Environmental quality: archaeological resources: qualifications.

The California Environmental Quality Act, referred to as CEQA, requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report 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 determine whether a project may have a significant effect on archaeological resources. CEQA requires the Office of Planning and Research to prepare, develop, and review on a biennial basis, and the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to certify and adopt, guidelines for the implementation of CEQA. This bill would require the office, on its next review of the guidelines, to prepare and develop proposed changes and amendments to the guidelines to establish standards for proper archaeological evaluation conducted for the purposes of CEQA.