SACRAMENTO, California — California lawmakers have passed legislation that would establish a statewide permitting process for heat pump installations, potentially reducing permitting delays and administrative requirements for contractors.

The California Legislature approved SB 222, the Heat Pump Access Act, in a 32-5 vote. Authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the legislation would make California the first state in the nation to streamline heat pump permitting, according to the bill's supporters.

The bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the legislation.

California currently has permitting requirements that vary across roughly 600 local jurisdictions. The release says inconsistent and complex requirements can increase costs and delay heat pump installations.

SB 222 would establish a consistent statewide permitting process. The legislation would require jurisdictions to provide automated permitting for standard heat pump installations and reasonable, transparent permit fees.

It would also create a single permit covering both heat pump HVAC systems and water heaters. The legislation would place limits on certain homeowners association restrictions, documentation requirements and aesthetic requirements.

The Building Decarbonization Coalition, Bay Area Air District and SPUR are co-sponsors of the legislation.

The release also cites data from TECH Clean California showing that households can save an average of $304 annually by switching to a heat pump for space heating and cooling. The same data shows an average annual savings of $97 when replacing a gas water heater with a heat pump water heater.

The legislation's supporters say streamlined permitting could make it easier for contractors and technicians to complete heat pump installations. They also say the measure would support California's goal of installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030 and creating 7 million climate-ready homes by 2035.