CaliforniaCalifornia Environmental Quality Act: exemption: urban intermodal rail station project.
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 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.
More detail
Existing law exempts from CEQA a public project for the improvement, institution, or increase of passenger rail service, including the maintenance, construction, or rehabilitation of stations, terminals, or existing operations facilities that will be exclusively used by zero-emission trains or specified rolling stock or locomotives, as provided.
This bill would exempt from CEQA, except as specified, a public urban, intermodal rail station project within a long-urbanized area within the statewide passenger rail network, at which high-capacity light, commuter, and intercity rail services converge that meets specified conditions, including, among other requirements, a requirement for compliance with various environmental laws and for the adoption of a plan for how any displacement from the project will be fully addressed, as provided. The bill would require a lead agency, if it determines that a project is not subject to CEQA pursuant to this exemption, and it determines to carry out the project, to file a notice of exemption with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and the county clerk of the county in which the project is located, as provided. The bill would permit exemption only for projects for which a notice of exemption is filed before January 1, 2032. Because a lead agency would be required to determine the applicability of this exemption, the bill 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.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 30Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 1030, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 30Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Aug 21Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 18Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 5515.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB1375 Cortese et al. Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 1375 Cortese Senate Third Reading By Kalra. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 13Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 6151.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Aug 6Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 6Read third time and amended.Major
- Aug 6Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 5From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 5).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Jul 2Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jul 2From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 22).Major
- Jun 22
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 1Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.Minor
- May 20In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- May 19Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 4354.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- May 12Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 11From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.Minor
- May 4Set for hearing May 11.
- Apr 30May 4 hearing postponed by committee.
- Apr 24Set for hearing May 4.
- Apr 22From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0. Page 3985.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 21
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 16Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.Major
- Apr 15From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 3900.) (April 15).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Transportation]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 14Set for hearing April 21 in TRANS. pending receipt.
- Apr 9Set for hearing April 15.
- Apr 8Re-referred to Coms. on E.Q. and TRANS.Minor
- Mar 25From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Major
- Mar 4Referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- Feb 23Read first time.Minor
- Feb 23From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
- Feb 20Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced