News & Analysis as of

Urban Planning & Development Regulatory Reform California Environmental Quality Act

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Cutting Through California's Housing Crisis: Are New CEQA Exemptions Enough?

As discussed in our earlier post, California's CEQA landscape has rapidly, and potentially seismically, evolved with the passage of AB 130 and SB 131. This post focuses on the immediate creation of a new statutory exemption,...more

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

How SB 131 Tries To Put the ‘Land’ Back in ‘Land Use’

This is the ninth update in our series covering AB 130 and SB 131, two bills that work substantive changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and California housing law....more

Nossaman LLP

CEQA Reform is Here | Part 2: Vehicle Miles Traveled

Nossaman LLP on

Part two of a three-part series - Governor Gavin Newsom signed two major budget trailer bills, AB 130 and SB 131, into law on June 30, 2025, bringing significant amendments to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)...more

Downey Brand LLP

Wait, What? Major Changes to CEQA Slip into Law via Deft Maneuvering

Downey Brand LLP on

Much is discussed every year in the Legislature about how the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) needs reform. But the calls for change nearly always fail, aside from a few tinkering changes. This year is...more

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

CEQA Infill Exemptions and “Near Miss” Streamlining—A Concrete Fix for California’s Housing Crisis?

Note: This is the second update in our series covering AB 130 and SB 131, two bills that work substantive changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and California housing law....more

Husch Blackwell LLP

California Real Estate Developers Optimistic About CEQA Reform

Husch Blackwell LLP on

On June 30, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) and Senate Bill 131 (SB 131), legislation that contains significant changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that...more

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Major Changes to CEQA and California Housing Law Approved by Gov. Newsom

On June 30, 2025, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two budget trailer bills—AB 130 and SB 131—that together work major changes both to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and California housing law. Because these bills...more

Mayer Brown

California Legislation Eviscerates CEQA for Most Housing Projects

Mayer Brown on

In a monumental win for pro-housing advocates, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation essentially exempting most housing and mixed-use projects from CEQA....more

Clark Hill PLC

CEQA finally brought to its knees by California’s severe housing crisis

Clark Hill PLC on

Originally enacted in 1970, the objective of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was to review projects to assess potential impacts on the environment, disclose those impacts to the public, and mitigate those...more

Perkins Coie

Major Reforms Enacted to the California Environmental Quality Act

Perkins Coie on

Key Takeaways - - AB 130 and SB 131 were recently passed by the California Legislature and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, enacting the most significant reforms to CEQA in recent years. - AB 130 establishes a new statutory...more

Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass

New CEQA Exemption for Housing Development Projects: What it Means for Developers

Governor Gavin Newsom signed two budget trailer bills on June 30, 2025, enacting the most substantial reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in over five decades—most significantly by introducing a new...more

Allen Matkins

Effective Immediately: CEQA Reform Legislation

Allen Matkins on

On June 30, 2025, Governor Newsom signed two budget trailer bills into law: Assembly Bill 130 and Senate Bill 131, which reform the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) effective immediately. As explained by the...more

Allen Matkins

Pending State Housing Laws: New CEQA Exemptions and Expanded Opportunities for Streamlined Ministerial Approval

Allen Matkins on

Various state housing bills are currently making their way through the California State Legislature that are expected to benefit mixed-income multifamily housing developers. The following summaries reflect the status of the...more

Allen Matkins

Recent Amendments to Affordable Housing and High Roads Job Act of 2022 (AB 2011)

Allen Matkins on

AB 2243 (Wicks) amended AB 2011 effective January 1, 2025. As explained in our prior legal alert, AB 2011 provides for “by right” streamlined ministerial (i.e., no CEQA) approval of qualifying mixed-income and affordable...more

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update 6.5.25

Allen Matkins on

On May 29, 2025, the Supreme Court held that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) — which requires federal agencies to analyze the environmental impacts of projects that they carry out, fund, or approve — does not...more

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update 3.31.25

Allen Matkins on

In a show of bipartisan and bicameral unity, California lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping 20-bill legislative package aimed at overhauling the state’s housing development process. Branded as the “Fast Track Housing”...more

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update 3.21.25

Allen Matkins on

Senator Scott Wiener is back with another bill – SB 79 – to provide for streamlined ministerial (i.e., no CEQA) approval of qualifying housing development projects near transit across California. For qualifying projects...more

Best Best & Krieger LLP

A Well-Informed Start to 2025: BBK’s Guidance for New Laws in California – Housing Part One

In part one of the Housing New Laws series from Best Best & Krieger LLP (BBK), attorneys cover important new housing legislation for 2025 that updates the Housing Accountability Act and relates to housing development fees....more

Miller Starr Regalia

CEQA Identified by Assembly Select Committee Report as Among Obstacles to Permitting Reform Needed to Meet State’s Housing and...

Miller Starr Regalia on

The “California Assembly Select Committee on Permitting Reform Final Report – March 2025” (the “Report”), published earlier this month, sounds an alarm bell regarding the need to overhaul the state’s “failed approach to...more

Miller Starr Regalia

Is Robust and Disruptive CEQA Reform Possible?  Senator Scott Wiener Wants to Find Out – His Proposed SB 607 Would Exempt...

Miller Starr Regalia on

On February 20, 2025, Senator Scott Wiener introduced Senate Bill No. 607 (SB 607), a proposed law that is relatively short in text length, but which would engender major CEQA reforms if enacted as currently drafted.  The...more

Snell & Wilmer

Governor Newsom’s Parade of Executive Orders Continue To Cut Red Tape for Los Angeles’ Rebuild

Snell & Wilmer on

Executive Order N-20-25 aims to cut more red tape and continue streamlining rebuilding, recovery, and relief for survivors of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires....more

Paul Hastings LLP

LA Wildfires: Will the Governor’s Efforts to Streamline Environmental Permitting Really Matter?

Paul Hastings LLP on

On January 12, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order (EO N-4-25) to suspend permitting requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act, with the...more

Buchalter

State of California and the City of Los Angeles Issue Orders to Expedite Recovery and Reconstruction in Response to Los Angeles...

Buchalter on

In response to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-4-25 on January 12, 2025 to expedite the recovery process in affected communities. The following...more

Perkins Coie

Approval of Class 32 Exemption Invalid Without Analysis of Project Consistency with Redevelopment Plan

Perkins Coie on

The Court of Appeal held that before issuing a CEQA Class 32 exemption, the City of Los Angeles was required to assess whether the project was consistent not only with the applicable zoning ordinance but also with the area’s...more

Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass

Bay Area Air Quality Management District Updates CEQA Thresholds for Greenhouse Gas Impacts

On April 20, 2022, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) adopted new recommended thresholds for determining the significance of individual projects’ greenhouse gas impacts under the California Environmental...more

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