AB 752
Child daycare facilities.
Vote required
Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
Chaptered
Take action
Record your position on this measure.
Sign in to record your position, submit testimony, or contact your legislator.
Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill modifies California law to ensure that daycare centers located within multifamily housing are treated as a residential use of property and a ‘use by right,’ similar to family daycare homes. It prohibits local jurisdictions from imposing business license fees or other charges on these colocated daycare centers, while allowing them to maintain standards related to building heights, health and safety, and nuisance abatement. The bill clarifies definitions and emphasizes compliance with existing building and fire safety regulations and licensing requirements.
Key provisions
- Daycare centers colocated with multifamily housing are considered a ‘use by right’.
- Local jurisdictions cannot impose business license fees on colocated daycare centers.
- Local jurisdictions can still regulate building heights, setbacks, and health/safety standards, mirroring those for multifamily housing.
- Local jurisdictions can enact ordinances to address nuisances, but not distinguish daycare centers from the housing they share.
- The bill defines key terms such as ‘daycare center,’ ‘multifamily housing,’ and ‘colocated.’
- It clarifies that the bill addresses a statewide concern, applying to all cities.
- Daycare centers must still comply with building codes, fire codes, and licensing requirements.
- Design review for daycare centers does not constitute a ‘project’ under CEQA.
Who is affected
- Daycare centers
- Multifamily housing developers
- Local governments (cities, counties)
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Ávila Farías
Arguments in favor
Reasons to support this legislation.
No arguments in favor have been submitted.
Submit yoursArguments opposed
Reasons to oppose this legislation.
No arguments opposed have been submitted.
Submit yoursRead the latest version inline or switch to a previous version.
AB752:v94#DOCUMENT
Bill Start
Assembly Bill No. 752
CHAPTER 164
An act to add Section 1597.22 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to daycare facilities.
[ Approved by Governor October 01, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 01, 2025. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 752, Ávila Farías. Child daycare facilities.
Existing law, the California Child Day Care Facilities Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of daycare centers and family daycare homes by the State Department of Social Services. Under existing law, the use of a home as a small or large family daycare home is considered a residential use of property and a use by right for the purposes of all local ordinances, including zoning ordinances, and a local jurisdiction is prohibited from imposing a business license, fee, or tax for the privilege of operating a small or large family daycare home. Existing law also exempts small and large family daycare homes from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act.
This bill would similarly require a daycare center, as defined, when colocated with multifamily housing, to be considered a residential use of property and a use by right, as defined. The bill would similarly prohibit a local jurisdiction from imposing a charge, tax, or fee for a business license, equivalent instrument, or permit for the privilege of operating a daycare center that is colocated with multifamily housing.
The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1597.22 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:
1597.22.
(a) When colocated with multifamily housing, the use of a daycare center shall be considered a residential use of property and a use by right.
(b) A local jurisdiction shall not impose a charge, tax, or fee for a business license, equivalent instrument, or permit for the privilege of operating a daycare center that is colocated with multifamily housing.
(c) This section does not preclude a local jurisdiction from doing any of the following:
(1) Placing restrictions on building heights, setback, or lot dimensions of a daycare center, as long as those restrictions are identical to those applied to multifamily housing colocated with that daycare center.
(2) Enacting a local ordinance related to health and safety, building standards, environmental impact standards, or any other matter within the jurisdiction of a local public entity, as long as the local ordinance, as applied to a daycare center, are identical to those applied to multifamily housing colocated with the daycare center.
(3) Enacting a local ordinance to abate nuisances. However, ordinances or nuisance abatement measures shall not distinguish a daycare center from the multifamily housing colocated with the daycare center.
(d) This section shall not relieve a daycare center from complying with all requirements under the California Building Standards Code, the California Fire Code, and other state laws relating to life and fire safety in daycare centers.
(e) This section shall not relieve a daycare center from complying with all state licensing laws and requirements.
(f) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) “Daycare center” has the same meaning as “day care center,” as defined in Section 1596.76.
(2) “Multifamily housing” means residential housing with five units or more.
(3) “Colocated” means operating within, or on the same grounds as, multifamily housing.
(4) “Local jurisdiction” means a city, county, or city and county.
(5) “Use by right” means that a local government’s review of a daycare center may not require a conditional use permit, planned unit development permit, or any other discretionary local government review or approval that would constitute a “project” for purposes of Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code. A local ordinance may provide that “use by right” does not exempt the use from design review. However, that design review shall not constitute a “project” for purposes of Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code.
(g) The Legislature finds and declares that this section addresses a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution. Therefore, this section applies to all cities, including charter cities.