provisions published in the California Building Standards Code or the other regulations promulgated pursuant to Section 17922 shall be applicable to it and shall become effective 180 days after publication by the California Building Standards Commission. Amendments, additions, and deletions to the California Building Standards Code adopted by a city or county pursuant to Section 17958.7, together with all applicable portions of the California Building Standards Code, shall become effective 180 days after publication of the California Building Standards Code by the California Building Standards Commission. (b) Commencing October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, a city or county shall not make changes that are applicable to residential units in the provisions adopted pursuant to Section 17922 and published in the California Building Standards Code or the other regulations thereafter adopted pursuant to Section 17922 to amend, add, or repeal ordinances or regulations which impose the same requirements as are contained in the provisions adopted pursuant to Section 17922 and published in the California Building Standards Code or the other regulations adopted pursuant to Section 17922 or make changes or modifications in those requirements upon express findings pursuant to Sections 17958.5 and 17958.7, unless one of the following conditions is met: (1) The changes or modifications are substantially equivalent to changes or modifications that were previously filed by the governing body of the city or county and were in effect as of September 30, 2025. (2) The commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. (3) The changes or modifications relate to home hardening. (4) The building standards relate to home hardening and are proposed for adoption by a fire protection district pursuant to Section 13869.7. (5) The changes or modifications are necessary to implement a local code amendment that is adopted to align with a general plan approved on or before June 10, 2025, and that permits mixed-fuel residential construction consistent with federal law while also incentivizing all-electric construction as part of an adopted greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy. (6) The changes or modifications are related to administrative practices, are proposed for adoption during the intervening period pursuant to Section 18942, and exclusively result in any of the following: (A) Reductions in time for a local agency to issue a postentitlement permit. (B) Alterations to a local agency’s postentitlement fee schedule. (C) Modernization of, or adoption of, new permitting platforms and software utilized by the local agency. (D) Reductions in cost of internal operation for a local agency. (E) Establishment, alteration, or removal of local programs related to enforcement of building code violations or complaints alleging building code violations. (7) The changes or modifications allow for single-exit, single stairway multiunit residential buildings of up to six stories in height. SEC. 3. Section 17958.5 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 17958.5. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (c) and in Section 17922.6, in adopting the ordinances or regulations pursuant to Section 17958, a city or county may make those changes or modifications in the requirements contained in the provisions published in the California Building Standards Code and the other regulations adopted pursuant to Section 17922, including, but not limited to, green building standards, as it determines, pursuant to the provisions of Section 17958.7, are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions. (b) For purposes of this section, a city or county may make reasonably necessary modifications to the requirements, adopted pursuant to Section 17922, including, but not limited to, green building standards, contained in the provisions of the code and regulations on the basis of local conditions. (c) Commencing October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, a city or county shall not make a change or modification as described in subdivision (a) or (b), including to green building standards, that is applicable to residential units, unless one of the following conditions is met: (1) The changes or modifications are substantially equivalent to changes or modifications that were previously filed by the governing body of the city or county and were in effect as of September 30, 2025. (2) The commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. (3) The changes or modifications relate to home hardening. (4) The building standards relate to home hardening and are proposed for adoption by a local fire prevention district pursuant to Section 13869.7. (5) The changes or modifications are necessary to implement a local code amendment that is adopted to align with a general plan approved on or before June 10, 2025, and that permits mixed-fuel residential construction consistent with federal law while also incentivizing all-electric construction as part of an adopted greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy. (6) The changes or modifications are related to administrative practices, are proposed for adoption during the intervening period pursuant to Section 18942, and exclusively result in any of the following: (A) Reductions in time for a local agency to issue a postentitlement permit. (B) Alterations to a local agency’s postentitlement fee schedule. (C) Modernization of, or adoption of, new permitting platforms and software utilized by the local agency. (D) Reductions in cost of internal operation for a local agency. (E) Establishment, alteration, or removal of local programs related to enforcement of building code violations or complaints alleging building code violations. (7) The changes or modifications allow for single-exit, single stairway multiunit residential buildings of up to six stories in height. SEC. 4. Section 17958.7 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 17958.7. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (c) and in Section 17922.6, the governing body of a city or county, before making any modifications or changes pursuant to Section 17958.5, shall make an express finding that such modifications or changes are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions. Such a finding shall be available as a public record. A copy of those findings, together with the modification or change expressly marked and identified to which each finding refers, shall be filed with the California Building Standards Commission. No modification or change shall become effective or operative for any purpose until the finding and the modification or change have been filed with the California Building Standards Commission. (b) The California Building Standards Commission may reject a modification or change filed by the governing body of a city or county if no finding was submitted. (c) Commencing October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, the commission shall reject a modification or change to any building standard affecting a residential unit and filed by the governing body of a city or county, unless one of the following conditions is met: (1) The changes or modifications are substantially equivalent to changes or modifications that were previously filed by the governing body of the city or county and were in effect as of September 30, 2025. (2) The commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. (3) The changes or modifications relate to home hardening. (4) The building standards relate to home hardening and are proposed for adoption by a local fire prevention district pursuant to Section 13869.7. (5) The changes or modifications are necessary to implement a local code amendment that is adopted to align with a general plan approved on or before June 10, 2025, and that permits mixed-fuel residential construction consistent with federal law while also incentivizing all-electric construction as part of an adopted greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy. (6) The changes or modifications are related to administrative practices, are proposed for adoption during the intervening period pursuant to Section 18942, and exclusively result in any of the following: (A) Reductions in time for a local agency to issue a postentitlement permit. (B) Alterations to a local agency’s postentitlement fee schedule. (C) Modernization of, or adoption of, new permitting platforms and software utilized by the local agency. (D) Reductions in cost of internal operation for a local agency. (E) Establishment, alteration, or removal of local programs related to enforcement of building code violations or complaints alleging building code violations. (7) The changes or modifications allow for single-exit, single stairway multiunit residential buildings of up to six stories in height. (d) (1) The commission, in determining that a modification or change meets any of the criteria in paragraph (1) to (5), inclusive, or paragraph (7) of subdivision (c), may rely on a statement by the local agency to that effect. (2) The changes or modifications made pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivi [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]