AB 2231: California Environmental Quality Act: hospital projects.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report (EIR) 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 establishes administrative procedures for the review and certification of the EIR for a project and judicial review procedures for any action or proceeding brought to challenge the lead agency’s decision to certify the EIR or to grant project approvals.

This bill would establish streamlined procedures for the administrative and judicial review of the environmental review and approvals granted for an environmental leadership hospital campus project, defined by the bill as a construction project of a hospital campus in the City of Santa Clara, under certain conditions. The bill would require the city council of the City of Santa Clara to certify the project for the streamlined judicial review, as specified, if it finds the project will meet those conditions. The bill would require the applicant of the environmental leadership hospital campus project to take certain actions in order for those specified procedures to apply to the project. The bill would require a certified project to meet certain labor requirements. The bill would require the Judicial Council, on or before July 1, 2027, to adopt rules of court establishing procedures requiring actions or proceedings seeking judicial review of the certification of an environmental impact report for a certified environmental leadership hospital campus project or the granting of any project approval, including any appeals to the court of appeal or the Supreme Court, to be resolved, to the extent feasible, within 270 calendar days of the filing of the certified record of proceedings with the court. The bill would require the lead agency to concurrently prepare the record of proceedings with the environmental review, as provided.

Because the bill would impose additional duties on a local agency, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the City of Santa Clara.

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.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. September 30, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 926, Statutes of 2026.
2. September 30, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. September 10, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
4. August 30, 2026Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6873.).
5. August 28, 2026In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
6. August 27, 2026Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.).
7. August 24, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
8. August 21, 2026Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
9. August 4, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
10. August 3, 2026From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
11. July 1, 2026From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
12. June 24, 2026From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.