New Laws in 2025 that May Impact the North Bay

NBLC 2025 Priorities: New Laws passed in 2025 as reported by The Mercury News

Housing

NBLC Supported, Senate Bill 1395, sponsored by Democratic Menlo Park state Sen. Josh Becker, seeks to ramp up construction of so-called tiny homes by exempting them from the California Environmental Quality Act. The goal? Using tiny homes temporarily to house homeless residents. That’s a strategy embraced by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, though with some controversy. The new law had bipartisan support and faced little opposition from interest groups.

More than 80,000 accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, have been built in California in the last seven years because of laws encouraging them, according to the pro-housing advocacy group California YIMBY. Senate Bill 1211 allows a homeowner to build more detached ADUs on their property than what was previously allowed. The law was sponsored by outgoing Berkeley Sen. Nancy Skinner.

Economic Resiliency

Amsterdam’s famed cannabis “coffeeshops” are coming to California via Assembly Bill 1775, which allows dispensaries to serve non-cannabis food and drinks to customers who can relax and smoke on the premises. These new business will officially be known as “cannabis consumption lounges.” San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney, a Democrat, sponsored the law.

A counterpart in the state Senate, Scott Wiener, also a Democrat, sponsored Senate Bill 969. The law allows cities to create “entertainment zones” where customers can wander while carrying open alcoholic drinks. Wiener pitched the idea as a tool to revitalize cities by removing “needless restrictions.”