SB 389

  • California Senate Bill
  • 2015-2016 Regular Session
  • Introduced in Senate Feb 25, 2015
  • Senate
  • Assembly
  • Governor

Environmental quality: the Sustainable Environmental Protection Act.

Abstract

The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report, or 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. For 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) relates any topical area or criteria for which compliance obligations are identified or (2) challenges the environmental document 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.

Bill Sponsors (12)

Votes


Actions


Feb 01, 2016

Senate

Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

Apr 30, 2015

Senate

April 29 set for first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 2. Noes 5. Page 858.) Reconsideration granted.

Apr 17, 2015

Senate

Set for hearing April 29.

Apr 16, 2015

Senate

Re-referred to Coms. on E.Q. and JUD.

  • Referral-Committee
Coms. on E.Q. and JUD.

Apr 06, 2015

Senate

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  • Referral-Committee
  • Reading-2
  • Amendment-Passage
  • Committee-Passage
  • Reading-1
Com. on RLS.

Mar 05, 2015

Senate

Referred to Com. on RLS.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on RLS.

Feb 26, 2015

Senate

From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 28.

Feb 25, 2015

Senate

Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Bill Text

Bill Text Versions Format
SB389 HTML
02/25/15 - Introduced PDF
04/06/15 - Amended Senate PDF

Related Documents

Document Format
No related documents.

Sources

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