BILL NUMBER: AB 543	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 22, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 8, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Campos

                        FEBRUARY 20, 2013

   An act to add Section 21097 to the Public Resources Code, relating
to environmental quality.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 543, as amended, Campos. California Environmental Quality Act:
translation.
   Existing law, the California Environmental Quality Act, referred
to as 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 require a lead agency to translate , 
 as specified,  certain notices required by the act and a
summary of any negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration,
or environmental impact  report,   report 
when the impacted community has a substantial number of
non-English-speaking people, as defined. By requiring a lead agency
to translate these notices and documents, 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.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 21097 is added to the Public Resources Code, to
read:
   21097.  (a) A lead agency shall translate each of the following
when the impacted community has a substantial number of
non-English-speaking people:
   (1) Any notice required pursuant to Section  21080.5,
 21083.9, 21092, 21152,  or 21161  or
any notice authorized pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 21108 or
subdivision (b) of Section 21152  .
   (2) A summary of any negative declaration, mitigated negative
declaration, or environmental impact report. 
   (b) A document described pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be
translated into all languages understood by a substantial number of
non-English-speaking people.  
   (b) 
    (c)  For the purposes of this section, "substantial
number of non-English-speaking people" means members of a group who
either do not speak English or who are unable to effectively
communicate in English because it is not their native language, and
who comprise 5 percent or more of the people who  may
  are likely to  be affected by the project 
within the jurisdiction of the lead agency  .
  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.