The deadline for the Governor to take action on legislation has wrapped up. Below, please find the CalRHA Public Policy Update for October, highlighting the Governor’s final actions.is week. The report includes links to the final versions of the bills for your reference.

Also linked here are a few summary slides providing a recap of the year’s legislative activity.

Governor Newsom’s Signatures and Vetos

Governor Newsom signed most legislation that made it to his desk, around 87%.  Those signed that impact the rental housing community are included below:

●      AB 246 (Bryan), the Social Security Tenant Protection Act of 2025. The Act authorizes a tenant of residential real property to assert Social Security hardship as an affirmative defense in an unlawful detainer proceeding based on the nonpayment of rent. - Opposed

●    AB 414 (Pellerin) - Security Deposits - Amendments were agreed upon, to allow for mutual written agreements for alternative methods of refunding security deposits, clarify that the itemized statement can be provided by email or first-class mail upon mutual agreement, and account for managing security deposit returns when multiple adult tenants reside in a unit. - Neutral

●    AB 628 (McKinnor) - Habitability: Stoves and Refrigerators.  This bill makes a dwelling that substantially lacks a stove or refrigerator that are maintained in good working order and capable of safely generating heat for cooking or safely storing food untenantable. - Opposed

●   AB 747 (Kalra) - Service of Process Accountability, Reform and Equity (SPARE) Act. The bill establishes rigid requirements for service of process—including three separate personal service attempts at different times and days, mandatory attempts at residential addresses even when such information may not be available, and GPS-stamped photographic evidence for every attempted or affected service. - Opposed

●   AB 863 (Kalra) - Residential Rental Properties: Language Requirements - Instead of requiring a landlord  to provide the tenant with a notice in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Korean, as well as in English. Amendments were taken to instead have the Judicial Council create a summons containing the languages and make it available on their website.  - Neutral

●   AB 1414 (Ransom), allowing for an opt-out of landlord-tenant internet service, is pending at the Governor’s desk, with both the National Apartment Association and the California Rental Housing Association opposed. - Opposed

●   SB 262 (Wahab) - Prohousing Local Policies - This bill adds additional local policies related to housing stability, and homelessness as pro-housing policies that the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) can consider in developing a pro-housing designation.  We were able to have rent stabilization ordinance, funding for legal services for eviction defense and eviction prevention, as well as tenant protections amended out of the bill.  - Neutral

He did veto, SB 36 (Umberg) dealing with price gouging during states of emergency.

New Legislative Committee

In October, Speaker Rivas created a Select Committee on Housing Construction Innovation in the 2025−26 Regular Session and appointed the following membership:

• Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, Chair
• Assemblymember David Alvarez
• Assemblymember Jessica Caloza
• Assemblymember Juan Carrillo
• Assemblymember Sade Elhawary
• Assemblymember Mark González
• Assemblymember Heather Hadwick
• Assemblymember Matt Haney
• Assemblymember John Harabedian
• Assemblymember Josh Hoover
• Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva
• Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom
• Assemblymember Lori Wilson