Environmental quality: transportation infrastructure.

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 establishes a procedure by which a person may seek judicial review of the decision of the lead agency made pursuant to CEQA. This bill would exempt from these CEQA provisions a project that consists of the inspection, maintenance, repair, restoration, reconditioning, relocation, replacement, or removal of existing transportation infrastructure if certain conditions are met, and would require the person undertaking these projects to take certain actions, including providing notice to an affected public agency of the project's exemption. Because a lead agency would be required to determine if a project qualifies for this exemption, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would also, in an action or proceeding seeking judicial review under CEQA, prohibit a court from staying or enjoining a transportation infrastructure project that is included in a sustainable communities strategy or an alternate planning strategy and for which a programmatic EIR has been certified unless it makes specified findings. For purpose of these provisions, the bill would specify that a transportation infrastructure project includes a project that consists of new construction of transportation infrastructure or a project that consists of the inspection, maintenance, repair, restoration, reconditioning, relocation, replacement, or removal of existing transportation infrastructure. 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.