California Governor Gavin Newsom this week signed off on AB 1693, a bill that promises to give brick-and-mortar retailers quicker access to permits for improvements to their storefronts, a provision he believes will make it easier—and more attractive—to do business in the state.

Democratic Caucus Chair and Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) announced Monday that the governor’s office had approved the legislation, which creates a more predictable and streamlined permitting process for retailers to undertake renovations on their commercial spaces.

Sponsored by Zbur, the California Retailers Association (CRA) and WC3 Chambers of Commerce, a coalition of chambers in West Los Angeles, the new law will allow retailers making upgrades to existing buildings to hire qualified architects and engineers to certify their plans, which must meet certain structural and safety standards. Once applications are submitted, they are to be reviewed and approved or denied in 20 days or less by local building departments.

According to the sponsors, the rule will provide better assurances when it comes to timelines so retailers looking to up their commercial appeal aren’t mired in bureaucratic processes that take months to complete.

The measure also represents a feather in Newsom’s cap as he looks to entice California businesses to deepen their roots in the state. A number of small business bills, including the COMPETE Act, which provides novel protections against statewide monopolies, and AB 1679, which allows small businesses to open temporary pop-ups in empty retail locations and forego onerous permitting processes, were also passed as a part of a package that will take effect Jan.

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