Public Resources Code section 21080.66
(a)
Without limiting any other statutory or categorical exemption, this division does not apply to any aspect of a housing development project, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 65905.5 of the Government Code, including any permits, approvals, or public improvements required for the housing development project, as may be required by this division, if the housing development project meets all of the following conditions:(1)
(A)Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the project site is not more than 20 acres.(B)
The project site or the parcel size for a builder’s remedy project, as defined in paragraph (11) of subdivision (a) of Section 65589.5 of the Government Code, or the project site or the parcel size for a project that applied pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 65589.5 of the Government Code as it read before January 1, 2025, is not more than five acres.(2)
The project site meets either of the following criteria:(A)
Is located within the boundaries of an incorporated municipality.(B)
Is located within an urban area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau.(3)
The project site meets any of the following criteria:(A)
Has been previously developed with an urban use.(B)
At least 75 percent of the perimeter of the site adjoins parcels that are developed with urban uses.(C)
At least 75 percent of the area within a one-quarter mile radius of the site is developed with urban uses.(D)
For sites with four sides, at least three out of four sides are developed with urban uses and at least two-thirds of the perimeter of the site adjoins parcels that are developed with urban uses.(4)
(A)The project is consistent with the applicable general plan and zoning ordinance, as well as any applicable local coastal program as defined in Section 30108.6. For purposes of this section, a housing development project shall be deemed consistent with the applicable general plan and zoning ordinance, and any applicable local coastal program, if there is substantial evidence that would allow a reasonable person to conclude that the housing development project is consistent.(B)
If the zoning and general plan are not consistent with one another, a project shall be deemed consistent with both if the project is consistent with one.(C)
The approval of a density bonus, incentives or concessions, waivers or reductions of development standards, and reduced parking ratios pursuant to Section 65915 of the Government Code shall not be grounds for determining that the project is inconsistent with the applicable general plan, zoning ordinance, or local coastal program.(5)
The project will be at least one-half of the applicable density specified in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 65583.2 of the Government Code.(6)
The project satisfies the requirements specified in paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) of Section 65913.4 of the Government Code.(7)
The project does not require the demolition of a historic structure that was placed on a national, state, or local historic register before the date a preliminary application was submitted for the project pursuant to Section 65941.1 of the Government Code.(8)
For a project that was deemed complete pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 65589.5 of the Government Code on or after January 1, 2025, no portion of the project is designated for use as a hotel, motel, bed and breakfast inn, or other transient lodging. For the purposes of this section, “other transient lodging” does not include either of the following:(A)
A residential hotel, as defined in Section 50519 of the Health and Safety Code.(B)
After the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, a resident’s use or marketing of a unit as short-term lodging, as defined in Section 17568.8 of the Business and Professions Code, in a manner consistent with local law.(b)
(1)(A)A local government shall provide formal notification via certified mail and email to each California Native American tribe that is traditionally and culturally affiliated with the project site as an invitation to consult on the proposed project, its location, and the project’s potential effects on tribal cultural resources pursuant to one of the following deadlines:(i)
Within 14 days of the application for the project being deemed complete pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (h) of Section 65589.5 of the Government Code.(ii)
For projects whose applications were deemed complete pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 65589.5 of the Government Code before July 1, 2026, within 14 days of notifying the local government that the project is eligible to be exempt from this division pursuant to this section.(B)
The formal notification shall include all of the following:(i)
Detailed project information to help inform the consultation, including site maps, proposed project scope, and any known cultural resource studies.(ii)
Contact information for the local government.(iv)
Notice that the California Native American tribe has 60 days to request consultation with the local government pursuant to this subdivision.(2)
(A)Each California Native American tribe has 60 days to notify the local government that it accepts the invitation to consult.(B)
If a California Native American tribe chooses not to accept the invitation to consult, or does not notify the local government of its decision within 60 days, the consultation shall be considered to have concluded.(3)
(A)Within 14 days of receiving the notification that the California Native American tribe has elected to consult, pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2), the local government shall initiate the consultation.(B)
During the consultation, the local government shall act in good faith to identify whether a tribal cultural resource could be affected by the proposed project and shall give deference to the tribal information, tribal knowledge and customs, and the significance of the resource to the California Native American tribe.(C)
The project proponent may participate in the consultation with the approval of the California Native American tribe if the project proponent agrees to engage in good faith and comply with the confidentiality requirements of Section 7927.000 and 7927.005 of the Government Code, subdivision (d) of Section 21082.3, subdivision (d) of Section 15120 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, and any confidentiality standards adopted by the California Native American tribe participating in the consultation.(D)
The consultation shall seek to find measures that would avoid significant impacts to a tribal cultural resource.(E)
The local government shall document the results of the consultation.(F)
The consultation shall conclude within 45 days of initiation, subject to a one-time 15-day extension upon request by a participating California Native American tribe.(4)
The local government shall include, as binding conditions of the project approval, all of the following:(A)
Any enforceable agreements reached during the project consultation.(B)
All of the following measures, unless there is mutual agreement between the California Native American tribe and the project proponent not to include the measure as a binding condition:(i)
Upon request by a California Native American tribe, the project shall include tribal monitoring during all ground-disturbing activities, as follows:(I)
The California Native American tribe shall designate the monitor.(II)
The tribal monitor shall comply with applicant’s site access and workplace safety requirements.(ii)
Tribal cultural resources shall be avoided where feasible, in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 21084.3. In furtherance of this requirement, where feasible, the project applicant shall provide deference to tribal preferences regarding access to spiritual, ceremonial, and burial sites, and incorporate tribal traditional knowledge in the protection and sustainable use of tribal cultural resources and landscapes.(iv)
A California Historical Resources Information System archaeological records search and a tribal cultural records search shall be completed for the project site.(v)
A Sacred Lands Inventory request shall be submitted to the Native American Heritage Commission.(vi)
The project shall comply with Section 7050.5 of the Health and Safety Code and Section 5097.98, including immediate work stoppage upon discovery of human remains or burial grounds, and treatment in accordance with applicable law and in consultation with the affected California Native American tribe.(5)
For purposes of this subdivision, the following definitions apply:(A)
“California Native American tribe” has the same meaning as defined in Section 21073.(B)
“Enforceable agreement” means an agreement between the local government, project proponent, and any California Native American tribe that has engaged in consultation pursuant to this subdivision regarding the methods, measures, and conditions for tribal cultural resource identification, treatment, and protection, including consideration of avoidance. Compliance with the enforceable agreement shall be a required condition of approval for the project and its terms must be enforceable against the project proponent by the local government and the California Native American tribe.(C)
“Tribal cultural resource” means a site, feature, place, cultural landscape, sacred place, including a Native American sanctified cemetery, Indian cemetery, or Indian burial area, or an object with cultural value to a California Native American tribe that is any of the following:(i)
Included or eligible for inclusion in the California Register of Historical Resources or the National Register of Historic Places.(ii)
Included in a local register of historical resources as defined in subdivision (k) of Section 5020.1.(iv)
Included in a local tribal register.(c)
(1)(A)The local government shall, as a condition of approval for the development, require the development proponent to complete a phase I environmental assessment, as defined in Section 78090 of the Health and Safety Code.(B)
If a recognized environmental condition is found, the development proponent shall complete a preliminary endangerment assessment, as defined in Section 78095 of the Health and Safety Code, prepared by an environmental assessor to determine the existence of any release of a hazardous substance on the site and to determine the potential for exposure of future occupants to significant health hazards from any nearby property or activity.(C)
If a release of a hazardous substance is found to exist on the site, the release shall be removed or any effects of the release shall be mitigated to levels required by current federal and state statutory and regulatory standards before the local government issues a certificate of occupancy.(D)
If a potential for exposure to significant hazards from surrounding properties or activities is found to exist, the effects of the potential exposure shall be mitigated to levels required by current federal and state statutory and regulatory standards before the local government issues a certificate of occupancy.(2)
For any housing on the site located within 500 feet of a freeway, all of the following shall apply:(A)
The building shall have a centralized heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system.(B)
The outdoor air intakes for the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system shall face away from the freeway.(C)
The building shall provide air filtration media for outside and return air that provides a minimum efficiency reporting value of 16.(D)
The air filtration media shall be replaced at the manufacturer’s designated interval.(E)
The building shall not have any balconies facing the freeway.(d)
(1)Notwithstanding any other law, all construction workers employed in the execution of a housing development project exempt from this division pursuant to this section where 100 percent of the units within the development project are dedicated to lower income households, as defined by Section 50079.5 of the Health and Safety Code, shall be paid at least the general prevailing rate of per diem wages for the type of work and geographic area, as determined by the Director of Industrial Relations pursuant to Section 1773 and 1773.9 of the Labor Code, except that apprentices registered in programs approved by the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards may be paid at least the applicable apprentice prevailing rate, regardless of whether the housing development project is a public work.(2)
Notwithstanding any other law, the labor standards of paragraph (8) of subdivision (a) of Section 65913.4 of the Government Code shall apply to buildings over 85 feet in height above grade in any housing development project exempt from this division pursuant to this section.(3)
(A)Notwithstanding any other law, the labor standards of Article 4 (commencing with Section 65912.130) of Chapter 4.1 of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code shall apply for projects of 50 units or greater in the City and County of San Francisco that are not covered by paragraph (2), for any construction craft where at least 50 percent of the units in market-rate multifamily housing projects that received their certificate of occupancy between 2022 and 2024, inclusive, were built by workers that were paid not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages.(B)
For purposes of this section, “market-rate multifamily housing development project” means a housing development project of greater than 10 units where less than 95 percent of the units are dedicated to lower income households, as defined by Section 50079.5 of the Health and Safety Code.(C)
(i)The eligibility of this subparagraph, by classification, will be determined by the Department of Industrial Relations and published on its internet website by January 1, 2026.(ii)
In making a determination of eligibility pursuant to this subparagraph, the Director of Industrial Relations shall obtain and consider data from the labor organizations and employers or employer associations concerned no later than October 1, 2025.(4)
The provisions of Section 218.8 of the Labor Code shall extend to the development proponent in addition to the direct contractor or subcontractor. For purposes of this paragraph, “development proponent” shall mean a developer who submits the housing development project application to a local government that is exempt from this division pursuant to this section.(5)
(A)A joint labor-management cooperation committee established pursuant to the federal Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 175a) may undertake any of the following on a housing development project that is exempt from this division pursuant to this section:(i)
Bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction against a contractor or subcontractor at any tier on behalf of construction workers employed by the contractor or subcontractor on a housing development project that is exempt from this division pursuant to this section to enforce Section 226 of the Labor Code. A contractor is not subject to an action pursuant to this subparagraph due to the failure of a subcontractor to comply with Section 226 of the Labor Code.(ii)
Bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction on behalf of an affected employee against an employer for damages as if Division 4 (commencing with Section 3200) of the Labor Code did not apply, if the employer fails to secure the payment of compensation as required by Article 1 (commencing with Section 3700) of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Division 4 of the Labor Code.(B)
For any action brought pursuant to this paragraph, the court shall award a prevailing joint labor-management committee its reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred maintaining the action.(C)
An action brought pursuant to this paragraph shall be filed within one year of a local government issuing a certificate of occupancy for the housing development project or for the portion relating to the action.(D)
This paragraph shall apply only to violations that occur on the site of construction of the housing development project.(e)
This section does not affect the eligibility of a housing development project for a density bonus, incentives or concessions, waivers or reductions of development standards, and reduced parking ratios pursuant to Section 65915 of the Government Code.(f)
For purposes of this section, the following terms apply:(1)
“Adjoins” includes parcels that are only separated by a street, pedestrian path, or bicycle path.(2)
“Construction worker” means one performing onsite work associated with construction, including work involving alteration, demolition, building, excavation, renovation, remodeling, maintenance, improvement, repair work, and any other work as described by Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code, and other similar or related occupations or trades.(3)
“Urban use” means any current or previous residential or commercial development, public institution, or public park that is surrounded by other urban uses, parking lot or structure, transit or transportation passenger facility, or retail use, or any combination of those uses.
Source:
Section 21080.66, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PRC§ionNum=21080.66. (updated Jun. 30, 2025; accessed Jul. 14, 2025).
