KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to California

AB-571 • 2026

California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery.

California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery.

Crime Education Housing
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Quirk-Silva
Last action
2025-10-01
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 158, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details about environmental impacts or conditions for exemption, leaving these points unclear.

California Environmental Quality Act Exemption: Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery

AB-571 exempts the construction and completion activities for the Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery in Orange County from certain requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

What This Bill Does

  • Exempts specific activities needed to complete the Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery from CEQA requirements.
  • Requires local agencies to determine if an activity qualifies for this exemption, creating a state-mandated program.
  • Repeals the exemption on January 1, 2030.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local agencies in Orange County responsible for determining if activities qualify for CEQA exemption.
  • The Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery project team.

Terms To Know

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
A law that requires government agencies to analyze and disclose the environmental impacts of projects they approve or carry out.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify all conditions for qualifying activities to be exempt.
  • It is unclear what specific environmental impacts were considered in granting this exemption.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-01 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 158, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-01 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-03 California Legislative Information

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 2858.).

  5. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2393.).

  7. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-08-19 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

  9. 2025-07-15 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (July 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  10. 2025-06-19 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on M. & V.A.

  11. 2025-06-18 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on M. & V.A. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 18).

  12. 2025-05-28 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on E.Q. and M. & V.A.

  13. 2025-05-20 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  14. 2025-05-19 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 1595.).

  15. 2025-05-08 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  16. 2025-05-07 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 7).

  17. 2025-04-30 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  18. 2025-04-30 California Legislative Information

    Coauthors revised.

  19. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on M. & V.A.

  20. 2025-04-10 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  21. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on M. & V.A. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 7).

  22. 2025-03-03 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on NAT. RES. and M. & V.A.

  23. 2025-02-13 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.

  24. 2025-02-12 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 571, Quirk-Silva.
California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery.
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 exempts from its requirements various projects, including, but not limited to, housing projects that meet certain requirements and
activities and approvals related to certain prison facilities.
This bill would exempt from the requirements of CEQA any activity or approval necessary for the completion of the Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery in the County of Orange if specified conditions are met. To the extent that a local agency would be required to determine whether an activity or approval qualifies for this exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would repeal this provision on January 1, 2030.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Gypsum Canyon Veterans
Cemetery in the County of Orange.
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.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF