Senator Grove's legislation ratifies amendments to California's gaming compact with the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians, addressing federal requirements for tribal gaming exclusivity while streamlining environmental review processes for specific tribal development activities.

The amendments serve two primary purposes: extending the tribe's existing gaming compact from 1999 and incorporating provisions that guarantee the Big Sandy Rancheria's exclusive rights to conduct Class III gaming operations in California. These changes respond to the U.S. Department of Interior's previous disapproval of a January 2024 compact due to insufficient exclusivity provisions under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The bill creates specific exemptions from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review for certain tribal activities. These exemptions apply to the execution of compact amendments, intergovernmental agreements between the tribe and local or state agencies, on-reservation impacts of compact compliance, and infrastructure projects supporting tribal facilities. However, the legislation maintains CEQA requirements for non-tribal entities, including city, county, and state agency actions not explicitly exempted.

As an urgency measure requiring a two-thirds legislative majority, the bill would take immediate effect upon passage. The amendments align with federal Indian gaming regulations while preserving the state's environmental review framework for non-tribal entities.