Policy Accomplishments
PCL has always been a strong presence at the State Capitol. We are constantly monitoring, supporting, or opposing bills related to land use, transportation, housing, water, and CEQA. Below you can see some of our accomplishments over the last 5 years.
Support
Positive policy bills PCL has worked to pass.
CEQA
AB 782 (Berman) 2019 – This bill would add PRC Section 21080.28 establishing a statutory exemption for acquisition, sale, or other transfer by a public agency for the purposes of conservation of natural or historic resources.
SB 224 (Jackson) 2018 – Eliminates a loophole in state law that allows project proponents to avoid environmental review by undertaking unauthorized or illegal work before the CEQA process is initiated.
SB 122 (Jackson) 2016 – Would allow concurrent preparation of the administrative record and require the electronic posting of all notices and environmental documents in a state database.
AB 380 (Dickinson) 2014 – Created a single notice posting system for CEQA notices.
Housing
AB 1482 (Chiu) 2019 – Landlords may not increase rent more than 5% plus the percentage change in the cost of living.
AB 686 (Santiago) 2018 – Would require a public agency to administer its programs and activities relating to housing and community development in a manner to affirmatively further fair housing, and to not take any action that is inconsistent with this obligation.
AB 1505 (Bloom) 2017 – Ensures that local inclusionary housing ordinances extend to rental housing.
SB 2 (Atkins) 2017 – Establishes a long-sought-after permanent source of funding for affordable housing.
SB 3 (Beall) 2017 – A bond for the 2018 ballot for further affordable housing funding
Land Use
SB 50 (Allen) 2017 – Imposes restrictions on the privatization of federal lands.
Transportation
AB 285 (Friedman) 2019 – Provide for strategies to meet the SB 32 mandate of 40% GHG reductions of 1990 levels by 2030, as well as the addition of specified equity considerations.
SB 210 (Leyva) 2019 – This bill would authorize the state board to develop and implement a Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program for nongasoline heavy-duty on-road motor vehicles, as specified and create a Truck Emission Check (TEC) Fund.
SB 742 (Allen) 2019 – Would amend Section 14035.55 provisions to enable the Joint Power Authorities (San Joaquin, Capitol Corridor, and LOSSAN) to pick up and drop off passengers on their Amtrak intercity thruway bus routes without requiring them to have a train ticket as part of their trip.
AB 1568 (Bloom) 2017 – Establishes a unique voluntary “enhanced infrastructure finance district” program for use by jurisdictions to fund affordable infill housing and associated infrastructure as part of the Neighborhood Infill Finance and Transit Improvements Act (NIFTI 1).
Water
AB 508 (Chu) 2019 – If there is a water system or well that consistently fails to provide safe water for a disadvantaged community, the State Water Resources Control Board would have the authority to order the consolidation of water systems and for extension of safe services.
AB 600 (Chu) 2019 – Each city/county/district is required to develop a plan on how to improve water, wastewater, and storm-water services for areas lacking adequate service, in coordination with their respective LAFCO. The LAFCO is authorized to reorganize the districts (by merging, forming or dissolving) in order to achieve these goals, and annexations and sphere of influence expansion are limited until such plans are in place.
SB 19 (Dodd) 2019 – Department of Water Resources will develop a plan to deploy and use stream gages across the state in order to collect more hydrological information. The department would then come up with a plan on how to address gaps in information needed for water management and the conservation of freshwater species.
SB 200 (Monning) 2019 – This bill would establish the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund in the State Treasury and methods for its appropriation and distribution.
SB 205 (Hertzberg) 2019 – This bill would require businesses to provide specified information, under penalty of perjury, regarding stormwater discharge compliance.
SB 307 (Roth) 2019 – Aims to protect California’s Mojave Desert from the adverse environmental impacts of the proposed Cadiz water mining project.
AB 1215 (Hertzberg) 2018 – Consolidation and extension of wastewater services to communities lacking adequate service.
AB 2501 (Chu) 2018 – Extension of Municipal water service to disadvantaged communities lacking services.
AB 2975 (Friedman) 2018 – If a Federal “wild and scenic” designation is taken from a California waterway, the bill provides direction for the wild and scenic designation to be recognized by California state law.
SB 5 (De Leon) 2017 – Funding bond provides $1 billion for clean water programs, $600 million for local parks, $500 million for flood protection, and $400 million for climate adaptation projects, with the remaining $500 million for a variety of natural resource projects.
AB 2104 (Gonzalez) 2014 – Closes a loophole allowing Homeowners Associations to penalize homeowners for having drought-tolerant plants in place of lawns.
SB 103 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) 2014 – Amends the 2013 Budget Act to include funding for addressing drought conditions in California.
SB 104 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) 2014 – Helps to speed up existing funding for drought relief activities, including conservation, recycling, stormwater capture, and assistance to disadvantaged communities.
SB 985 (Pavley) 2014 – Promotes stormwater as a water resource, rather than a waste product.
AB 685 (Eng) 2012 – Declares that it is the policy of the state that every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.
AB 1750 (Solorio) 2012 – Rainwater Capture Act of 2012, would authorize and encourage Californians to capture rainwater off their roofs for nonpotable purposes, such as landscaping.
Climate Change
AB 293 (Garcia) 2019 – This bill would require the Compliance Offsets Protocol Task Force to consider the development of recommendations for additional offset protocols, including, but not limited to, protocols for the enhanced management or conservation of agricultural and natural lands, and for the enhancement and restoration of wetlands.
SB 1035 (Jackson) 2018 – Requires General Plan Safety elements to include fire, flood and climate adaptation, and resiliency strategies.
SB 1072 (Leyva) 2018 – Establishes regional Climate Collaborative to create or enhance local capacity to apply for climate funding and other state program grants.
Oppose
Bad policy bills PCL has worked to stop.
CEQA
SB 384 (Morrell) 2019 – Offers expedited judicial review to specified housing development projects with 50 or more residential units.
SB 659 (Borgeas) 2019 – This bill would require a court to award reasonable attorney’s fees to a prevailing respondent or real party in interest when the court finds the petitioner used actions, tactics, or claims, made unreasonably or in bad faith, that is frivolous or intended to cause unnecessary delay. Intended to inhibit frivolous NIMBY litigation.
AB 2279 (Fong) 2018 – Limits injunctions for housing projects
AB 2856 (Melendez) 2018 – Limits injunctions for housing projects.
AB 3027 (Chavez) 2018 – Very problematic limitation on who can receive attorney’s fees.
AB 3099 (Santiago) 2018 – Reduces the statute of limitations for CEQA actions
SB 1052 (Bates) 2018 – Requires disclosure of any contributor of $100 or more to a CEQA plaintiff.
SB 1340 (Glazer) 2018 – Prohibits injunctions of approved housing projects
SB 1341 (Glazer) 2018 – Sister to 1340, almost the same.
AB 1849 (Logue) 2014 – Exempts levee maintenance, repair, and replacement from CEQA requirenments.
AB 2353 (Waldron) 2014 – Exempts the expansion or replacement of existing surface storage facilities from CEQA requirements.
AB 2417 (Nazarian) 2014 – Exempts every new recycled water pipeline under 8 miles in length from CEQA requirements.
SB 834 (Huff) 2014 – Would exempt manufacturing facilities from complying with CEQA to retool their plants.
Transportation
AB 2919 (Frazier) 2018 – Caltrans can get permits approved after two years.
SBX1 11 (Berryhill) 2016 – Would vastly expand an existing major road maintenance exemption to encompass all road maintenance, repair and minor alterations by local and state agencies.
Water
AB 636 (Gray) 2019 – Would have prevented the State Water Resources Control Board to develop new water quality objectives without first consulting with the Legislature. Could result in the delay of implementing water quality objectives that protect farms, cities, and the environment.
AB 637 (Gray) 2019 – Would prevent the State and Regional Boards from implementing plans and policies that protect the environment and the public. Intended to prevent the State Water Resources Control Board from implementing the 2018 update to the Bay-Delta Plan.
SB 669 (Caballero) 2019 – An alternative proposal for a Safe Drinking Water Fund, with an unreliable funding source that would cover many communities in need.
SB 772 (Bradford) 2019 – Requires an Independent System Operator (ISO) to go through a competitive solicitation process if they wish to acquire a long-duration energy storage project. Would directly promote the Eagle Crest Pumped Storage Project which was found to threaten Joshua Tree National Park by pumping groundwater out of the park.
AB 313 (Gray) 2018 – Would have restricted authority of the State Water Resources Control Board and posed a terrible precedent for the powers of other state agencies.
AB 2545 (Gallagher) 2018 – Would redefine “stream” as only those that support aquatic life, allowing for damming/filling of those that do not.
AB 1983 (Gray) 2014 – Undermines water conservation and lacks critical protections for tenants.
Climate Change
AB 425 (Caballero) 2018 – Would cause a dramatic increase in commercial logging exempt from environmental review.
AB 2896 (Kiley) 2018 – Mandates publicly funded brush removal near private property, regardless of local/state specific plans