BILL NUMBER: AB 677	CHAPTERED  10/12/03

	CHAPTER  837
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  OCTOBER 12, 2003
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  OCTOBER 11, 2003
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  SEPTEMBER 11, 2003
	PASSED THE SENATE  SEPTEMBER 9, 2003
	AMENDED IN SENATE  SEPTEMBER 4, 2003
	AMENDED IN SENATE  SEPTEMBER 2, 2003
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 27, 2003

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Firebaugh

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2003

   An act to add Section 21152.1 to the Public Resources Code,
relating to environmental quality.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 677, Firebaugh.  Environmental quality:  local agency filing.
   (1) The existing California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
requires a lead agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and
certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a
project, as defined, that it proposes to carry out or approve that
may have a significant effect on the environment, as defined, or to
adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not
have that effect.  CEQA also generally 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 provides some exemptions from its
requirements for specified projects.
   This bill would require a local agency or specified person, when
the agency determines that a project is exempt from CEQA's
requirements for certain reasons and when the agency approves or
determines to carry out that project, to file notice of the
determination with the Office of Planning and Research.  The bill
would require those notices to be available for public inspection as
specified.
   By imposing new duties on local agencies, this bill would impose a
state-mandated local program.
  (2) 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.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 21152.1 is added to the Public Resources Code,
to read:
   21152.1.  (a) When a local agency determines that a project is not
subject to this division pursuant to Section 21159.22, 21159.23, or
21159.24, and it approves or determines to carry out that project,
the local agency or the person specified in subdivision (b) or (c) of
Section 21065, shall file notice of the determination with the
Office of Planning and Research.
   (b) All notices filed pursuant to this section shall be available
for public inspection, and a list of these notices shall be posted on
a weekly basis in the Office of Planning and Research.  Each list
shall remain posted for a period of 30 days.
   (c) Failure to file the notice required by this section does not
affect the validity of a project.
   (d) Nothing in this section affects the time limitations contained
in Section 21167.
  SEC. 2.  No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a
local agency or school district has the authority to levy service
charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or
level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section
17556 of the Government Code.