AIA CA-Sponsored Building Code Appeals Reform Heads to the Governor
We are excited to share a major milestone: AB 306 (Schultz, Hadwick & Wicks), AIA California’s sponsored building code appeals reform legislation, has passed the California Legislature unanimously and is now headed to the Governor’s desk.

This is an important accomplishment for AIA California and the broader design and construction community. After years of discussion about how to bring greater consistency, transparency, and predictability to California’s building code system, AB 306 is now one signature away from becoming law.

But our work is not finished. We need AIA California members and firms to urge Governor Newsom to sign AB 306.

One Final Step: Ask the Governor to Sign AB 306
With AB 306 now headed to the Governor, we need members to make their voices heard one more time.

We are asking AIA California members to submit letters urging Governor Newsom to sign AB 306. You can submit a letter as an individual or on behalf of your firm. Strong support from architects and architecture firms across California will help demonstrate the importance of this reform to the design and construction community.

[DOWNLOAD A FORM SUPPORT LETTER]

Please personalize the letter if you can, particularly if you or your firm has experienced inconsistent code interpretations, project delays, increased costs, or challenges obtaining approval for innovative design or construction solutions.

How to Submit Your Letter
The Governor’s Office accepts letters regarding pending legislation electronically.

1. Prepare and sign your support letter and save it as a PDF.
2. Email the PDF to the Governor’s Office Legislative Unit at Leg.Unit@gov.ca.gov.
3. We encourage you to clearly identify “AB 306 – Request for Signature” in your email subject line.
4. Please submit your letter as soon as possible. The Governor is now considering legislation sent to his desk and determining whether to sign or veto individual measures.

Please note: The Legislative Unit inbox is specifically for letters pertaining to legislation.

If you or your firm submits a letter, please also let AIA California know by sending a quick note or copy to sterrell@aiacalifornia.org so we can track member engagement and our collective advocacy efforts.

Why AB 306 Matters
California has statewide building standards, yet those standards are interpreted and applied independently by more than 540 local jurisdictions. As a result, identical code provisions can be interpreted differently from city to city, innovative materials and construction methods can face different approval processes across jurisdictions, and local code interpretations can create unintended barriers to housing production, adaptive reuse, and innovation.

These inconsistencies can create uncertainty, increase project costs, delay project delivery, and make it more difficult to scale innovative solutions across California.

AB 306 addresses this challenge by creating a more practical statewide framework for resolving significant building code disputes and recurring code interpretation questions while improving transparency in the administration of California’s building standards.

The proposal has been years in the making and draws from successful statewide processes already utilized by agencies such as the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Division of the State Architect.

Importantly, AB 306 preserves local authority. Local governments will continue to retain their existing authority over local conditions and project-specific decisions. Rather than replacing local decision-making, the bill creates a pathway for addressing building code questions whose implications extend beyond a single project or jurisdiction.

Thank You to Those Who Got Us Here
Getting a proposal from an idea to the Governor’s desk takes an extraordinary amount of work, collaboration, and persistence.

AIA California is especially grateful to Mike Malinowski, FAIA, our longtime code consultant, who brought this proposal forward and has devoted countless hours to developing, refining, and advocating for it. His expertise and commitment have been instrumental in getting AB 306 to this point.

We are also tremendously thankful to the AIA California members who have supported this effort, provided technical expertise, shared their experiences, participated in discussions, and contacted legislators throughout the process. The engagement of our members has helped demonstrate why a more consistent and effective building code appeals process matters to architects, project teams, communities, and housing delivery throughout California.

Finally, we extend our sincere appreciation to Assemblymember Nick Schultz and his staff, particularly Jim Metropulos, for their leadership and hard work shepherding AB 306 through the Legislature. Their willingness to engage stakeholders, work through complex technical issues, and build consensus helped the bill earn unanimous legislative support.

Help Us Finish the Job
Unanimous passage of AB 306 is something worth celebrating. It reflects years of work by AIA California members, our code experts, legislative partners, and stakeholders who share the goal of making California’s building code system more predictable, transparent, and effective.

Now we have one final step.

Please send a letter to Governor Newsom today urging him to sign AB 306 into law.

Submit your signed letter as a PDF to: Leg.Unit@gov.ca.gov

Together, we can get AB 306 across the finish line and create a more consistent and efficient building code system that supports housing delivery, adaptive reuse, innovation, and California’s continued commitment to public health, safety, and welfare.