CaliforniaCalifornia Environmental Quality Act: hospital projects.
What it does
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. CEQA establishes administrative procedures for the review and certification of the EIR for a project and judicial review procedures for any action or proceeding brought to challenge the lead agency's decision to certify the EIR or to grant project approvals.
More detail
This bill would establish streamlined procedures for the administrative and judicial review of the environmental review and approvals granted for an environmental leadership hospital campus project, defined by the bill as a construction project of a hospital campus in the City of Santa Clara, under certain conditions. The bill would require the city council of the City of Santa Clara to certify the project for the streamlined judicial review, as specified, if it finds the project will meet those conditions. The bill would require the applicant of the environmental leadership hospital campus project to take certain actions in order for those specified procedures to apply to the project. The bill would require a certified project to meet certain labor requirements. The bill would require the Judicial Council, on or before July 1, 2027, to adopt rules of court establishing procedures requiring actions or proceedings seeking judicial review of the certification of an environmental impact report for a certified environmental leadership hospital campus project or the granting of any project approval, including any appeals to the court of appeal or the Supreme Court, to be resolved, to the extent feasible, within 270 calendar days of the filing of the certified record of proceedings with the court. The bill would require the lead agency to concurrently prepare the record of proceedings with the environmental review, as provided.
Because the bill would impose additional duties on a local agency, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the City of Santa Clara.
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.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 30Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 926, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 30Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 10Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 31
- Vote recorded AB 2231 Ahrens Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 30Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6873.).Major
- Aug 28In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Aug 27Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.).Passed Senate
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB2231 Ahrens By Arreguín. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 24Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 21Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 4Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 3From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.Minor
- Jul 1From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jun 30
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 24From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 10Referred to Coms. on E.Q. and JUD.Minor
- May 12In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- May 11Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 70. Noes 1. Page 5005.)Passed Assembly
- Vote recorded AB 2231 Ahrens Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 7Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 6From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 6).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 23Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 22Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 21From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 20).Major
- Apr 20
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 24Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.Minor
- Mar 23From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 23Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.Minor
- Feb 20From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
- Feb 19Read first time. To print.Introduced