California Environmental Quality Act: disclosure: identity and interests.

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 the courts to give an action or proceeding alleging noncompliance with CEQA preference over all other civil actions. CEQA requires superior courts in counties with a population of more than 200,000 people to designate one or more judges to develop expertise in CEQA and certain related laws so that those judges will be available to hear and quickly resolve actions or proceedings alleging noncompliance with CEQA. This bill would require, in all actions or proceedings brought pursuant to the provisions of CEQA, that a filing party include with the filing a disclosure of the identity and interests of the party, as provided. The bill would authorize a court to request more information as needed, including, but not limited to, financial statements and testimony, in the event a filing party that has previously brought an action or proceeding concerning a project makes a subsequent filing in an action or proceeding concerning the same project. Because the bill would impose additional duties on a lead agency that is a filing party to an action or proceeding, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.