BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 792
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 17, 2011

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

               SB 792 (Steinberg) - As Introduced:  February 18, 2011 

          Policy Committee:                             Natural 
          ResourcesVote:9-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires a lead agency for permitting a mining 
          operation to incorporate into its general plan policies to 
          assist in the management of land use that affects access to 
          areas with mineral deposits of statewide and regional 
          significance.  

          (Existing law requires that a lead agency incorporate 
          information into its general plan, policies to assist in the 
          management of land use that affect areas with mineral deposits 
          of statewide and regional significance, but does not require the 
          lead agency to consider access to those areas.)

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible state costs.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  .  The author contends this bill will lead to better 
            mineral resource management so the state can meet its 
            anticipated need for construction aggregate using mineral 
            resources near to construction sites.

           2)Background  .  The set of statutes that permit mining operations 
            in California-the State Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 
            (SMARA)-requires the California Mining and Geology Board to 
            designate areas within a production region that contain 
            significant deposits of mineral resources that may be needed 
            to meet the region's mineral demand.  Local agencies, which 
            generally function as lead agencies for purposes of permitting 








                                                                  SB 792
                                                                  Page  2

            mining operations, are required to use the information when 
            developing land-use plans and when making land-use decisions.  
            Current law, however, does not require local agencies to 
            consider access to significant deposits of mineral resources 
            when developing land-use plans. 
           
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081