BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair


           973 (Vargas) - Environmental quality: California Environmental 
          Quality Act: exemption: limited duration events.
          
          Amended: May 2, 2012            Policy Vote: EQ 7-0
          Urgency: No                     Mandate: Yes 
          Hearing Date: May 24, 2012      Consultant: Marie Liu
          
          SUSPENSE FILE.
          
          
          Bill Summary: SB 973 would allow a lead agency to grant an 
          annual firework display an exemption from the California 
          Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) subject to limitations. This 
          bill would also enable the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) 
          to evaluate issues related to firework displays and to develop 
          guidelines to assist local agencies in addressing and mitigation 
          impacts from these displays.

          Fiscal Impact: One-time cost pressures of approximately $50,000 
          to the General Fund for the evaluation of the impacts of 
          firework displays and the development of associated guidelines.

          Background: Existing law requires lead agencies with the 
          principal responsibility for carrying out or approving a 
          proposed discretionary project to prepare a negative 
          declaration, mitigated declaration, or environmental impact 
          report for this action unless the project is exempt from CEQA 
          through a statutory exemption or a categorical exemption.

          Existing law also requires OPR to prepare and develop proposed 
          guidelines to assist local agencies in the implementation of 
          CEQA (Public Resources Code �21083). These guidelines are 
          required to be updated at least once every two years.

          Proposed Law: This bill would allow a lead agency to grant a 
          CEQA exemption to an annual firework display. A lead agency 
          would be restricted to offering one exemption per year for a 
          specific public site or venue.

          This bill would also allow OPR to evaluate issues related to 
          firework displays and to develop guidelines to assist local 
          governments in addressing and mitigating impacts of a firework 








          SB 973 (Vargas)
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          display event and developing ordinances for such events

          Staff Comments: This bill would authorize, but not require, OPR 
          to study and develop guidelines to assist local governments 
          regarding the impacts of firework displays. OPR is currently 
          underfunded for its current duties related to CEQA, as 
          illustrated by OPR completing its first update to the CEQA 
          guidelines since 2003 despite the statutory requirement for a 
          biennial update. This bill would increase the cost pressures on 
          OPR for CEQA related duties. Staff estimates the cost to OPR for 
          providing such guidance would be approximately $50,000 from the 
          General Fund.