BILL NUMBER: AB 2356	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Gomez

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2016

   An act to amend Section 21159.26 of the Public Resources Code,
relating to environmental quality.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2356, as introduced, Gomez. California Environmental Quality
Act: housing projects.
   Existing law, the California Environmental Quality Act, 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, as defined, or to adopt a negative
declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect,
unless the project is exempt from the act.
    The act prohibits a public agency, for a project that includes a
housing development, from reducing the proposed number of housing
units as a mitigation measure or project alternative for a particular
significant effect on the environment if the public agency
determines there is another feasible specific mitigation measure or
project alternative that would provide a comparable level of
mitigation.
   This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those
provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 21159.26 of the Public Resources Code is
amended to read:
   21159.26.  With respect to a project that includes a housing
development, a public agency  may   shall 
not reduce the proposed number of housing units as a mitigation
measure or project alternative for a particular significant effect on
the environment if  it   the public agency
 determines that there is another feasible specific mitigation
measure or project alternative that would provide a comparable level
of mitigation. This section does not affect any other requirement
regarding the residential density of that project.