Overview

• The Senate approved SB 79 on a 21–8 concurrence vote Friday, a day after the Assembly passed it 41–17, clearing the way for delivery to the governor in October.
• SB 79 overrides local zoning near transit to allow taller housing: up to nine stories adjacent to certain stops, seven within a quarter-mile, and six within a half-mile.
• The measure automatically upzones land within a quarter-mile of major transit, establishes ministerial approvals for qualifying projects within a half-mile, and lets transit agencies build at higher density on their property.
• Support expanded after the State Building and Construction Trades Council dropped its opposition in exchange for union hiring provisions, alongside strengthened affordability and renter protections.
• The Los Angeles City Council voted 8–5 to oppose the bill and residents have protested in multiple Southern California communities, citing concerns about effects on single-family neighborhoods.