Planning and zoning: general plan: judicial challenges.

Senator Arreguín's land use legislation aims to streamline judicial review of general plans while strengthening compliance requirements for California municipalities. The bill modifies existing Planning and Zoning Law by extending compliance periods, limiting court continuances, and establishing new precedence rules for housing-related plan elements.

Under the proposed changes, local governments would have 120 days rather than 60 days to bring their actions into compliance with court orders regarding general plans and housing elements. The legislation restricts courts from granting multiple compliance extensions and requires them to schedule hearings within specific timeframes - no more than 120 days after a hearing request is filed, with continuances limited to 60 days. Courts must retain jurisdiction throughout the compliance period to monitor adherence.

The bill introduces new provisions governing conflicts between general plan elements and local ordinances. When inconsistencies arise regarding housing development projects, the most recently adopted compliant element would supersede previous elements or ordinances. Housing elements requiring voter ratification must obtain approval by July 2026 or within 180 days of certification, whichever is later, or be deemed non-compliant. The legislation also integrates environmental review requirements, mandating initial studies and assessments for compliance actions while maintaining exemptions from full California Environmental Quality Act review.

Notably, the bill explicitly applies these requirements to charter cities, declaring this a matter of statewide concern rather than municipal affairs. This provision aims to create uniform standards across all California municipalities regarding general plan adoption, compliance, and judicial review processes.