AB 2296 · Housing Laws Navigator
Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 2296

Planning and zoning: housing element: regional housing needs allocation.Ch. 798, Stats. 2026 · chaptered 2026-09-29 · Chaptered, not yet in effect

Not yet in effect. AB 2296 was chaptered 2026-09-29 and takes effect January 1, 2027. The sections it amends are shown in this navigator as they read on the saved leginfo pages, without this bill’s changes; each section’s History tab can show it as this bill leaves it. Some provisions may have their own operative dates; check the bill text. Not legal advice.

Key provisions · Claude summary of the digest, not bill text

Moved the regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) process earlier and revised housing element revision schedules tied to regional transportation plan updates. The earlier RHNA timelines do not apply to the 7th cycle for councils of governments with housing element due dates in 2027, 2028, or 2029.

  • Subregion timelines. Extended the deadline for forming a subregional entity from 28 to 34 months before the scheduled housing element revision, and for the council of governments to assign each subregion's share from 25 to 31 months.
  • Methodology and draft allocation. Required the RHNA methodology to be developed at least 2½ years (rather than 2 years) before the scheduled housing element revision and the draft allocation to be distributed at least 2 years (rather than 1½ years) before it.
  • Revision schedule. Required local governments in affected MPO or RTPA regions to update housing elements 18 months after the estimated adoption date of every 2nd regional transportation plan update. Set the 8th revision for jurisdictions previously on 5-year intervals due by June 30, 2032, with later revisions 18 months after every 2nd RTP update.
  • SCAG jurisdictions. For the 8th and subsequent revisions, required SCAG-region local governments to adopt revised housing elements no later than 8 years after the previous 8-year housing element deadline.
  • RTP date notice. Required MPOs or RTPAs on 8-year intervals to notify HCD and Caltrans of the estimated adoption date of the next RTP update 24 months (rather than 12 months) in advance.

Paraphrased from the Legislative Counsel’s Digest. Check the bill text before relying on it.

ClaudeGreen text is a summary heading written by Claude to help navigate. It is not statute text; the statute text is in black.

SEC. 1In the navigator:§ 65584.03changes

Section 65584.03 of the Government Code is amended to read:

SEC. 2In the navigator:§ 65584.04changes

Section 65584.04 of the Government Code is amended to read:

SEC. 3In the navigator:§ 65584.05changes

Section 65584.05 of the Government Code is amended to read:

SEC. 4In the navigator:§ 65588changes

Section 65588 of the Government Code is amended to read:

SEC. 5

The Legislature finds and declares that Section 4 of this act amending Section 65588 of the Government Code addresses a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution. Therefore, Section 4 of this act applies to all cities, including charter cities.

SEC. 6. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code.

Source: LegiScan API, chaptered text of AB 2296 (2025-2026 Regular Session).

Bill text is the chaptered version from LegiScan (California Legislature); spacing is normalized. Code section text in a bill is the text that bill chaptered, not necessarily the law in effect today. Not legal advice.