Amended in Assembly April 20, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 28, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 1749


Introduced by Assembly Member Mathis

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Harper and Olsen)

(Coauthor: Senator Cannella)

February 2, 2016


An act to amend Section 21080.08 of the Public Resources Code, relating to environmentalbegin delete quality.end deletebegin insert quality, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1749, as amended, Mathis. California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: recycled water pipeline.

Existing law, the California Environmental Qualitybegin delete Act (CEQA),end deletebegin insert Act,end insert requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completionbegin delete of,end deletebegin insert ofend insert 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.begin delete CEQAend deletebegin insert The actend insert 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.begin delete CEQAend deletebegin insert The actend insert exempts from its requirements projects consisting of the construction or expansion of recycled water pipeline and directly related infrastructure within existing rights of way, and directly related groundwater replenishment, if the project does not affect wetlands or sensitive habitat, and where the construction impacts are fully mitigated, and undertaken for the purpose of mitigating drought conditions for which a state of emergency was proclaimed by the Governor on a certain date.begin delete CEQAend deletebegin insert The actend insert provides that this exemption remains operative until the state of emergency has expired or until January 1, 2017, whichever occurs first.

This bill would extend that date to January 1, 2019.

Because a lead agency’s duty to determine the applicability of this exemption would potentially be extended, 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.

begin insert

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

end insert

Vote: begin deletemajority end deletebegin insert23end insert. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 21080.08 of the Public Resources Code
2 is amended to read:

3

21080.08.  

(a) This division does not apply to a project that
4satisfies both of the following:

5(1) The project is approved or carried out by a public agency
6for the purpose of mitigating drought conditions for which a state
7of emergency was proclaimed by the Governor on January 17,
82014, pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8550) of
9Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

10(2) The project consists of construction or expansion of recycled
11water pipeline and directly related infrastructure within existing
12rights of way, and directly related groundwater replenishment, if
13the project does not affect wetlands or sensitive habitat, and where
14the construction impacts are fully mitigated consistent with
15 applicable law.

16(b) This section shall remain operative until the state of
17emergency due to drought conditions declared by the Governor in
P3    1the proclamation issued on January 17, 2014, has expired or until
2January 1, 2019, whichever occurs first, and as of January 1, 2019,
3is repealed unless a subsequent statute amends or repeals that date.

4

SEC. 2.  

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
5Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
6a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service
7charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or
8level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section
917556 of the Government Code.

10begin insert

begin insertSEC. end insertbegin insert3.end insert  

end insert
begin insert

This act is an urgency statute necessary for the
11immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within
12the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into
13immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

end insert
begin insert

14
To ensure the continued expeditious construction or expansion
15of recycled water pipeline and directly related infrastructure to
16mitigate drought conditions for which the Governor has declared
17a state of emergency, it is necessary for this measure to take effect
18immediately.

end insert


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