Environmental Review & CEQA Reform

Requires a state study by July 2026 on exempting geothermal waste from hazardous waste fees. Establishes automatic repeal of the study requirement on January 1, 2031. Maintains existing criminal penalties for violations of hazardous waste control laws.

Expedites environmental review for construction projects in areas damaged by fires under state emergency. Requires courts to resolve environmental legal challenges within 270 days of filing. Applies only to projects that comply with local zoning laws in areas affected by fires since 2023. Mandates concurrent preparation of environmental review documents to speed up the process.

Requires California to expand its vegetation treatment program to more areas for wildfire prevention by 2027. Authorizes public agencies to partner with Native American tribes on vegetation management projects. Mandates the inclusion of cultural burning practices and indigenous knowledge in vegetation management. Requires projects to specify plans for managing and potentially selling biomass from vegetation treatments.

Exempts wildfire prevention projects from environmental review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act. Defines wildfire prevention projects to include fuel breaks, forest thinning, prescribed fire, and vegetation management. Allows local agencies to levy fees and charges to fund wildfire prevention programs.

Streamlines environmental review by expanding CEQA exemptions for urban infill projects and housing-related rezonings. Requires mapping of eligible urban infill sites statewide by July 2026 to facilitate development approvals. Maintains strict environmental reviews for distribution centers and oil/gas infrastructure projects. Revises negative declaration requirements to focus on substantial evidence of no environmental impact.

Requires safety testing of oil pipelines that have been inactive for five or more years before restarting operations. Mandates a public review process before issuing financial responsibility certificates for oil-handling facilities. Expands oversight of oil transfers between vessels at marine terminals to prevent spills.

Exempts Sutter County from environmental permits when repairing small bridges and culverts damaged by natural disasters. Applies only to bridges under 30 feet and culverts under 70 feet damaged since 2021. Requires notification to Fish and Wildlife within 14 days of starting repair work. Expires on January 1, 2029.

Extends the California Land Reuse and Revitalization Act for ten additional years through January 1, 2037. Maintains liability protection for qualified landowners who comply with hazardous materials cleanup requirements. Preserves existing immunity provisions for property owners affected by hazardous material contamination.

Expands CEQA exemptions to allow county park agencies to approve public access for nonmotorized recreation. Requires public meetings and 30-day notices before approving changes to recreational access. Applies only to existing trails and paths with no physical alterations or impacts to protected species. Expires on January 1, 2030 unless renewed by the legislature.

Makes technical changes to provisions regarding local hazard mitigation plans in city and county safety elements.

Exempts electrical transmission maintenance and upgrade projects from environmental review requirements. Requires projects to occur within existing rights-of-way and restore the area after completion. Mandates lead agencies to file exemption notices with state and county offices. Supports California's goal to achieve 100% clean energy retail sales by 2045.

Exempts defensible space maintenance projects by public agencies from environmental review requirements. Requires local agencies to determine which projects qualify for the environmental review exemption. Allows local agencies to levy fees to cover costs of implementing the exemption program.

Exempts urgent public health and housing projects from environmental review requirements on urban sites under 15 acres. Requires projects to be within expired habitat conservation plan boundaries with prior environmental review. Allows local agencies to levy fees to cover costs of implementing the new exemption program.

Exempts fire prevention projects from environmental review requirements to expedite wildfire safety measures. Allows fuel modification projects within 500 feet of buildings without environmental permits. Streamlines approval for electrical grid hardening projects by removing environmental review requirements. Requires local agencies to fund implementation through their own fees and assessments.

Eliminates automatic mail ballot delivery to all registered voters and requires voters to request mail ballots. Establishes a new permanent vote-by-mail status that voters can apply for to receive mail ballots automatically. Requires counties to process mail ballot requests between 29 and 7 days before an election. Mandates that mail ballots must be received by election officials before polls close on election day.

Exempts the Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery project from environmental review requirements until 2030. Creates Orange County's first veterans cemetery on 200 acres of public land to serve 90,000 local veterans. Takes effect immediately as an urgency measure to expedite cemetery construction. Requires no state funding as local agencies can levy fees to cover associated costs.

Exempts qualifying geothermal exploratory projects from environmental review requirements in California. Requires projects to avoid disturbing wetlands and limit land disturbance to 20 acres of undeveloped ground. Mandates full restoration of all disturbed areas unless incorporated into future geothermal development. Requires construction workers to receive prevailing wages on exempt geothermal projects.

Removes the requirement for forest harvest areas to be contained within a single watershed boundary. Applies to private forest owners with less than 10,000 acres of timberland. Maintains requirements for sustainable forest management and environmental protection. Requires forest management plans to balance long-term growth with periodic timber harvesting.

Permanently exempts forest health projects on federal lands from state environmental review requirements. Authorizes advance grant payments up to 25% for forest improvement projects to eligible organizations. Requires grantees to spend advance payments within six months and file quarterly accountability reports.

Exempts powerline undergrounding projects from California Environmental Quality Act requirements. Requires local agencies to determine which projects qualify for the new exemption. Allows local agencies to levy fees and charges to cover implementation costs.

Requires a study on keeping environmental review rules fixed from a project's start through completion. Mandates evaluation of how fixed guidelines affect project timelines and regulatory certainty. Requires submission of findings to the Governor and Legislature by January 1, 2027. Automatically expires on January 1, 2028 after the study is completed.

Requires development of state guidelines for measuring greenhouse gas and noise pollution impacts by July 2027. Establishes optional thresholds for local agencies to evaluate environmental impacts in urban and rural areas. Mandates consideration of disadvantaged communities when setting environmental impact standards. Requires public posting of environmental guidelines on the state website.

Expands funding eligibility to include transit and housing projects near planned high-speed rail stations. Deems projects near future rail stations as greenhouse gas reducers regardless of station completion status. Requires environmental documentation of station locations to be posted on the Rail Authority's website. Supports development of pedestrian access and infrastructure at planned rail station areas.

Expands streamlined environmental review to include water storage and groundwater recharge projects. Requires water projects to provide public benefits and enhance drought preparedness. Mandates local agencies to prepare project records without state reimbursement. Requires developers to fund all legal costs for project challenges.

Expands CEQA exemptions to include residential, mixed-use, and transit priority projects located in very low vehicle travel areas, aiming to promote sustainable development. Increases maximum site area for residential infill projects from 4 to 5 acres and allows certain housing projects within state conservancy boundaries. Requires projects to be consistent with specific plans or community plans that had environmental impact reports certified within the past 15 years. Mandates lead agencies to file notices of exemption with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation for qualifying projects.