Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, requires any person wishing to perform or undertake any development in the coastal zone, as defined, in addition to obtaining any other permit required by law from any local government or from any state, regional, or local agency, to obtain a coastal development permit, as provided. The act further provides for the certification of local coastal programs by the California Coastal Commission. The act prohibits the commission, except as provided, from exercising its coastal development permit review authority, as specified, over any new development within the area to which the certified local coastal program, or any portion thereof, applies. Existing law requires a local government, if it has been delegated authority to issue coastal development permits, to recover any costs incurred from fees charged to individual permit applicants. Existing law authorizes the local government to elect to not levy fees, as provided.

This bill would, at the request of an applicant, as defined, for a coastal development permit, authorize a city or county to waive or reduce the permit fee for specified projects. The bill would authorize the applicant, if a city or county rejects a fee waiver or fee reduction request, to submit the coastal development permit application directly to the commission.