California Environmental Quality Act.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the exact changes made to CEQA, only that they are nonsubstantive and do not affect core requirements.

California Environmental Quality Act

AB-2736 makes minor, non-substantial changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) without altering its core requirements for assessing environmental impacts of projects.

What This Bill Does

• Updates certain parts of CEQA that do not affect how agencies assess environmental impacts of projects.
• Modifies statements about why CEQA is important and what it aims to achieve for the environment in California.

Who It Names or Affects

• State agencies responsible for following CEQA rules when approving projects.
• Individuals involved in projects requiring approval from state agencies, such as developers and builders.

Terms To Know

Lead agency

The government body responsible for deciding if a project needs an environmental impact report or negative declaration under CEQA.

Environmental Impact Report (EIR)

A document that explains the possible effects of a project on the environment and how those impacts can be reduced.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not change when or if an environmental impact report is needed for projects.
• It only updates some parts of CEQA without changing its main requirements.
• There are no specific details about the exact changes made to the text of CEQA in this summary.

Official Summary Text

AB 2736, as introduced, Johnson.
California Environmental Quality Act.
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.
CEQA makes various legislative findings and declarations regarding the maintenance of a quality environment for the people of this state and states
the intent of the Legislature for state agencies to regulate activities so that major consideration is given to preventing environmental damage.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those findings and declarations and to the statement of intent.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF