Bill Text: CA AB2782 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Bill 2782 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: California Environmental Quality Act.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Passed) 2018-08-24 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 193, Statutes of 2018. [AB2782 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB2782-Chaptered.html

Assembly Bill No. 2782

CHAPTER 193

An act to add Section 21082.4 to the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental quality.

[ Approved by Governor August 24, 2018. Filed with Secretary of State August 24, 2018. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2782, Friedman. California Environmental Quality Act.

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 authorize lead agencies, in describing and evaluating projects, to consider specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other benefits of, and the negative impacts of denying, the project.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Section 21082.4 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

21082.4.

In describing and evaluating a project in an environmental review document prepared pursuant to this division, the lead agency may consider specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other benefits, including regionwide or statewide environmental benefits, of a proposed project and the negative impacts of denying the project. Any benefits or negative impacts considered pursuant to this section shall be based on substantial evidence in light of the whole record.