AB 2170 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California Environmental Quality Act: overburdened communities: notices and hearings: translations.

Summary

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. Existing law requires a lead agency to be responsible for determining whether the project is exempt from CEQA and whether an environmental impact report, negative declaration, or mitigated negative declaration is required, as provided. Existing law, for certain projects, establishes a ministerial review process with modified environmental assessment procedures, as provided. This bill, notwithstanding the above-described provisions relating to determinations by a lead agency, would require an environmental impact report, negative declaration, or mitigated negative declaration, as determined by the lead agency, for any project, except as provided, that includes the development, intensification, or substantial expansion of an industrial use if the project is located in or within 12 mile of an overburdened community, as defined. The bill would disqualify these projects from receiving a statutory exemption or ministerial review process. Because a lead agency would be required to determine the applicability of this requirement, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require, on and after July 1, 2027, specified categories of notices prepared pursuant to the requirements of CEQA to be translated into all threshold languages, as defined, in the city or county where the project is located to ensure meaningful involvement of all impacted people. Because this bill would impose additional requirements on a lead agency, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Office and Land Use and Climate Innovation, by July 1, 2027, to develop guidelines for this requirement, and would require the guidelines to allow lead agencies to develop a procedure for an interested party to request that interpretation services be made available, as specified. The bill would authorize the lead agency, if it develops that procedure, to require mandatory interpretation services only when a request has been made in advance of the hearing or meeting. This bill would require the lead agency to, among other things, provide a notice of any public hearing subject to the above-described requirements to owners and occupants of property located within 12 half mile of any parcel or parcels, and to any school located within one mile of any parcel or parcels, of a project site, not less than 30 days before the public hearing. The bill would require this public hearing to include oral translation services in all threshold languages spoken in the city or county, as provided. Because this bill would impose additional requirements on a lead agency, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would prohibit a minor inaccuracy in the translation of a notice or hearing from being a basis for invalidation of a public agency decision, unless the inaccuracy is found to preclude relevant information from being presented to the public, as provided. 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.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 18, 2026 Last action May 14, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

04/22/26 - Amended Assembly → AB2170 · 2 edits

MINOR

This diff represents a formatting and presentation change rather than a substantive policy change. The bill text was converted from a traditional legislative document format (with line numbers, page headers, and footers) to a web-based publication layout. The statutory language of AB 2170 remains unchanged between the two versions.

TECHNICAL

The document was reformatted from a traditional legislative print layout with line numbers and page markers into a web-based presentation format with navigation elements, search tools, and version comparison links. No policy language was altered.

Fraction notation in the digest changed from Unicode fraction characters (1/2) to ASCII slash notation (1/2). The statutory text itself consistently uses 'one-half mile' in both versions.

03/19/26 - Amended Assembly → 04/22/26 - Amended Assembly · 10 edits · Apr 22, 2026

MAJOR

The April 22 amendment to AB 2170 narrows and refines the bill's requirements for industrial projects near overburdened communities, adds a new categorical exemption carve-out, shortens the public hearing notice period from 60 to 30 days, limits the hearing notice requirement to projects under Section 21080.1 specifically, adds a protected species habitat exclusion for housing projects, and permits digital translation services to satisfy notice translation requirements. The legislative intent section calling for future legislation was removed.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed in several ways: the industrial project requirement now only covers projects that are themselves industrial uses (not all projects on industrially zoned land), a new categorical exemption carve-out was added, the hearing notice requirement applies only to Section 21080.1 projects rather than all translated hearings, and the legislative intent section for future legislation was removed. The scope was also slightly expanded by adding 'intensification' as a covered action and adding a protected species habitat exclusion for housing.

SCOPE

The industrial project trigger in Section 21080.1(a)(2)(A) was narrowed: it now applies only to projects that are themselves of an industrial use (not just any project on industrially zoned land), and 'intensification' was added as a covered action alongside development, operation, substantial modification, and substantial expansion.

The public hearing notice requirement in Section 21083.04(d) was narrowed to apply only to 'projects subject to Section 21080.1' rather than any public hearing subject to the translation section, limiting when the extended notice and location requirements kick in.

The former Section 1 expressing legislative intent to enact subsequent legislation amending CEQA for environmentally burdened communities was removed entirely.

ELIGIBILITY

A new exemption was added in Section 21080.1(a)(2)(C): the enhanced review requirement does not apply to projects eligible for a categorical exemption under CEQA guidelines, projects otherwise exempt from CEQA, or ministerial approvals under Public Utilities Commission General Order 131-E or any successor order.

A new housing project exclusion was added in Section 21080.1(b)(4)(E): projects on sites containing habitat for protected species (candidate, sensitive, special status, fully protected, or listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, California Endangered Species Act, or Native Plant Protection Act) are excluded from the single-condition housing review limitation.

TIMELINE

The public hearing notice period was shortened from 60 days before the hearing to 30 days before the hearing in Section 21083.04(d).

TECHNICAL

A new subsection (f) was added to Section 21083.04 stating that a translation of notices made using a digital translation service satisfies the section's requirements, providing flexibility for agencies to use machine translation tools.

ENFORCEMENT

The invalidation standard in Section 21083.04(e) was expanded: a minor translation inaccuracy now covers documents, notices, or hearings (not just documents), and the threshold for invalidation now also includes whether 'relevant information' was precluded from being presented to the public.

REQUIREMENT

The oral translation services requirement at public hearings in Section 21083.04(d)(4)(B) now includes the qualifier 'to the extent feasible,' making it a best-efforts standard rather than an absolute requirement.

FISCAL

The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes' and the state-mandated local program designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now triggers fiscal analysis and acknowledges it imposes costs on local agencies.

02/18/26 - Introduced → 03/19/26 - Amended Assembly · 10 edits · Mar 19, 2026

MAJOR

AB 2170 was transformed from a placeholder bill expressing only legislative intent into a substantive bill with operative provisions. The amended version requires full CEQA review (EIR or negative declaration) for industrial projects near overburdened communities, disqualifies those projects from statutory exemptions, and mandates translation of CEQA documents into threshold languages starting July 1, 2027. It also adds housing-specific CEQA limitations and new public hearing accessibility requirements including evening hours, transit proximity, and remote participation options.

Scope change

The bill expanded from a non-operative statement of legislative intent into a comprehensive set of operative provisions covering CEQA review requirements for industrial projects near overburdened communities, housing project exemptions, document translation mandates, and public hearing accessibility standards. It now imposes state-mandated local programs on lead agencies.

SCOPE

Projects on land zoned for industrial uses in or within one-half mile of an overburdened community now require an EIR, negative declaration, or mitigated negative declaration, regardless of any statutory exemption. These projects are also disqualified from the ministerial review process.

DEFINITION

Defines 'overburdened community' as a disadvantaged community under Health and Safety Code Section 39711, a disadvantaged unincorporated community under Government Code Section 65302.10, or a census tract in the highest 15 percent of CalEnviroScreen pollution burden scores.

Defines 'threshold languages' as all languages spoken jointly by 5 percent or more of the population within the lead agency's jurisdiction who do not speak English or cannot effectively communicate in English, consistent with the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act.

ELIGIBILITY

Housing development projects that would be exempt from CEQA but for a single condition are now subject to limited review covering only effects caused by that single condition. EIRs for such projects do not need to discuss alternatives or growth-inducing impacts. Exemptions apply for projects ineligible due to two or more conditions, distribution centers, oil and gas infrastructure, natural and protected lands, and certain builder's remedy projects over four acres.

REQUIREMENT

On and after July 1, 2027, specified CEQA documents (executive summaries, initial studies, mitigation requirements, cumulative impacts analyses, all notices, and statements of overriding considerations) must be translated into all threshold languages in the project's city or county.

Lead agencies must provide public hearing notices to property owners and occupants within one-half mile and schools within one mile of a project site at least 60 days before the hearing. Notices must include translations in all threshold languages, project description, map, and comment submission instructions.

Public hearings subject to the translation requirements must be held between 5 PM and 9 PM on weekdays, with best efforts to locate them within one-half mile of a public transit stop. Hearings must offer both in-person and remote participation (web-based or telephone) and include oral translation services in all threshold languages upon request.

ENFORCEMENT

Minor inaccuracies in document translations cannot be used as a basis to invalidate a public agency decision unless the inaccuracy is found to preclude informed decisionmaking or informed public participation.

TIMELINE

The Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation must develop implementation guidelines by July 1, 2027. Translation requirements take effect on and after July 1, 2027.

FISCAL

Fiscal committee review changed from 'no' to 'yes' and state-mandated local program designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' reflecting the new mandates imposed on local agencies. A reimbursement provision states no state reimbursement is required because local agencies can levy service charges, fees, or assessments.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

lower

May 6, 2026

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

lower

Apr 23, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 22, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended.

lower

Apr 21, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 4.) (April 20).

lower

Mar 23, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

lower

Mar 19, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 19, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

lower

Feb 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors