Existing law, the California Environmental Quality Act, referred to as 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 requires a lead agency to provide and post specified notices. CEQA requires the Office of Planning and Research to prepare and develop guidelines for the implementation of CEQA and the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to certify and adopt those guidelines.

This bill would require the office, on or before July 1, 2016, to prepare and develop recommended amendments to the guidelines and the secretary, on or before January 1, 2017, to certify and adopt those amendments to the guidelines to establish criteria for a lead agency to assess the need for translating those notices into non-English languages, as specified. By requiring a lead agency to consider the criteria for translating those notices, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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.