Bill Text: CA AB2503 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 2503

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: passenger rail projects.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-05-16 - From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E.Q. [AB2503 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB2503-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2503

Introduced by Assembly Member Lee

February 13, 2024

An act to add Section 21080.15 to the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental quality.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2503, as introduced, Lee. California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: railroad electrification and railroad siding projects.

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 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.

This bill would exempt from the requirements of CEQA railroad electrification projects and railroad siding projects. Because a lead agency would be required to determine the applicability of this exemption, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 21080.15 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

21080.15.

This division does not apply to either of the following:

(a) A railroad electrification project.

(b) A railroad siding project.

SEC. 2.

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code.