Environmental quality: notices.

(1) The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report (EIR) on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA requires a lead agency to provide specified notices, including among others, a notice determining the necessity for an EIR, to be mailed to every person who has filed a written request for notices. CEQA requires the notice of completion of an EIR be provided, upon request, by the State Clearinghouse to a legislator in whose district the project has an environmental impact if the State Clearinghouse has received the notice. This bill would additionally require the lead agency to provide a notice of completion of an EIR to every person who has filed a written request for notices, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. The bill would additionally require the State Clearinghouse to provide, upon request, to the legislator a notice determining the necessity for an EIR. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.