CA SB 71

enacted

California Environmental Quality Act: exemptions: transit projects.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper

Description

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. CEQA, until January 1, 2030, exempts from its requirements active transportation plans, pedestrian plans, or bicycle transportation plans for the restriping of streets and highways, bicycle parking and storage, signal timing to improve street and highway intersection operations, and the related signage for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles. This bill would extend the operation of the above-mentioned exemption indefinitely. The bill would also exempt a transit comprehensive operational analysis, as defined, a transit route readjustment, or other transit agency route addition, elimination, or modification, from the requirements of CEQA. Because a lead agency would be required to determine whether a plan qualifies for this exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. CEQA, until January 1, 2030, exempts from its requirements certain transportation-related projects, such as pedestrian and bicycle facilities, transit prioritization projects, public projects located on a site that is wholly within the boundaries of an urbanized area or urban cluster, as provided, for the institution or increase of bus rapid transit, bus, or light rail service, including the construction or rehabilitation of stations, terminals, or existing operations facilities, and public projects for the construction or maintenance of infrastructure of facilities to charge, refuel, or maintain zero-emission public transit buses, trains, or ferries, as provided. CEQA requires, except as provided, those exempted projects to be carried out by a local agency and meet certain requirements, including certain labor requirements. This bill would extend the operation of the above-mentioned exemption until January 1, 2040. The bill would exempt from the requirements of CEQA a public project for the protection and improvement of bus rapid transit, bus, or light rail service, including the protection, operation, and maintenance, public projects for the protection, improvement, institution, or increase of microtransit, paratransit, shuttle, and ferry, and for the protection, maintenance, construction, operation, or rehabilitation of stops that will be exclusively used by zero-emission, near-zero-emission, low oxide of nitrogen engine, compressed natural gas fuel, fuel cell, or hybrid powertrain vehicles, rail or cable cars, rolling stock, or vessels. The bill would, until January 1, 2032, exempt from the requirements of CEQA a public project for the protection, improvement, institution, or increase of microtransit, paratransit, shuttle, bus, ferry, bus rapid transit, or light rail service, including the protection, maintenance, construction, operation, or rehabilitation of stops, stations, terminals, or existing operations facilities, if used primarily by near-zero-emission, low oxide of nitrogen engine, compressed natural gas fuel, or hybrid powertrain vehicles, except as provided. The bill would exclude from this exemption certain public projects for the construction or rehabilitation of a ferry terminal, as provided, and, except as provided, public projects for transit services operated by a transportation network company, as defined. Because a lead agency would be required to determine whether a project qualifies for this exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. CEQA exempts from its requirements a project that consists exclusively of a combination of any of the components of specified transportation-related projects. This bill would extend the operation of the above-mentioned exemption until January 1, 2040. The bill would, until January 1, 2040, exempt from the requirements of CEQA a project that combines any of those specified transportation-related projects and a housing development project that is either subject to a nondiscretionary approval or is exempt from CEQA, as provided. Because a lead agency would be required to determine whether a project qualifies for this exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law exempts from the requirements of CEQA public projects for the institution or increase of passenger rail service, other than light rail service that is eligible for a specified exemption, including the construction or rehabilitation of stations, terminals, or existing operations facilities, which will be exclusively used by zero-emission trains. This bill would extend the operation of the above-mentioned exemption until January 1, 2040. The bill would exempt from the requirements of CEQA public projects for the improvement of passenger rail service, other than light rail service eligible for a specified exemption, including the maintenance of stations, terminals, or existing operations facilities, which will be exclusively used by zero-emission trains, public projects for the maintenance, construction, or rehabilitation of stations, terminals, or existing operations facilities which will be exclusively used by zero-emission certified Tier 4 or cleaner rolling stock or locomotives, as provided. The bill would exclude from this exemption public projects located in certain air basins for the maintenance, construction, or rehabilitation of stations, terminals, or existing operations facilities that will be used by certified Tier 4 or cleaner rolling stock or locomotives that are not zero-emission rolling stock or locomotives. Because a lead agency would be required to determine whether a project qualifies for this exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires certain CEQA-exempt projects exceeding specified dollar amounts to meet certain criteria, as provided. This bill would instead require certain CEQA-exempt projects that are, based on the project engineer's cost estimate, anticipated to exceed a specified dollar amount, to meet certain criteria, as provided. The bill would require the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, beginning January 1, 2026, and every two years thereafter, to adjust these amounts to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index, as provided, and publish the updated amounts on its internet website. The bill would authorize the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to implement, interpret, or make specific that provision without taking any regulatory action. This bill would declare that its provisions are severable. 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.

Introduced: 2025-01-14
Status date: —
Latest action: 2025-10-13 — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 742, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type: bill
Last updated: —

Subjects

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

2025-01-14
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
introduction,reading-1,referral-committee
2025-01-15
From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 14.
2025-01-29
Referred to Coms. on E.Q. and TRANS.
referral-committee
2025-03-07
Set for hearing March 19.
2025-03-13
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-03-24
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 421.) (March 19).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-03-25
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-03-28
Set for hearing April 8.
2025-04-09
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0. Page 710.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-04-10
Set for hearing April 21.
2025-04-16
April 21 hearing postponed by committee.
2025-04-17
Set for hearing April 28.
2025-04-28
April 28 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-05-16
Set for hearing May 23.
2025-05-23
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 1190.) (May 23).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-05-23
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2025-05-27
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-05-29
Read third time and amended.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-05-29
Ordered to second reading.
reading-1,reading-2
2025-06-02
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-06-03
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 1451.) Ordered to the Assembly.
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-06-04
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
reading-1
2025-06-09
Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
referral-committee
2025-06-30
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-07-03
July 7 hearing postponed by committee.
2025-07-17
Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
2025-07-17
(Ayes 49. Noes 15. Page 2578.)
2025-07-17
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (July 14).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-07-17
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-08-20
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-08-29
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (August 29).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-09-02
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2025-09-03
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-09-09
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 78. Noes 1. Page 3082.) Ordered to the Senate.
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-09-09
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2025-09-10
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2820.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-09-17
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
executive-receipt
2025-10-13
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2025-10-13
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 742, Statutes of 2025.
became-law

Versions

01/14/25 - Introduced — 2025-01-14Compare
03/13/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-03-13Compare
03/25/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-03-25Compare
05/23/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-05-23Compare
05/29/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-05-29Compare
06/30/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-06-30Compare
07/17/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-07-17Compare
09/02/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-09-02Compare
09/12/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-12Compare
10/13/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-13Compare
SB71Compare
(document, no version)Compare

Votes

Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Transportation]
2025-03-19 · pass · 8-0
Member-level votes (8)
- Padilla: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Dahle: yes
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-04-08 · pass · 12-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Cortese: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Strickland: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Limón: other
- Seyarto: other
- Valladares: other
Placed on suspense file
2025-04-28 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Seyarto: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Dahle: yes
Do pass as amended
2025-05-23 · pass · 5-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Caballero: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Dahle: other
- Seyarto: other
3rd Reading SB71 Wiener et al.
2025-06-03 · pass · 36-0
Member-level votes (40)
- Valladares: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Choi: yes
- McNerney: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Becker: yes
- Laird: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Stern: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Grove: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Allen: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Strickland: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- Alvarado-Gil: yes
- McGuire: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Ochoa Bogh: yes
- Rubio: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Reyes: other
- Niello: other
- Jones: other
- Limón: other
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-07-14 · pass · 12-0
Member-level votes (14)
- Bryan: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Haney: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Flora: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Wicks: other
- Muratsuchi: other
Do pass as amended.
2025-08-29 · pass · 10-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Elhawary: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Fong: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Solache: yes
- Ta: other
- Dixon: other
- Mark González: other
- Sanchez: other
- Tangipa: other
SB 71 Wiener Senate Third Reading By Ward
2025-09-09 · pass · 78-1
Member-level votes (80)
- Addis: yes
- Haney: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Berman: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Solache: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Zbur: yes
- DeMaio: yes
- Hadwick: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Patel: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Hart: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Soria: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Papan: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Davies: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Krell: yes
- Chen: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Bains: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Lee: yes
- Castillo: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Ta: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Gallagher: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Macedo: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Ward: yes
- Fong: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Lackey: yes
- Flora: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Boerner: no
- Muratsuchi: other
Unfinished Business SB71 Wiener et al. Concurrence
2025-09-10 · pass · 39-0
Member-level votes (40)
- Umberg: yes
- Grove: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Jones: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Alvarado-Gil: yes
- Limón: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Choi: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Laird: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Rubio: yes
- McGuire: yes
- Reyes: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Strickland: yes
- Stern: yes
- Allen: yes
- Caballero: yes
- McNerney: yes
- Ochoa Bogh: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Becker: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Niello: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB71

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