Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development (department) in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Existing law grants the department various powers, including the power to provide bilingual staff in connection with services of the department and make available departmental publications in a language other than English when necessary to effectively serve groups for which the services or publications are made available. Existing law authorizes the department to adopt and amend guidelines for various purposes, including for the preparation of housing elements or to implement uniform standards or criteria, as provided.

This bill would require the department to review all guidelines it has adopted or amended to determine whether those guidelines explain rights or services available to the public. For guidelines that meet that criteria, the bill would require the department to translate those guidelines into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, as defined.

Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development (department) in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Existing law grants the department various powers, including the power to provide bilingual staff in connection with services of the department and make available departmental publications in a language other than English when necessary to effectively serve groups for which the services or publications are made available. Existing law authorizes the department to adopt and amend guidelines for various purposes, including for the preparation of housing elements or to implement uniform standards or criteria, as provided.

This bill would require the department to review all guidelines it has adopted or amended to determine whether those guidelines explain rights or services available to the public. For guidelines that meet that criteria, the bill would require the department to translate those guidelines into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, as defined.

Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development (department) in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Existing law grants the department various powers, including the power to provide bilingual staff in connection with services of the department and make available departmental publications in a language other than English when necessary to effectively serve groups for which the services or publications are made available. Existing law authorizes the department to adopt and amend guidelines for various purposes, including for the preparation of housing elements or to implement uniform standards or criteria, as provided.

This bill would require the department to review all guidelines it has adopted or amended to determine whether those guidelines explain rights or services available to the public. For guidelines that meet that criteria, the bill would require the department to translate those guidelines into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, as defined.

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 413

Author: Fong (D)

Introduced: 2/4/25

Vote: 21

SENATE HOUSING COMMITTEE: 9-0, 6/17/25

AYES: Wahab, Seyarto, Arreguín, Cabaldon, Caballero, Cortese, Durazo, Grayson, Ochoa Bogh

NO VOTE RECORDED: Gonzalez, Padilla

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 8/29/25

AYES: Caballero, Seyarto, Cabaldon, Dahle, Grayson, Richardson, Wahab

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 79-0, 6/2/25 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT: Department of Housing and Community Development: guidelines: translation

SOURCE: California YIMBY

DIGEST:

This bill requires the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to translate all guidelines which explain rights or services available to the public into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, as defined.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Requires HCD to provide bilingual staff for department services to make available department publications in a language other than English when necessary to effectively serve groups for which the services or publications are made available.
2. Defines “a substantial number of non-English speaking people” as members of a group who either do not speak English or are unable to effectively communicate in English because it is not their native language, and who comprise 5% or more of the people served by the state agency or any of its local offices or facilities.

This bill requires HCD to review its publications to determine which ones explain rights or services available to the public, and to translate any guidelines meeting that determination into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, as defined by existing law.

Background

HCD’s role. HCD administers a variety of programs to meet a large range of housing needs, including emergency shelters, affordable rental housing, and affordable homeownership. As a general rule, HCD administers programs that receive money from the state’s General Fund, either directly through the budget or indirectly from general obligation bonds. In addition, HCD allocates certain federal funds, such as the HOME Program and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, for smaller jurisdictions that do not receive these funds directly from the federal government.

HCD awards loans and grants to public and private housing developers, nonprofit agencies, cities, counties, state and federal partners. This funding supports the construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable rental and ownership homes, provides permanent supportive housing options as well as stable, safe shelter for those experiencing homelessness. HCD also develops housing policy, building codes, regulates factory-built and manufactured homes as well as mobile home parks.

Comments

1. Author’s statement. “California continues to be plagued by its housing crisis, short millions of the units needed to begin to reduce the burden of housing costs. This has contributed to homelessness, eroded our quality of life, and stifled our economy. Recent changes in housing law have reduced barriers to building new units and created pathways and opportunities for households to increase their financial stability while building housing, but awareness of these changes and resources are low, especially among minorities and non-English households. California has long recognized the right of citizens to be able to communicate with their governments, that language barriers denied citizens of rights and benefits to which they would otherwise be entitled, and declared that we should provide for effective communication with people who are precluded from utilizing public services because of language barriers. To continue to make progress in our housing efforts and access to public information, AB 413 requires the Housing and Community Development Department evaluate its publications and translate materials as required under the law. AB 413 delivers language justice in addition to economic justice while tackling one of our state’s greatest crises.”
2. Threshold languages. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, roughly 44% of Californians speak a language other than English at home; within the Medi-Cal population, roughly 38% speak a language other than English as their primary spoken language. The most frequently reported languages among Medi-Cal’s non-English speakers are Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Armenian. More than 200 languages are spoken in California.

The Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act (Chapter 1182, Statutes of 1973), states legislative intent to provide effective communication between the government and people who may be prevented by language barriers from using public services. The Act requires all state agencies that are directly engaged in providing information and/or services to a “substantial number” of non-English-speaking individuals to ensure that information and services are provided in English. This requirement includes translating certain materials into any non-English language spoken by a substantial number of the public served by the agency, defined as members of a group “who either do not speak English, or who are unable to effectively communicate in English because it is not their native language, and who comprise five percent or more of the people served by the statewide or any local office or facility of a state agency.” The languages in which materials and information must be provided to meet the standards of the Act, or similar requirements, are often referred to as “threshold languages.”

1. HCD language assistance. The main users of HCD programs are local governments and affordable housing developers. In a few cases, however, HCD provides guidance to the public on rights and services. HCD provides free services, including qualified interpreters and information in other languages, to people whose primary language is not English.^[1] HCD also published a Language Action Plan in 2022, designed to help department staff “improve access to critical services or activities for customers who are Limited English Proficient (LEP) and for persons who have disabilities.”^[2]

Although HCD posted the ADU Handbook^[3] on its website in four non-English languages in January 2025, the author notes that not all of HCD’s public-facing handbooks have been translated into non-English languages. For example, the SB 9 Fact Sheet^[4], the Advisory for Manufactured Home Roof Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Systems^[5], and the Manufactured Home Recovery Fund Fact Sheet^[6] are only easily available in English.

This bill would require HCD to review all of its guidelines to determine which explain rights or services available to the public, and to translate all guidelines meeting that criteria into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number on non-English-speaking people.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:

• HCD estimates one-time contracting costs of approximately $200,000 to $300,000 to translate all guidelines, handbooks, forms, and other technical materials that are generally used by the public. HCD would also incur unknown ongoing costs to translate additional guidelines and documents that are adopted in the future that explain rights or services available to the public. The magnitude of these costs would depend on the volume of documents that require translation each year. (General Fund)

SUPPORT: (Verified 8/29/25)

California Yimby (Source)
California Community Builders
California Democratic Renters Council
City Heights CDC
East Bay Yimby
Florence-firestone Community Organization
Freemont for Everyone
Fremont for Everyone
Grow the Richmond
House Sacramento
Mountain View Yimby
Napa-solano for Everyone
New Way Homes
Northern Neighbors
Pathway to Tomorrow
Peninsula for Everyone
Power CA Action
Redlands Yimby
San Diego Housing Commission
Santa Cruz Yimby
Santa Rosa Yimby
SF Yimby
Sloco Yimby
South Bay Yimby
Student Homes Coalition
Ventura County Yimby
Westside for Everyone
Yimby Action

OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/29/25)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 79-0, 6/2/25

AYES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Ahrens, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Caloza, Carrillo, Castillo, Chen, Connolly, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Elhawary, Ellis, Flora, Fong, Gabriel, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Jeff Gonzalez, Mark González, Hadwick, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Kalra, Krell, Lackey, Lee, Lowenthal, Macedo, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Ransom, Celeste Rodriguez, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca

Rubio, Sanchez, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Ta, Tangipa, Valencia, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, Zbur, Rivas

Prepared by: Ryan Hardmeyer / HOUSING / (916) 651-4124

8/29/25 20:33:30

**** END ****

1. Language Access | California Department of Housing and Community Development ↑

2. Language Access Plan (ca.gov) ↑

3. Accessory Dwelling Units | California Department of Housing and Community Development ↑

4. Accountability and Enforcement | California Department of Housing and Community Development ↑

5. ADVISORY FOR MANUFACTURED HOME ROOF MOUNTED SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS (ca.gov) ↑

6. Mobilehome Assistance Center | California Department of Housing and Community Development ↑

SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Senator Anna Caballero, Chair

2025 - 2026 Regular Session

AB 413 (Fong) - Department of Housing and Community Development: guidelines: translation

Bill Summary:

AB 413 would require the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to review all adopted guidelines and translate those guidelines that explain rights and services available to the public into non-English languages, as specified.

Fiscal Impact:

• HCD estimates one-time contracting costs of approximately $200,000 to $300,000 to translate all guidelines, handbooks, forms, and other technical materials that are generally used by the public. HCD would also incur unknown ongoing costs to translate additional guidelines and documents that are adopted in the future that explain rights or services available to the public. The magnitude of these costs would depend on the volume of documents that require translation each year. (General Fund)

Background:

Existing law establishes HCD and grants various powers to the department, including to provide bilingual staff in connection with services of the department and make available publications in a language other than English when necessary to effectively serve groups for which services or publications are made available.

Existing law, the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act (Act), requires all state agencies that are directly engaged in providing information and/or services to a “substantial number” of non-English-speaking individuals to ensure that information and services are provided in languages other than English. This requirement includes translating certain materials into any non-English language spoken by a substantial number of the public served by the agency, defined as members of a group “who either do not speak English, or who are unable to effectively communicate in English because it is not their native language, and who comprise five percent or more of the people served by the statewide or any local office or facility of a state agency.” The languages in which materials and information must be provided to meet the standards of the Act, or similar requirements, are often referred to as “threshold languages.”

The Act requires state agencies to conduct a language survey of each of its offices every two years to determine the adequacy of services provided to limited-English-proficiency (LEP) persons and submit the survey to the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) by October 1 of even-numbered years. Existing law also requires each agency to develop an implementation plan that identifies how the agency will address deficiencies, and submit the plan to CalHR by October 1 of every odd-numbered year. CalHR reviews the implementation plans and works with agencies to address identified issues. If an agency has not made reasonable progress towards compliance with the Bilingual Services Act, CalHR is authorized to issue orders it deems appropriate to effectuate the Act’s purposes. HCD published a Language Access Plan in 2022 to provide equitable language assistance to community partners and customers.

Proposed Law:

AB 413 would require HCD to review all guidelines it has adopted or amended to determine whether those guidelines explain rights and services available to the public, and to translate guidelines meeting that criteria into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, as defined in the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act.

Staff Comments:

HCD administers a variety of state and federal programs, provides services and guidance, and develops and implements certain policies to meet a broad range of housing needs, including affordable rental housing, homeownership programs, emergency shelters, farmworker housing, and mobilehome and special occupancy parks. HCD-administered funding supports the construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable rental and ownership homes, provides permanent supportive housing options, as well as stable, safe shelter for those experiencing homelessness. This bill would supplement current efforts to ensure programs and policies are equitably serving LEP populations in California by requiring HCD to conduct a comprehensive assessment of guidelines it has adopted or amended that explain rights or services available to the public and to translate those guidelines, as well as any handbooks, forms, and other technical guidance materials that are generally used by the public into threshold languages. As noted above, HCD would incur one-time costs to contract for translation services for all current guidelines and documents, and unknown ongoing costs for translation of any new guidelines and documents produced in future years.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HOUSING

Senator Aisha Wahab, Chair

2025 - 2026 Regular

Bill No: AB 413 Hearing Date: 6/17/25

SUBJECT: Department of Housing and Community Development: guidelines: translation

DIGEST: This bill requires the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to translate its guidelines for rights and services available to the public, into non-English languages as specified.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Requires HCD to provide bilingual staff for department services to make available department publications in a language other than English when necessary to effectively serve groups for which the services or publications are made available.
2. Defines “a substantial number of non-English speaking people” as members of a group who either do not speak English or are unable to effectively communicate in English because it is not their native language, and who comprise 5% or more of the people served by the state agency or any of its local offices or facilities.

This bill:

1. Requires HCD to review its guidelines to determine which explain rights or services available to the public, and to translate any guidelines meeting that determination into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, as defined by existing law.

Background

HCD’s role. HCD administers a variety of programs to meet a large range of housing needs, including emergency shelters, affordable rental housing, and affordable homeownership. As a general rule, HCD administers programs that receive money from the state’s General Fund, either directly through the budget or indirectly from general obligation bonds. In addition, HCD allocates certain federal funds, such as the HOME Program and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, for smaller jurisdictions that do not receive these funds directly from the federal government.

HCD awards loans and grants to public and private housing developers, nonprofit agencies, cities, counties, state and federal partners. This funding supports the construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable rental and ownership homes, provides permanent supportive housing options as well as stable, safe shelter for those experiencing homelessness. HCD also develops housing policy, building codes, regulates factory-built and manufactured homes as well as mobile home parks.

Comments

1. Author statement. “California continues to be plagued by its housing crisis, short millions of the units needed to reduce the burden of housing costs. This has contributed to homelessness, eroded our quality of life, and stifled our economy. Recent changes in housing law have reduced barriers to building new units and created pathways and opportunities for households to increase their financial stability while building housing, but awareness of these changes and resources are low, especially among minorities and non-English households.

“California has long recognized the right of citizens to be able to communicate with their governments, that language barriers denied citizens of rights and benefits to which they would otherwise be entitled, and declared that we should provide for effective communication with people who are precluded from utilizing public services because of language barriers. To continue to make progress in our housing efforts and access to public information, AB 413 requires the Housing and Community Development Department to evaluate its publications and translate materials as required under the law. AB 413 delivers language justice in addition to economic justice while tackling one of our state’s great crises.”

1. Threshold languages. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, roughly 44% of Californians speak a language other than English at home; within the Medi-Cal population, roughly 38% speak a language other than English as their primary spoken language. The most frequently reported languages among Medi-Cal’s non-English speakers are Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Armenian. More than 200 languages are spoken in California.

The Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act (Chapter 1182, Statutes of 1973), states legislative intent to provide effective communication between the government and people who may be prevented by language barriers from using public services. The Act requires all state agencies that are directly engaged in providing information and/or services to a “substantial number” of non-English-speaking individuals to ensure that information and services are provided in English. This requirement includes translating certain materials into any non-English language spoken by a substantial number of the public served by the agency, defined as members of a group “who either do not speak English, or who are unable to effectively communicate in English because it is not their native language, and who comprise five percent or more of the people served by the statewide or any local office or facility of a state agency.” The languages in which materials and information must be provided to meet the standards of the Act, or similar requirements, are often referred to as “threshold languages.”

1. HCD language assistance. The main users of HCD programs are local governments and affordable housing developers. In a few cases, however, HCD provides guidance to the public on rights and services. HCD provides free services, including qualified interpreters and information in other languages, to people whose primary language is not English.^[1] HCD also published a Language Action Plan in 2022, designed to help department staff “improve access to critical services or activities for customers who are Limited English Proficient (LEP) and for persons who have disabilities.”^[2]

Although HCD posted the ADU Handbook^[3] on its website in four non-English languages in January 2025, the author notes that not all of HCD’s public-facing handbooks have been translated into non-English languages. For example, the SB 9 Fact Sheet^[4], the Advisory for Manufactured Home Roof Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Systems^[5], and the Manufactured Home Recovery Fund Fact Sheet^[6] are only easily available in English.

This bill would require HCD to review all of its guidelines to determine which explain rights or services available to the public, and to translate all guidelines meeting that criteria into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number on non-English-speaking people.

Related/Prior Legislation

AB 2588 (Chu, 2018) – would have required all used mobilehomes that are sold or rented to have a smoke detector. Also would have required mobilehome park owners to post emergency procedures annually in English, the Medi-Cal threshold languages, and upon request by a resident, the language spoken by the resident. This bill was vetoed by the Governor.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 12, 2025.)

SUPPORT:

California YIMBY (Sponsor)
California Community Builders
California Democratic Renters Council
East Bay YIMBY

Florence-Firestone Community Organization
Freemont for Everyone
Fremont for Everyone
Grow the Richmond
House Sacramento
Mountain View YIMBY

Napa-Solano for Everyone
New Way Homes
Northern Neighbors
Pathway to Tomorrow
Peninsula for Everyone
Power CA Action
Redlands YIMBY
Santa Cruz YIMBY
Santa Rosa YIMBY

SF YIMBY
Sloco YIMBY
South Bay YIMBY
Student Homes Coalition
Ventura County YIMBY
Westside for Everyone
YIMBY Action

OPPOSITION:

None received

-- END --

1. Language Access | California Department of Housing and Community Development ↑

2. Language Access Plan (ca.gov) ↑

3. Accessory Dwelling Units | California Department of Housing and Community Development ↑

4. Accountability and Enforcement | California Department of Housing and Community Development ↑

5. ADVISORY FOR MANUFACTURED HOME ROOF MOUNTED SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS (ca.gov) ↑

6. Mobilehome Assistance Center | California Department of Housing and Community Development ↑

ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:AB 413

Author:(Fong)

As Introduced Ver:February 4, 2025

Majority vote

SUMMARY

Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to translate guidelines that explain rights or services available to the public into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people.

Major Provisions

Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to translate guidelines that explain rights or services available to the public into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people.

COMMENTS

Background: HCD administers many of the state's affordable housing funding programs and oversees the state's land use policy. The department has authority to draft guidelines and regulations to implement funding programs and land use bills. The main user of HCD programs are local governments and affordable housing developers. In a few cases HCD provides guidance to the public on rights and services.

Over the past eight years, the Legislature has created a robust policy to encourage the production of ADUs. ADUs are second units a homeowner can build on their property and rent out, use to house an elderly parent or college age child, or use as additional space to accommodate their family. In 2016, AB 2299 (Bloom) and SB 1069 (Wieckowski), permitted ADUs by-right on all residentially-zoned parcels in the state. By permitting an ADU as a second unit on all single-family lots, these laws effectively doubled their allowed density. Recent ADU legislation is having a significant impact. Prior to the Legislature requiring ministerial approval of ADUs in 2017, ADUs were less than 1% of permitted new construction. Now they are approximately 20%, meaning one in five homes constructed is an ADU. According to cities and counties' Annual Progress Reports, nearly 25,000 ADUs were permitted statewide in 2022.

According to a report published by the UC Terner Center for Housing and Innovation, while ADUs represent an opportunity to build wealth as well as housing, racial and socioeconomic disparities and barriers exist to building ADUs for many low- and moderate-income BIPOC households. The report found: "major obstacles to ADU construction include prohibitive costs coupled with a lack of financing options. Other substantial barriers include the complexity of the process, insufficient local support and access to information, unclear regulations that make it difficult to know how or what to build, and concerns about dealing with tenants or having the unit torn down. To lower these barriers and facilitate the construction of ADUs among low- and moderate-income BIPOC homeowners, policymakers should invest in building the capacity of existing community organizations and programs that provide education, community outreach and technical assistance to these homeowners, encourage local and state agencies to reduce fees and streamline permitting to reduce the cost and complexities of building an ADU, and share solutions that make it easier to bring unpermitted units up to code."

HCD created an ADU Handbook to help the public understand their rights and options in building ADUs. The handbook was updated as recently as January 2025. Providing this handbook in multiple languages could help to facilitate the construction of more ADUs and help to alleviate the state's affordable housing crisis.

Threshold languages and IHSS: Over 200 languages are spoken in California, and approximately 44% of Californians over the age of four live in households where a language other than English is sometimes or always spoken. The Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, added by Chapter 1182, Statutes of 1973, states that it is the intention of the Legislature to "provide for effective communication between all levels of government in this state and the people of this state who are precluded from utilizing public services because of language barriers" (GOV 7291). This Act requires state agencies that are directly engaged in providing information and/or services to a "substantial number" of non-English-speaking individuals to take a number of steps to ensure that information and services are provided in languages other than English. These steps include, among others, translating certain materials into any non-English language spoken by a substantial number of the public served by the agency. The Act defines a "substantial number of non-English-speaking people" to mean members of a group "who either do not speak English, or who are unable to effectively communicate in English because it is not their native language, and who comprise five percent or more of the people served by the statewide or any local office or facility of a state agency" (Government Code Section 7296.2).

The languages in which materials and information must be provided to meet the standards of the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act or similar requirements are often referred to as "threshold languages." Different programs and localities may establish varying threshold languages. However, counties may establish other threshold languages.

According to the Author

"California continues to be plagued by its housing crisis, short millions of the units needed to begin to reduce the burden of housing costs. This has contributed to homelessness, eroded our quality of life, and stifled our economy. Recent changes in housing law have reduced barriers to building new units and created pathways and opportunities for households to increase their financial stability while building housing, but awareness of these changes and resources are low, especially among minorities and non-English households.

California has long recognized the right of citizens to be able to communicate with their governments, that language barriers denied citizens of rights and benefits to which they would otherwise be entitled, and declared that we should provide for effective communication with people who are precluded from utilizing public services because of language barriers. To continue to make progress in our housing efforts and access to public information, AB 413 requires the Housing and Community Development Department evaluate its publications and translate materials as required under the law. AB 413 delivers language justice in addition to economic justice while tackling one of our state's greatest crises."

Arguments in Support

According to the Westside for Everyone, a supporter of this bill, "To facilitate the application of state housing laws, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) produces handbooks, guides, and other resources available to the public. These materials, including explanations on utilizing state laws to construct ADUs and other housing types, are currently available only in English. Recognizing California's linguistic diversity, with approximately 44% of residents over the age of five speaking a language other than English at home, HCD introduced a Language Access Plan in July 2022 to provide equitable language assistance to community partners and customers. Despite this initiative, key resources like the ADU handbook remain untranslated, limiting their accessibility for non-English-speaking residents."

Arguments in Opposition

None on file.

FISCAL COMMENTS

According to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations:

HCD estimates one-time General Fund contracting costs of approximately $200,000 to $300,000 to translate all guidelines, handbooks, forms, and other technical materials that are generally used by the public. HCD anticipates ongoing costs of an unknown amount to adopt or update future documents available to the public.

VOTES

ASM HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: 11-0-1

YES: Haney, Patterson, Ávila Farías, Caloza, Garcia, Kalra, Lee, Quirk-Silva, Ta, Wicks, Wilson

ABS, ABST OR NV: Tangipa

ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 13-0-2

YES: Wicks, Arambula, Calderon, Caloza, Dixon, Elhawary, Fong, Mark González, Hart, Pacheco, Pellerin, Solache, Ta

ABS, ABST OR NV: Sanchez, Tangipa

UPDATED

VERSION: February 4, 2025

CONSULTANT: Lisa Engel / H. & C.D. / (916) 319-2085 FN: 0000584

Date of Hearing: May 7, 2025

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Buffy Wicks, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 413

Author:(Fong) – As Introduced Ver:February 4, 2025

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to translate all guidelines that explain rights or services available to the public into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people.

Specifically, this bill requires HCD to do the following:

1. Review all guidelines it has adopted or amended to determine whether those guidelines explain rights or services available to the public. 
2. Translate guidelines meeting the criteria above, into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, as defined by the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act.

FISCAL EFFECT:

HCD estimates one-time General Fund contracting costs of approximately $200,000 to $300,000 to translate all guidelines, handbooks, forms, and other technical materials that are generally used by the public. HCD anticipates ongoing costs of an unknown amount to adopt or update future documents available to the public.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author:

Recent changes in housing law have reduced barriers to building new units and created pathways and opportunities for households to increase their financial stability while building housing, but awareness of these changes and resources are low, especially among minorities and non-English households.

California has long recognized the right of citizens to be able to communicate with their governments, that language barriers denied citizens of rights and benefits to which they would otherwise be entitled, and declared that we should provide for effective communication with people who are precluded from utilizing public services because of language barriers. To continue to make progress in our housing efforts and access to public information, [this bill] requires HCD to evaluate its publications and translate materials as required under the law. This bill delivers language justice in addition to economic justice while tackling one of our state’s greatest crises.

1. Background. HCD administers many of the state’s affordable housing funding programs and oversees the state’s land use policy. The department has authority to draft guidelines and regulations to implement funding programs and land use bills. The main users of HCD programs are local governments and affordable housing developers. In a few cases HCD provides guidance to the public on rights and services. For example, HCD created an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) handbook to help members of the public understand their rights and options in building ADUs. The handbook was updated in January 2025.

Over 200 languages are spoken in California, and approximately 44% of Californians over the age of four live in households where a language other than English is sometimes or always spoken. The Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, added by Chapter 1182, Statutes of 1973, requires state agencies that are directly engaged in providing information or services to a “substantial number” of non-English-speaking individuals (defined as 5% or more of the people served statewide) to take steps to ensure that information and services are provided in languages other than English. These steps include, among others, translating certain materials into any non-English language spoken by a substantial number of the public served by the agency, often referred to as a “threshold language.” Different programs and localities may establish varying threshold languages.

According to California YIMBY, sponsor of this bill:

To facilitate the application of state housing laws, HCD produces handbooks, guides, and other resources available to the public. These materials, including explanations on utilizing state laws to construct ADUs and other housing types, are currently available only in English. Recognizing California's linguistic diversity, HCD introduced a Language Access Plan in July 2022 to provide equitable language assistance to community partners and customers. Despite this initiative, key resources like the ADU handbook remain untranslated, limiting their accessibility for non-English-speaking residents.

This bill requires HCD to translate state housing guidelines and handbooks into non-English languages commonly spoken in California.

Analysis Prepared by: Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 24, 2025

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Matt Haney, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 413 (

Author:Fong) – As Introduced Ver:February 4, 2025

SUBJECT: Department of Housing and Community Development: guidelines: translation

SUMMARY: Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to translate guidelines that explain rights or services available to the public into any non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of non-English-speaking people.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Provides that HCD has various powers including the power to provide bilingual staff in connection with services of the department and make available departmental publications in a language other than English when necessary to effectively serve groups for which the services or publications are made available. (Health and Safety Code Section 50406)
2. Defines a “substantial number of non-English-speaking people” are members of a group who either do not speak English, or who are unable to effectively communicate in English because it is not their native language, and who comprise 5% or more of the people served by the statewide or any local office or facility of a state agency.  (Government (GOV) Code Section 7296.2)
3. Authorizes HCD to review, adopt, amend, or repeal guidelines to implement uniform standards or criteria that supplement or clarify the terms, references, for the implantation of statute governing accessory dwelling units (ADUs). (GOV 66327)

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown.

COMMENTS:

Author’s Statement: According to the author, “California continues to be plagued by its housing crisis, short millions of the units needed to begin to reduce the burden of housing costs. This has contributed to homelessness, eroded our quality of life, and stifled our economy. Recent changes in housing law have reduced barriers to building new units and created pathways and opportunities for households to increase their financial stability while building housing, but awareness of these changes and resources are low, especially among minorities and non-English households.

California has long recognized the right of citizens to be able to communicate with their governments, that language barriers denied citizens of rights and benefits to which they would otherwise be entitled, and declared that we should provide for effective communication with people who are precluded from utilizing public services because of language barriers. To continue to make progress in our housing efforts and access to public information, AB 413 requires the Housing and Community Development Department evaluate its publications and translate materials as required under the law. AB 413 delivers language justice in addition to economic justice while tackling one of our state’s greatest crises.”

Background: HCD administers many of the state’s affordable housing funding programs and oversees the state’s land use policy. The department has authority to draft guidelines and regulations to implement funding programs and land use bills. The main user of HCD programs are local governments and affordable housing developers. In a few cases HCD provides guidance to the public on rights and services.

Over the past eight years, the Legislature has created a robust policy to encourage the production of ADUs. ADUs are second units a homeowner can build on their property and rent out, use to house an elderly parent or college age child, or use as additional space to accommodate their family. In 2016, AB 2299 (Bloom) and SB 1069 (Wieckowski), permitted ADUs by-right on all residentially-zoned parcels in the state. By permitting an ADU as a second unit on all single-family lots, these laws effectively doubled their allowed density. Recent ADU legislation is having a significant impact. Prior to the Legislature requiring ministerial approval of ADUs in 2017, ADUs were less than 1% of permitted new construction. Now they are approximately 20%, meaning one in five homes constructed is an ADU. According to cities and counties’ Annual Progress Reports, nearly 25,000 ADUs were permitted statewide in 2022.

According to a report published by the UC Terner Center for Housing and Innovation, while ADUs represent an opportunity to build wealth as well as housing, racial and socioeconomic disparities and barriers exist to building ADUs for many low- and moderate-income BIPOC households.^[1] The report found: “major obstacles to ADU construction include prohibitive costs coupled with a lack of financing options. Other substantial barriers include the complexity of the process, insufficient local support and access to information, unclear regulations that make it difficult to know how or what to build, and concerns about dealing with tenants or having the unit torn down. To lower these barriers and facilitate the construction of ADUs among low- and moderate-income BIPOC homeowners, policymakers should invest in building the capacity of existing community organizations and programs that provide education, community outreach and technical assistance to these homeowners, encourage local and state agencies to reduce fees and streamline permitting to reduce the cost and complexities of building an ADU, and share solutions that make it easier to bring unpermitted units up to code.”

HCD created an ADU Handbook to help the public understand their rights and options in building ADUs. The handbook was updated as recently as January 2025. Providing this handbook in multiple languages could help to facilitate the construction of more ADUs and help to alleviate the state’s affordable housing crisis.

Threshold languages and IHSS: Over 200 languages are spoken in California, and approximately 44% of Californians over the age of four live in households where a language other than English is sometimes or always spoken. The Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, added by Chapter 1182, Statutes of 1973, states that it is the intention of the Legislature to “provide for effective communication between all levels of government in this state and the people of this state who are precluded from utilizing public services because of language barriers” (GOV 7291). This Act requires state agencies that are directly engaged in providing information and/or services to a “substantial number” of non-English-speaking individuals to take a number of steps to ensure that information and services are provided in languages other than English. These steps include, among others, translating certain materials into any non-English language spoken by a substantial number of the public served by the agency. The Act defines a “substantial number of non-English-speaking people” to mean members of a group “who either do not speak English, or who are unable to effectively communicate in English because it is not their native language, and who comprise five percent or more of the people served by the statewide or any local office or facility of a state agency” (Government Code Section 7296.2).

The languages in which materials and information must be provided to meet the standards of the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act or similar requirements are often referred to as “threshold languages.” Different programs and localities may establish varying threshold languages. However, counties may establish other threshold languages.

Arguments in Support: According to the Westside for Everyone, a supporter of this bill, “To facilitate the application of state housing laws, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) produces handbooks, guides, and other resources available to the public. These materials, including explanations on utilizing state laws to construct ADUs and other housing types, are currently available only in English. Recognizing California's linguistic diversity, with approximately 44% of residents over the age of five speaking a language other than English at home, HCD introduced a Language Access Plan in July 2022 to provide equitable language assistance to community partners and customers. Despite this initiative, key resources like the ADU handbook remain untranslated, limiting their accessibility for non-English-speaking residents.”

Arguments in Opposition: None on file.

Related Legislation:

AB 401 (Chiu) (2021): Would have required all standard information employee pamphlets to be provided in any language that is a Medi-Cal threshold language in any county, and required EDD to translate its online website. This bill died in in Senate Appropriations Committee.

AB 1848 (Bauer-Kahan) (2022): Would have required school districts, public and charter schools to send all records in the primary language other than English when the primary language is one of the two most commonly spoken languages, is spoken by 15% or more of the pupils enrolled, or is spoken by 15% or more of the residents in any county. This bill died in Assembly Education Committee.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

California YIMBY (Sponsor)
California Community Builders
Casita Coalition
Fremont for Everyone
House Sacramento
Pathway to Tomorrow

Redlands YIMBY
Student Homes Coalition
Ventura County YIMBY
Westside for Everyone

Opposition

None on file.

Analysis Prepared by: Dori Ganetsos / H. & C.D. / (916) 319-2085

1. ADUs for All: Breaking Down Barriers to Racial and Economic Equity in Accessory Dwelling Unit Construction, Terner Center and Center for Community Innovation Report • August 2022 ↑