BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 209|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 209
Author: Ammiano (D)
Amended: 3/31/11 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE : 5-0, 6/20/11
AYES: Simitian, Strickland, Hancock, Kehoe, Lowenthal
NO VOTE RECORDED: Blakeslee, Pavley
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 70-0, 5/12/11 (Consent) - See last page
for vote
SUBJECT : Environmental Quality
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires a lead agency preparing an
environmental impact report (EIR) or negative declaration
under the California Environmental Quality Act to include a
description of how the draft EIR or draft negative
declaration can be provided in an electronic format.
ANALYSIS : CEQA obligates public officials to consider
the environmental effects of their decisions. The lead
agency that proposes to approve a project must conduct an
initial study to determine if the project may have
significant, adverse environmental effects. If not, the
lead agency issues a negative declaration and, after a
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AB 209
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30-day review period, proceeds with its review and
decision. If the lead agency finds minor effects that can
be mitigated, it issues a mitigated negative declaration
and then proceeds. If the lead agency finds that the
effects of the project may be significant, it prepares an
EIR, a document that shows public officials how to avoid or
mitigate the project's environmental effects.
Preparing the EIR begins when the lead agency sends notice
of preparation to other public agencies, soliciting advice
on the EIR's scope. If the project is of statewide,
regional, or area-wide significance, the lead agency holds
a scoping meeting with the other agencies. The lead agency
circulates its draft EIR and invites public comments during
a 45-day review period.
After this public review, the lead agency issues a final
EIR that responds to the comments that it received. After
certifying the final EIR, the lead agency allows the
project to proceed.
The author's office contends this bill saves lead agencies
substantial amounts of paper, reducing costs associated
with making EIRs available to the public.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/28/11)
Association of California Water Agencies
East Bay Municipal Utility District
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The Association of California
Water Agencies, writes in support of this bill, "AB 209
would require that the public notice a lead agency is
required under CEQA to provide stating that it is preparing
an environmental impact report, negative declaration or
mitigated negative declaration include a description of how
the draft document can be obtained in electronic format.
This bill will save both time and money by not requiring
agencies to provide hard copies of draft documents."
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ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Achadjian, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos,
Carter, Chesbro, Cook, Davis, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eng,
Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Beth Gaines,
Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon, Grove, Hagman, Halderman, Hall,
Harkey, Hayashi, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries,
Jones, Knight, Lara, Logue, Ma, Mansoor, Mendoza, Miller,
Monning, Morrell, Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Pan,
Perea, V. Manuel P�rez, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio,
Swanson, Valadao, Wagner, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada,
John A. P�rez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Alejo, Cedillo, Conway, Garrick, Gorell,
Roger Hern�ndez, Bonnie Lowenthal, Mitchell, Portantino,
Torres
DLW:do 6/28/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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