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AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 6, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

95

Introduced by Assembly Member Schultz

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Rogers)

February 20, 2026

An act to add Section 18944.23 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to building standards.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Existing law, the California Building Standards Law, establishes the California Building Standards Commission. Existing law requires the commission to approve and adopt building standards and to codify those standards in the California Building Standards Code. Existing law, the State Housing Law, establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards for buildings used for human habitation.

Existing law, until January 1, 2033, requires the commission and the department, commencing with the next triennial edition of the code adopted after January 1, 2023, to research and develop, and authorizes the commission and the department to propose for adoption by the commission, mandatory building standards for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations in existing multifamily dwellings, hotels, motels, and nonresidential developments, as specified.

This bill would authorize the commission, commencing with the first triennial edition of the code adopted after June 1, 2031, to adopt, approve, codify, and publish building energy standards for building electrical circuit features to enable a qualified plug-in photovoltaic system, as defined, to function as an energy source within the electrical circuit of a single-family residential dwelling, multiunit residential dwelling, or nonresidential development, that is constructed after that edition is adopted, as specified. The bill would, for purposes of that requirement, require the department to research, develop, and propose for adoption building energy standards for a qualified plug-in photovoltaic system to function as an energy source within the electrical circuit of a single-family residential dwelling, multiunit residential dwelling, or nonresidential development, as specified. The bill would require the commission and the department, in satisfying those requirements, to, among other things, consult with certain interested parties and invite the participation of the public at large in the development of those building energy standards through open consensus-based processes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

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

(1) The health and well-being of California residents depends on maintaining affordability and improving resiliency at a time of increased cost pressure on the electricity grid.

(2) When paired with energy storage and smart power control, onsite solar generation is an affordable option to increase clean energy availability, reliability, and resiliency.

(3) California’s rooftop solar policy is an integral part of the state’s clean energy achievements with millions of solar systems installed to date.

(4) California renters, apartment dwellers, condominium residents, and low-income households can particularly benefit from additional options for onsite solar systems.

(5) To expand onsite solar access for renters and multiunit dwellers, European countries, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, developed standards and adopted policies to allow their residents to easily integrate small solar systems into homes with a class of portable technologies known as plug-in photovoltaic systems.

(6) The ability to use a plug-in photovoltaic system as an energy source within the home circuit requires the establishment of safety standards and appropriate product certifications to prevent overloading onsite circuits or unintended energy export onto the distribution grid.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to do all of the following:

(1) Ensure the safety of plug-in photovoltaic systems as an affordable option for California residents and businesses, especially renters, multiunit dwellers and local small businesses, to increase energy affordability and resiliency.

(2) Ensure plug-in photovoltaic systems can integrate with onsite electrical systems with applicable product standards and building energy standards.

(3) Ensure California renters, multiunit dwellers, and small businesses can safely use plug-in photovoltaic systems to meet their energy affordability and resiliency needs.

SEC. 2.

Section 18944.23 is added to the Health and Safety Code, following 18944.21, to read:

18944.23.

(a) (1) Commencing with the first triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) adopted after June 1, 2031, the commission may adopt, approve, codify, and publish building energy standards for building electrical circuit features to enable a qualified plug-in photovoltaic system to function as an energy source within the electrical circuit of a single-family residential dwelling, multiunit residential dwelling, or nonresidential development, that is constructed after the adoption of the first triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) after June 1, 2031.

(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the Department of Housing and Development shall research, develop, and propose for adoption building energy standards for a qualified plug-in photovoltaic system to function as an energy source within the electrical circuit of a single-family residential dwelling, multiunit residential dwelling, or nonresidential development, that is constructed after the adoption of the first triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) after June 1, 2031.

(b) In satisfying the requirements of subdivision (a), the commission and the Department of Housing and Community Development shall do all of the following:

(1) Consult with interested parties, including, but not limited to, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, electrical safety standard setting bodies, photovoltaic and battery equipment manufacturers, commercial building and apartment owners, and the building industry.

(2) Invite the participation of the public at large in the development of those building energy standards through open consensus-based processes.

(3) Propose new construction building electrical standards that allow a qualified plug-in photovoltaic system with appropriate grid protective functions and rapid shutdown features to function as an energy source for a building’s electrical circuit by connecting to a receptacle.

(4) Propose building circuit design features to allow a qualified plug-in photovoltaic system to provide limited backup power functions during outages.

(c) For purposes of this section, “qualified plug-in photovoltaic system” means a device that meets all of the following conditions:

(1) It is designed to be connected to a building’s electrical system through a receptacle.

(2) It is intended to offset the customer’s onsite electricity consumption.

(3) It meets the standards of the most recent version of the National Electrical Code, as published by the National Fire Protection Association, and of the California Electrical Code (Part 3 (commencing with Section 89.101.1) of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations).

(4) It is certified as a plug-in photovoltaic system by the Underwriters Laboratories to UL 3700 to function as a plug-in energy source to a building’s electrical system with safety features to prevent fire and electrical hazards.