AB 2231

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 exempt from CEQA hospital projects, as defined, located in the City of Emeryville or City of Santa Clara. The bill would, before a lead agency determines that a hospital project is exempt from CEQA, require a project applicant to certify to the lead agency that the project complies with certain labor requirements. Because the bill would require a lead agency to determine the applicability of the exemption, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Cities of Emeryville and Santa Clara. 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.