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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Schultz</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Name>Schultz</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Section 18944.23 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to building standards. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>building standards</ns0:RelatingClause>
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<ns0:Subject>Building standards: qualified plug-in photovoltaic systems.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require the commission, commencing with the next triennial edition of the code, to adopt, approve, codify, and publish mandatory standards for building electrical circuit features to enable qualified plug-in photovoltaic systems to function as an energy source within a residential dwelling’s or nonresidential development’s electrical circuit, as specified. The bill would, for purposes of that requirement, require the department to research, develop, and propose for adoption mandatory building standards for a qualified plug-in photovoltaic system to function as an energy source within a multiunit dwelling’s electrical circuit. 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 standards through open consensus-based processes.</html:p>
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<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
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<html:p>
(1)
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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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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When paired with energy storage and smart power control, onsite solar generation is an affordable option to increase clean energy availability, reliability, and resiliency.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
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California’s rooftop solar policy is an integral part of the state’s clean energy achievements with millions of solar systems installed on single-family homes.
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<html:p>
(4)
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California renters, apartment dwellers, condominium residents, and low-income households, however, have largely been excluded from the clean energy and resiliency benefits of onsite solar systems.
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(5)
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To allow renters and multifamily unit dwellers to access onsite solar generation, 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.
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(6)
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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.
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(b)
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It is the intent of the Legislature to do all of the following:
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(1)
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Ensure the safety of plug-in photovoltaic systems as an affordable option for California residents and businesses, especially multiunit dwellers and local small businesses, to increase energy affordability and resiliency through the development of applicable building electricity standards.
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(2)
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Ensure plug-in photovoltaic systems can integrate with onsite electrical systems if applicable safety and certification standards are adopted to prevent circuit overloading and electrical fire risks.
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(3)
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Ensure California renters and multifamily unit dwellers and small businesses can safely use plug-in photovoltaic systems to meet their energy affordability and resiliency
needs.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 18944.23 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Health and Safety Code</ns0:DocName>
,
<ns0:Positioning>following 18944.21</ns0:Positioning>
, to read:
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<ns0:Num>18944.23.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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(1)
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Commencing with the next triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations), adopted after January 1, 2027, the commission shall adopt, approve, codify, and publish mandatory building standards for building electrical circuit features to enable a qualified plug-in photovoltaic system to function as an energy source within a residential dwelling’s or nonresidential development’s electrical circuit.
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(2)
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For purposes of paragraph (1), the Department of Housing and Development shall research, develop, and propose for adoption mandatory building standards for a qualified plug-in photovoltaic system to function as an energy source within a multiunit dwelling’s
electrical circuit.
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(b)
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In satisfying the requirements of subdivision (a), the commission and the Department of Housing and Community Development shall do all the following:
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<html:p>
(1)
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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.
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(2)
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Invite the participation of the public at large in the development of those building standards through open consensus-based processes.
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(3)
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Propose 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 standard alternating current electrical outlet with a ground fault circuit interrupter.
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<html:p>
(4)
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Propose product requirements to allow a qualified plug-in photovoltaic system to isolate from the premises wiring in order to provide limited backup power functions during outages.
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(c)
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For purposes of this section, “qualified plug-in photovoltaic system” means a photovoltaic system that is certified by the Underwriters Laboratories, or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory, to function as a plug-in energy source within a building’s electrical circuit with safety features to prevent circuit overloading and unintended export onto the distribution grid.
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