Environmental quality: California Environmental Quality Act: scoping meeting and notice of completion.

(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 requires a lead agency to provide to, among others, an organization or individual who has filed a written request a notice of at least one scoping meeting for projects of statewide, regional, or areawide significance. This bill would additionally require the lead agency to provide the above notice to a public agency that has filed a written request for the notice, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. (2) CEQA requires that notices regarding a lead agency determination to require an EIR or other actions taken pursuant to that act be mailed to every person who files a written request. This bill would additionally require a notice of completion of an EIR by a public agency to be mailed upon request, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program by imposing new duties upon local agencies. (3) CEQA requires the State Clearinghouse to provide to a legislator in whose district a project has an environmental impact the notice of completion of an EIR on the project if the legislator requests the notice and the State Clearinghouse has received the notice. This bill would instead require the State Clearinghouse to provide a notice of a determination by a lead agency that an EIR is required for a project and a notice of completion of an EIR by a public agency if the legislator requests the notice and the State Clearinghouse has received the requested notice. (4) 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.