The Assembly Appropriations Committee advanced AB 1061 on April 30, 2025. Assemblymember Quirk-Silva, who presented the bill, said the measure would remove barriers to housing development by allowing the California Home Act (SB 9 of 2021) to apply to historic districts so long as projects do not demolish existing historic structures.

AB 1061, Quirk-Silva said, aims to “prevent the misuse of historic preservation laws to block new housing and expand opportunities for homeownership and multiunit housing in more neighborhoods.” Max Dubler, policy manager at California YIMBY, told the committee the bill “sets out standards for SB 9 duplexes and lot splits in historic districts. It balances housing production and historic preservation by forbidding SB 9 projects at individually listed historic sites and requiring that these projects maintain the street facing appearance of homes that contribute to historic districts.”

The bill’s presenter said SB 9 has not produced a large number of permits since enactment in 2021, and that excluding historic neighborhoods from SB 9 has been a primary reason for that slow uptake. The presenter and a YIMBY witness told the committee local governments could charge planning fees to cover any related costs; Max Dubler described the fiscal impact as minimal.

Committee action: AB 1061 was moved out of the committee on a roll call. The clerk recorded Assemblymember Alanis voting aye; Assemblymember Hart was recorded as not voting.