Bill Text: CA AB648 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Community colleges: housing: local zoning regulations: exemption.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Passed) 2025-10-06 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 378, Statutes of 2025. [AB648 Detail]
Download: California-2025-AB648-Chaptered.html
Assembly Bill
No. 648
CHAPTER 378
An act to add Section 81055 to the Education Code, relating to community colleges.
[
Approved by
Governor
October 06, 2025.
Filed with
Secretary of State
October 06, 2025.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 648, Zbur.
Community colleges: housing: local zoning regulations: exemption.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state and authorizes them to operate campuses and provide instruction to students.
This bill would provide that a community college district is not required to comply with the zoning ordinances of a city, county, or city and county, for a university housing development project constructed on property owned or leased by a community college district if specific requirements are met. If the project includes units for faculty and staff, the bill would require the community college district to ensure that a portion of the units of the project are made available at
affordable rents to extremely low income faculty and staff and lower income faculty and staff.
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.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 81055 is added to the Education Code, to read:81055.
(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:(1) “Affordable rent” means an amount consistent with the rent limits established by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.
(2) “Extremely low income faculty or staff” means an employee of the California Community Colleges who satisfies the requirements of Section 50106 of the Health and Safety Code.
(3) “Lower income faculty or staff” means an employee of the California Community Colleges who satisfies the requirements of Section 50079.5 of the Health and Safety
Code.
(4) “Satellite campus” means an auxiliary classroom or a teaching site not a part of the main campus.
(5) “University housing development project” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 21080.58 of the Public Resources Code.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law, a community college district is not required to comply with the zoning ordinances of a city, county, or city and county for a university housing development project constructed on property owned or leased by a community college district, if the parcel on which the project will be constructed meets either of the following requirements:
(1) The parcel is contained either
wholly or partially within a one-half mile radius of a main campus, as defined in Section 94849.
(2) The parcel is contained either wholly or partially within a one-half mile radius of a satellite campus that existed before July 1, 2025.
(c) If the university housing development project includes units for faculty and staff, the community college district shall ensure that a portion of the units are made available at affordable rents to extremely low income faculty and staff and to lower income faculty and staff.
