California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: residential or mixed-use housing projects.

(1) 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. This bill would, until January 1, 2025, exempt from CEQA residential or mixed-use housing projects, as defined, located in unincorporated areas of a county meeting certain requirements. The bill would require a lead agency, if the lead agency determines that a residential or mixed-use housing project is exempt from CEQA, to file a notice of exemption with the Office of Planning and Research and the county clerk in the county in which the project is located. Because a lead agency would be required to determine the applicability of this exemption and to file a notice with the office and the county clerk, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) 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.