CaliforniaCalifornia ratifies a Chumash gaming compact amendment and narrows environmental review
California ratifies a gaming compact amendment with the Santa Ynez Band and removes certain related actions from CEQA project review, effective immediately.
What it does
California ratifies the second amendment to its gaming compact with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The ratification takes effect immediately.
Certain steps tied to the amended compact, including specified government agreements and on-reservation effects, will not count as CEQA projects. Other CEQA duties remain unless this law expressly removes them.
Argument forImmediate ratification may let the tribe and related governments use the amended compact sooner, supporting the tribe's stated economic stability and self-sufficiency goals.
Argument againstExcluding listed compact-related actions from CEQA review could reduce environmental review for some projects and activities affecting nearby communities.
More detail
California ratifies the second amendment to the tribal-state gaming compact with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The action covers the compact amendment entered under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The amendment must be the one executed on August 4, 2026. The ratification takes effect immediately because the act is an urgency statute.
Certain compact-related actions are not treated as CEQA projects. This covers executing the compact amendment; related agreements with cities, counties, the Department of Transportation, or other state agencies; and on-reservation effects from following the amended compact. The agreements must be authorized or expressly referenced by the amended compact ratified by this act. The exemption does not remove other CEQA duties unless this section specifically provides an exemption. This rule takes effect immediately and applies to the listed compact-related actions and on-reservation effects.
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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 14Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 224, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 14Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Aug 30Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 6 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 25Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 5792.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB542 Limón Urgency Clause Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 25Urgency clause adopted.Major
- Aug 24In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 542 Limón Third Reading Urgency By Hart. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 24Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6382.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Aug 17Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 17Read third time and amended.Major
- Aug 10Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 10From inactive file.
- Aug 6Notice of intention to remove from inactive file given by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry.
- 2025
- Sep 12Ordered to inactive file on request of Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry.
- Sep 5Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 5Read third time and amended.Major
- Sep 5Assembly Rule 69(b)(1) suspended.
- Sep 3(Corrected September 4).
- Sep 3Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 2Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 29From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (August 29).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 20August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Jul 15From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (July 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 14
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jul 8From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E.M. (Ayes 8. Noes 3.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on E.M.Minor
- Jul 8Coauthors revised.
- Jul 7
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Emergency Management]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 9Referred to Coms. on NAT. RES. and E.M.Minor
- Jun 4In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Jun 3Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 11. Page 1465.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- May 27Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 23Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
- May 23From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1203.) (May 23).Major
- May 16Set for hearing May 23.
- May 12May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- May 2Set for hearing May 12.
- Apr 28Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Apr 24From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 2. Page 839.) (April 22).Major
- Apr 22
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 4Set for hearing April 22.
- Mar 26From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.Major
- Mar 5Referred to Com. on N.R. & W.Minor
- Feb 21From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
- Feb 20Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced
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