California Lawmakers Fast Track CEQA Reform Bills

A California environmental law often blamed for slowing housing production could be bypassed by two new bills now moving swiftly through the state legislature. With help from Gov. Gavin Newsom, the bills are being fast-tracked and could become law within weeks, the Los Angeles Times reported.

AB 609, authored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, would make housing projects in infill, urbanized areas of under 20 acres that comply with local zoning eligible for exemptions from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

SB 607, introduced by state Sen. Scott Wiener, includes provisions to reduce the number of projects required to undergo full environmental review. Newsom has backed the bills and folded them into the state budget, allowing them to bypass normal committee hearings and potentially become law within weeks.

“This is the biggest opportunity to do something big and bold, and the only impediment is us,” Newsom said of the bills in May.

CEQA was designed to ensure new projects are thoroughly evaluated for environmental impact. But over time, it has been used as a tool to block new housing and is often cited as a key factor in California’s housing shortage.

Some worry these new bills could weaken the law’s environmental protections in pursuit of more housing. “What folks aren’t realizing is that along with the environmental regulations comes a lot of public transparency and public engagement,” Asha Sharma, state policy manager at Leadership Counsel for Justice & Accountability, told the LA Times.

“When you’re rolling back CEQA, you’re rolling back that too," Sharma said.

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