The law also establishes a "substantial hardship exception" which allows a public agency to impose a parking mandate within 0.5 miles of a major transit stop if the agency submits an application with evidence of a negative impact upon either the agency's ability to meet its RHNA obligations for low and very low income residents, disabled and elderly residents, or existing residential or commercial parking within 0.5 miles of a housing development project.

Initially drafted as AB 1401 in 2021, the bill was passed by the Assembly but died in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

[3] Refiled in 2022 as AB 2097, the bill was passed by both houses by August 30, 2022, and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 22, 2022.

[4][5] Taking effect on January 1, 2023, California became the second state after Oregon to eliminate parking minimums near public transit.

[9] On September 22, 2024, Newsom signed AB 2712, also drafted by Friedman, into law, prohibiting the city of Los Angeles from issuing preferential parking permits to residents of new developments which are exempt from parking mandates under AB 2097 unless the city provides a written application for hardship.