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AB-66 • 2026

California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: egress route projects: fire safety.

California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: egress route projects: fire safety.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Tangipa
Last action
2025-07-16
Official status
In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify that the recommendation must be specifically for 'fire safety'.

California Environmental Quality Act: Fire Safety Exemptions

This law allows public agencies to build emergency access routes for fire safety without following some environmental rules, if the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection recommends it.

What This Bill Does

  • Exempts egress route projects from CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) until January 1, 2032.
  • Requires public agencies to hold a noticed public meeting before deciding if a project is exempt from CEQA.
  • Requires the lead agency to file a notice of exemption with specific offices after approving or carrying out a project.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public agencies that work on egress route projects
  • Residents in subdivisions without secondary egress routes

Terms To Know

CEQA
California Environmental Quality Act, which requires environmental reviews for certain projects.
Egress Route Projects
Projects that improve emergency access and evacuation routes in areas without secondary egress options.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exemption only applies until January 1, 2032.
  • It is unclear how many projects will qualify for this exemption.

Bill History

  1. 2025-07-16 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  2. 2025-07-03 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.

  3. 2025-07-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on N.R. & W. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 2).

  4. 2025-06-18 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on E.Q. and N.R. & W.

  5. 2025-06-09 California Legislative Information

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

  6. 2025-06-05 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 58. Noes 1. Page 2115.)

  7. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).

  9. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  10. 2025-03-25 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (March 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  11. 2025-02-25 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

  12. 2025-02-24 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.

  13. 2025-02-24 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

  14. 2025-01-06 California Legislative Information

    Read first time.

  15. 2024-12-04 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee January 3.

  16. 2024-12-03 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 66, as amended, Tangipa.
California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: egress route projects: fire safety.
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.
This bill would, until January 1, 2032, exempt from CEQA egress route projects undertaken by a public agency to improve emergency access to and
evacuation from a subdivision without a secondary egress route if the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has recommended the creation of a secondary access to the subdivision and certain conditions are met. The bill would require the lead agency to hold a noticed public meeting to hear and respond to public comments before determining that a project is exempt. The bill would require the lead agency, if it determines that a project is not subject to CEQA and approves or carries out that project, to file a notice of exemption with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and with the clerk of the county in which the project will be located.

Current Bill Text

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