BILL NUMBER: SB 1018	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Liu

                        FEBRUARY 11, 2016

   An act to add Section 54237.9 to the Government Code, relating to
environmental quality, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take
effect immediately.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1018, as introduced, Liu. California Environmental Quality Act:
State Route 710 North Study.
   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 (EIR) 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. CEQA establishes a
public review period for a draft EIR of a project and requires the
lead agency to consider the comments submitted during the review
period and to respond to the comments.
   This bill would deem a certain cost-benefit analysis prepared for
the State Route 710 North Study to be a technical study to be
included in the comprehensive analysis of the alternatives described
in the draft EIR for the State Route 710 North Study and would
require the lead agency to consider and respond, in writing, to any
comments regarding the analysis submitted during the public review
period.
   This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to
the necessity of a special statute for State Route 710 North Study.
   This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute.
   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 54237.9 is added to the Government Code, to
read:
   54237.9.  Notwithstanding any other law, for purposes of the
California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with
Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code), the cost-benefit
analysis prepared for the State Route 710 North Study in response to
a motion approved by the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority at the June 2010 meeting is
deemed to be a technical study to be included in the comprehensive
analysis of the alternatives described in the draft environmental
impart report/environmental impact statement for the project, issued
in March, 2015. The lead agency, pursuant to Section 21091 of the
Public Resources Code, shall consider and respond, in writing, to
comments regarding the cost-benefits analysis submitted during the
public comment period for the draft environmental impact
report/environmental impact statement. The comments on the analysis
and the lead agency's responses are deemed to be a part of the record
of proceedings for purposes of the California Environmental Quality
Act.
  SEC. 2.  The Legislature finds and declares that a special law is
necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable within the
meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution
because of the unique circumstances regarding the State Route 710
North Study.
  SEC. 3.  This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the
meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate
effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
   To ensure that comments on the cost-benefit analysis prepared for
the State Route 710 North Study in response to a motion approved by
the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority at the June 2010 meeting are adequately
considered and responded to during the environmental review process
required pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, it is
necessary for this measure to take effect immediately.