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. Existing law establishes regulations related to numerous environmental issues. This bill would enact the Sustainable Environmental Protection Act and would specify the environmental review required pursuant to CEQA for projects related to specified environmental topical areas. In a judicial action or proceeding filed challenging an action taken by a lead agency on the ground of noncompliance with CEQA, the bill would prohibit a cause of action that (1) alleges noncompliance with CEQA based on any topical area or criteria for which compliance obligations are identified or (2) challenges the environmental document based on noncompliance with CEQA if: (A) the environmental document discloses compliance with applicable environmental law, (B) the project conforms with the use designation, density, or building intensity in an applicable plan, as defined, and (C) the project approval incorporates applicable mitigation requirements into the environmental document. The bill would provide that the Sustainable Environmental Protection Act only applies if the lead agency or project applicant has agreed to provide to the public in a readily accessible electronic format an annual compliance report prepared pursuant to the mitigation monitoring and reporting program. Because this bill would impose additional duties on local agencies, it 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.
Sponsored bills
This measure would designate Monday, May 4, 2015, as California Peace Officers' Memorial Day, and would urge all Californians to honor those individuals who have given their lives for our safety and express appreciation to those who continue to dedicate themselves to making California a safer place in which to live and raise our families.
This measure would designate the month of April 2015 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and would recognize April 29, 2015, as Denim Day California.
This measure would proclaim the week of October 18 through October 24, 2015, as Voter Awareness Week.
This measure would recognize the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act of 1965, affirm the Legislature's continuing support for the goals of the act, and memorialize the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate to reauthorize the act.
This measure would proclaim the month of May 2015 as Arthritis Awareness Month.
This measure would designate May 29, 2015, as 529 College Savings Day, to raise awareness about the importance of saving for college with the help of 529 college savings plans.
This measure would recognize the essential role that museums have in the State of California as educational institutions and would proclaim May 2015 as California Museum Month.
This measure would recognize May 2015 as Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.
This measure would recognize the week of April 19 to April 25, 2015, inclusive, as Crime Victims' Rights Week in California.