Melissa Hurtado
- Democratic
- Senator
- District 16
Author
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 or mitigated negative declaration, as specified, if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA includes exemptions from its environmental review requirements for numerous categories of projects, as prescribed. This bill would, with certain specified exceptions, exempt from CEQA certain projects consisting solely of the installation, repair, or reconstruction of water infrastructure, as specified, that primarily benefits a small disadvantaged community water system, as defined, or a state small water system, as defined, by improving the small disadvantaged community water system's or state small water system's water quality, water supply, or water supply reliability, by encouraging water conservation, or by providing drinking water service to existing residences within a disadvantaged community, a small disadvantaged community water system, or a state small water system where there is evidence that the water exceeds maximum contaminant levels for primary or secondary drinking water standards or where the drinking water well is no longer able to produce an adequate supply of safe drinking water. To qualify for this CEQA exemption, the bill would require these projects to meet certain labor requirements and certain conditions, including fully mitigating all construction impacts and not affecting wetlands or sensitive habitat. The bill would also define various terms for purposes of this exemption. The bill would require the lead agency, before determining a project is exempt under these provisions, to contact the State Water Resources Control Board to determine whether claiming the exemption will affect the ability of the small disadvantaged community water system or the state small water system from receiving federal financial assistance or federally capitalized financial assistance. If the lead agency approves or carries out a project that is exempt from CEQA by the above provisions, the bill would require the lead agency to file a notice of exemption with the Office of Planning and Research and the county clerk of the county in which the project is located, as provided. Because a lead agency would be required to file the notice of exemption with the Office of Planning and Research and the county clerk, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would repeal this exemption on January 1, 2028. 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.
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 234, Statutes of 2020.
Approved by the Governor.
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 34. Noes 3.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 71. Noes 3. Page 5289.) Ordered to the Senate.
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
Read third time and amended.
Ordered to third reading.
(Corrected August 24).
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (August 18).
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 1.) (August 6).
July 29 hearing postponed by committee.
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 33. Noes 6. Page 3882.) Ordered to the Assembly.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Ordered to second reading.
Read third time and amended.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
Set for hearing June 9.
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 3621.) (May 29).
Set for hearing May 29.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on EQ.
April 1 hearing postponed by committee.
Set for hearing April 1.
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 13.
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
| Bill Text Versions | Format |
|---|---|
| SB974 | HTML |
| 02/11/20 - Introduced | |
| 03/24/20 - Amended Senate | |
| 06/02/20 - Amended Senate | |
| 06/18/20 - Amended Senate | |
| 08/13/20 - Amended Assembly | |
| 08/20/20 - Amended Assembly | |
| 08/25/20 - Amended Assembly | |
| 09/03/20 - Enrolled | |
| 09/28/20 - Chaptered |
| Document | Format |
|---|---|
| No related documents. |
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