Plain English Breakdown
The effective date for this law was not provided in the official metadata or summary text.
Changes to Coastal Planning Rules and Reporting
This law makes small updates to coastal plans take effect immediately after a meeting if enough members do not object, and requires the California Coastal Commission to report on rule violations every five years instead of annually.
What This Bill Does
- Makes de minimis amendments to local coastal programs and port master plans effective upon adjournment of the commission meeting if at least three members do not object.
- Changes the reporting schedule for enforcement penalties from once per year to once every five years.
- Requires new reports to include information about violations related to public access in addition to other rule breaks.
- Adds details to reports showing how many cases were sent to the Attorney General and how many are still waiting resolution at the end of the reporting period.
- Includes summaries of resolved violations that show the commission's workload or provided significant public benefit.
- Removes an old reporting requirement that only covered violations involving public access.
Who It Names or Affects
- The California Coastal Commission staff who prepare written reports for lawmakers and the full commission.
- Local governments that create local coastal programs.
- Port governing bodies that manage port master plans.
- Landowners subject to penalties under the Coastal Act.
Terms To Know
- De minimis amendment
- A small change to a plan or program determined by the executive director of the commission as minor enough for simplified approval.
- Local coastal program
- A set of rules created by local governments for managing development in the coastal zone, certified by the California Coastal Commission.
- Port master plan
- A planning document required from port governing bodies to guide their operations and growth, certified by the commission.
Limits and Unknowns
- The official text does not specify the exact date when this new five-year reporting schedule begins.
- The law requires summaries of violations that provided significant public benefit but does not define what counts as 'significant' in specific examples.