SB-299 • 2026

California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: day care center: family daycare home: zoning.

Education Land

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Cabaldon
Last action: 2026-01-26
Official status: In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide details on which day care centers or family day care homes are exempt from CEQA, leaving some uncertainty in how it will be applied.

California Environmental Quality Act: Day Care Center and Family Day Care Home Exemptions

The bill changes the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to exempt day care centers from certain environmental review requirements if they are not on land zoned exclusively for residential use, and also exempts family day care homes located in such zones.

What This Bill Does

Changes CEQA to allow day care centers that are not on land zoned only for residential use to be exempt from some environmental impact reviews.
Adds a new exemption for family day care homes located on land zoned exclusively for residential use, except as provided.

Who It Names or Affects

Day care centers and family day care homes
Local government agencies responsible for zoning and environmental reviews

Terms To Know

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): A law that requires local governments to consider the environmental effects of projects they approve.
Environmental impact report: A document that explains how a project might affect the environment and what can be done to reduce those effects.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify which day care centers or family day care homes are exempt from CEQA.
It is unclear if this change will have any impact on local government budgets.

Bill History

2026-01-26 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2026-01-26 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 3285.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2026-01-21 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-01-20 California Legislative Information
From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
2026-01-14 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing January 20.
2026-01-14 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-01-13 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 3212.) (January 13).
2026-01-13 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E.Q. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 3204.) (January 12). Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
2026-01-08 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Coms. on HUMAN S. and E.Q.
2026-01-08 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(c) .
2026-01-07 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing January 13 in E.Q. pending receipt.
2026-01-07 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing January 12 in HUMAN S. pending receipt.
2026-01-06 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-01-05 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2026-01-05 California Legislative Information
Ordered to second reading.
2026-01-05 California Legislative Information
From inactive file.
2025-06-05 California Legislative Information
Ordered to inactive file on request of Senator Cabaldon.
2025-05-07 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-06 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 1. Page 963.) (April 30).
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E.Q. (Ayes 4. Noes 3. Page 871.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
2025-04-17 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 30 in E.Q. pending receipt.
2025-04-04 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 23.
2025-04-03 California Legislative Information
April 2 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 2.
2025-02-19 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and E.Q.
2025-02-11 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 13.
2025-02-10 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 299, as amended, Cabaldon.
California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: day care center:
family daycare home:
zoning.
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.
Existing law exempts specified projects from CEQA, including a project that consists exclusively of a day care center, as
defined, that is not located in a residential area.
This bill would
instead provide that the above exemption from CEQA applies if the day care center is not located on a parcel of land zoned exclusively for residential use. The bill would additionally
exempt from CEQA a project that consists exclusively of a
day care center or a
family daycare home, as
defined.
defined, that is located on a parcel of land zoned exclusively for residential use, except as provided.
By imposing additional duties on a lead agency to determine the applicability of these exemptions, the bill
would impose a state-mandated local program.
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.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF