SB 7 - NYU Furman Center

State Land Use Enacted Legislation

Bill #	State	Year	Party	Topic
SB 7	CA	2021	D	Affordable housing incentives and financing, Appeals, Enforcement, Environmental review, Inclusionary zoning, Minimum parking requirements, Other streamlining, Planning for climate adaptation and hazards, Streamline application

Provided by Furman

Summary

Reenacts and expands a program designed to accelerate major development projects by streamlining the judicial review process under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Requires California courts to resolve CEQA-related lawsuits within 270 days, to the extent feasible.
Enacts the Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2021, which would authorize the Governor, until January 1, 2024, to certify projects that meet specified requirements for streamlining benefits related to CEQA.
The bill would additionally include housing development projects, as defined, meeting certain conditions as projects eligible for certification. The bill would, except for those housing development projects, require the quantification and mitigation of the impacts of a project from the emissions of greenhouse gases, as provided. For the first time, housing development projects (meeting specific size and affordability criteria) are eligible for certification, alongside high-wage, “leadership” projects.
Projects must be greenhouse gas neutral and demonstrate significant environmental benefits.
Applicants must meet rigorous labor requirements, including paying prevailing wages and utilizing a skilled and trained workforce.
Took effect immediately as an urgency statute and is scheduled to remain in effect until January 1, 2026.

Provided by lawmakers