Existing law establishes in the state government, in the Government Operations Agency, the Department of General Services and provides that the department is under the control of an executive officer known as the Director of General Services. Existing law requires each state agency annually to review certain proprietary state lands over which it has jurisdiction to determine what land, if any, is in excess of its foreseeable needs and report this in writing to the department. Existing law, by January 1, 2024, requires the department to prepare and report to the Legislature a streamlined plan to transition underutilized multistory state buildings into housing for the purpose of expanding affordable housing development and adaptive reuse opportunities.

This bill, by January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, would require the department to conduct an audit of utilization of state office buildings to determine opportunities to consolidate the square footage of office space given to a state agency, as provided. The bill would also authorize and require the department, in accordance with the findings of the above-described audit, to consolidate space within a state office building at the suite, floor, and building level. The bill would require any space made available by this consolidation to be reserved for use by the University of California, California State University, and the California Community Colleges. The bill would also make related findings and declarations.

11011.9.5.

(a) The legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The state owns an excess of land that has the potential to be suitable for conversion to affordable housing, use for other state agencies, and usable retail space.

(2) While the Department of General Services has made efforts to identify buildings in order to convert excess state properties into affordable housing, the change in remote work patterns necessitates an effort to maximize utilization for state-owned office buildings that are not candidates for disposal and conversion.

(3) It is in the interest of the Legislature, on behalf of the people of California, to ensure this problem is treated with expediency.

(b) For the purposes of this section, “department” means the Department of General Services.

(c) No later than January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the department shall conduct an audit of the suite-level, floor-level, and building-level utilization of state office buildings to determine opportunities to consolidate the square footage of office space given to a state agency without reducing the total number of employees within the department.

(d) The department is authorized to, and shall, consolidate space within a state office building at the suite, floor, and building level, in accordance with the findings of an audit conducted pursuant to subdivision (c).

(e) Any space made available by the consolidation in subdivision (d) shall be reserved for use by the University of California, California State University, and the California Community Colleges.