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 the lead agency 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 defines "responsible agency" for purposes of the act to include a public agency, other than a lead agency, that has responsibility for, among other things, approving a project.
This bill would expand the definition of "responsible agency" to include a public agency, other than the lead agency, that has responsibility for permitting a project. To the extent this bill would impose new duties on local agencies related to new responsible agency designations, this 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.

Statutes affected:
SB 676: 21069 PRC
02/21/25 - Introduced: 21069 PRC