California Environmental Quality Act: priority projects.

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 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 establishes procedures by which a person may seek judicial review of the decision of the lead agency made pursuant to CEQA and the judicial remedies available. This bill would authorize each Member of the Legislature to nominate one project within his or her respective district each year, and the Governor to designate those projects as priority projects if the projects meet specified requirements. The bill would require the Governor to provide a notice of the designation to the appropriate lead agency and to the Office of Planning and Research. The bill would require the lead agency to notify the public and interested stakeholders of the designation, as specified, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. The bill would require that an environmental impact report be prepared for each priority project, but would authorize tiering from previously prepared reports, as specified. The bill would prohibit the court from staying or enjoining the implementation of a priority project unless the court makes specified findings and would limit any stay or injunction, as provided. 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.