Bill Text: CA SB931 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Senate Bill 931 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Tribal gaming: compact ratification.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-4)

Status: (Passed) 2024-09-20 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 320, Statutes of 2024. [SB931 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SB931-Chaptered.html

Senate Bill No. 931

CHAPTER 320

An act to add Section 12012.116 to the Government Code, relating to tribal gaming, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

[ Approved by Governor September 20, 2024. Filed with Secretary of State September 20, 2024. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 931, Dodd. Tribal gaming: compact ratification.

Existing federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, provides for the negotiation and execution of tribal-state gaming compacts for the purpose of authorizing certain types of gaming on Indian lands within a state. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to negotiate and conclude those compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature. Existing law expressly ratifies a number of tribal-state gaming compacts, and amendments to tribal-state gaming compacts, between the State of California and specified Indian tribes.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project, as defined, that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, as defined, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect.

This bill would ratify the tribal-state gaming compacts entered into between the State of California and the Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Campo Indian Reservation, California, the La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the La Posta Indian Reservation, California, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, and the Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria, California, and amendments to the tribal-state gaming compacts entered into between the State of California and the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, California, the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California, and the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, California. The bill would provide that, in deference to tribal sovereignty, certain actions related to these compacts are not projects for the purposes of CEQA.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

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

SECTION 1.

Section 12012.116 is added to the Government Code, to read:

12012.116.

(a) The following tribal-state gaming compacts and amended compacts entered into in accordance with the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (18 U.S.C. Secs. 1166 to 1168, inclusive, and 25 U.S.C. Sec. 2701 et seq.), are hereby ratified:

(1) The compact between the State of California and the Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Campo Indian Reservation, California, executed on April 23, 2024.

(2) The compact between the State of California and the La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the La Posta Indian Reservation, California, executed on February 27, 2024.

(3) The compact between the State of California and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, executed on August 7, 2024.

(4) The compact between the State of California and the Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria, California, executed on August 7, 2024.

(5) The third amendment to the compact between the State of California and the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, California, executed on August 7, 2024.

(6) The third amendment to the compact between the State of California and the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California, executed on August 13, 2024.

(7) The third amendment to the compact between the State of California and the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, California, executed on August 13, 2024.

(b) (1) In deference to tribal sovereignty, none of the following shall be deemed a project for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code):

(A) The execution of a tribal-state gaming compact ratified by this section.

(B) The execution of an amended tribal-state gaming compact ratified by this section.

(C) The execution of an intergovernmental agreement between a tribe and a county or city government negotiated pursuant to the express authority of, or as expressly referenced in, a tribal-state gaming compact or amended compact ratified by this section.

(D) The execution of an intergovernmental agreement between a tribe and the Department of Transportation, or other state agency, negotiated pursuant to the express authority of, or as expressly referenced in, a tribal-state gaming compact or amended compact ratified by this section.

(E) The on-reservation impacts of compliance with the terms of a tribal-state gaming compact or amended compact ratified by this section.

(2) Except as expressly provided in this section, this subdivision does not exempt a city, county, or city and county, or the Department of Transportation, or any state agency or local jurisdiction, from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act.

SEC. 2.

This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

In order to enhance the economic development, stability, and self-sufficiency of the Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Campo Indian Reservation, California, the La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the La Posta Indian Reservation, California, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, the Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria, California, the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, California, the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California, and the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, California, and to protect the interests of those tribes and their members, the surrounding communities, and the California public at the earliest possible time, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.