California 2023-2024 Regular Session Status: Enacted 2 D cosponsors

SB 312 — California Environmental Quality Act: university housing development projects: exemption.

Last action — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 284, Statutes of 2024.

Track this bill free

No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 06, 2023. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom (Democratic) on September 19, 2024.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 74% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (2 D).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 8 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

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. Existing law, until January 1, 2030, exempts from CEQA a university housing development project carried out by a public university on real property owned by the public university if the project meets certain requirements, including that each building within the project is certified as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum or better by the United States Green Building Council. Existing law requires the lead agency, if the university housing development project is exempt from CEQA under the above provision, to file the LEED certificate for buildings within the project and a notice determining that the construction impacts of the project have been fully mitigated with the Office of Planning and Research and the county clerk of the county in which the project is located. Existing law requires a university housing development project carried out by the University of California, in order to be exempt from CEQA under this law, to be consistent with the most recent long-range development plan EIR certified on or after January 1, 2018, as provided. This bill would extend the application of the university housing development project exemption until January 1, 2032. The bill would instead require a university housing development project carried out by the University of California, in order to be exempt from CEQA under the above-described exemption to be located on a campus site identified for housing in the most recent long-range development plan EIR or an EIR prepared for any subsequent amendment to that plan relating to housing, as specified. The bill would repeal the requirement to file the LEED certificate with the county clerk of the county in which the project is located. Existing law requires a public university or a relevant public agency with authority to issue a certificate of occupancy for a building within an exempt university housing development project to not issue the certificate of occupancy for the building unless the lead agency receives certification of LEED Platinum or better from the United States Green Building Council for the building and the lead agency determines that the construction impacts of the project have been fully mitigated. This bill would instead require a public university to obtain LEED Platinum certification for each building within a university housing development project no later than 18 months from the issuance of the building's certificate of occupancy or an equivalent certification, or its initial usage, and would authorize a public university to obtain 2 extensions for this LEED certification compliance requirement in 6-month increments, as provided. The bill would prohibit a public university that has exempted an approved university housing development project pursuant to the above-described exemption from applying that exemption to a subsequent university housing development project until the public university has obtained LEED Platinum certification for each building within the prior exempted university housing development project, except as specified. The bill would also make other related changes.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 284, Statutes of 2024.

  2. Approved by the Governor.

  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

  4. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 5683.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  6. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 66. Noes 0. Page 6528.) Ordered to the Senate.

  7. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 1.) (August 15).

  9. August 7 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.

  10. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  11. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (July 1).

  12. June 10 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.

  13. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

  14. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

  15. Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

  16. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  17. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 34. Noes 1. Page 3035.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  18. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  19. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 3011.) (January 18).

  20. Set for hearing January 18.

  21. January 16 hearing: Placed on APPR suspense file.

  22. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  23. Set for hearing January 16.

  24. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 2970.) (January 10). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  25. Set for hearing January 10.

  26. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.

  27. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  28. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  29. Withdrawn from committee.

  30. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

  31. Senate rules suspended.

  32. April 11 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.

  33. Set for hearing April 11.

  34. March 28 hearing postponed by committee.

  35. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

  36. Set for hearing March 28.

  37. Referred to Coms. on TRANS. and E.Q.

  38. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 9.

  39. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 120 not signed on · 2 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (120)

120 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 120 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Passed 39 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 11000
Democratic 21001
Republican 7000
Total 39001
% of votes cast 98%0%0%3%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Roth — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Newman — Yea
Min — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Yea
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Yea
Ashby, Angelique V. Democratic Yea
Becker, Josh Democratic Yea
Blakespear, Catherine S. Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Cortese, Dave Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Gonzalez, Lena A. Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Not Voting
Limón, Monique Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Menjivar, Caroline Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Rubio, Susan Democratic Yea
Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wahab, Aisha Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Alvarado-Gil, Marie Republican Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea
Niello, Roger W. Republican Yea
Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie Republican Yea
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Passed 66 Yea · 0 Nay · 13 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 43004
Unaffiliated 15004
Republican 8005
Total 660013
% of votes cast 84%0%0%16%
How each member voted (79)
Member Party Vote
Holden — Yea
Maienschein — Yea
Rodriguez — Yea
Villapudua — Yea
Ting — Yea
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
McCarty — Yea
Wood — Yea
Friedman — Yea
Low — Yea
Waldron — Yea
Rendon — Not Voting
Mathis — Not Voting
Santiago — Yea
Essayli — Not Voting
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Yea
Luz Rivas — Not Voting
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Addis, Dawn Democratic Yea
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Yea
Alvarez, David Democratic Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bains, Jasmeet Democratic Yea
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Not Voting
Bennett, Steve Democratic Yea
Berman, Marc Democratic Yea
Boerner, Tasha Democratic Not Voting
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Carrillo, Juan Democratic Yea
Cervantes, Sabrina Democratic Not Voting
Connolly, Damon Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
Gabriel, Jesse Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
Grayson, Timothy S. Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Lee, Alex Democratic Yea
Lowenthal, Josh Democratic Yea
McKinnor, Tina Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Ortega, Liz Democratic Not Voting
Pacheco, Blanca Democratic Yea
Papan, Diane Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Petrie-Norris, Cottie Democratic Yea
Quirk-Silva, Sharon Democratic Yea
Ramos, James C. Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Rivas, Robert Democratic Yea
Rubio, Blanca E. Democratic Yea
Schiavo, Pilar Democratic Yea
Soria, Esmeralda Democratic Yea
Valencia, Avelino Democratic Yea
Ward, Christopher M. Democratic Yea
Weber Pierson, M.D., Akilah Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Wilson, Lori D. Democratic Yea
Zbur, Rick Chavez Democratic Yea
Alanis, Juan Republican Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Not Voting
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Davies, Laurie Republican Yea
Dixon, Diane Republican Not Voting
Flora, Heath Republican Yea
Gallagher, James Republican Yea
Hoover, Josh Republican Yea
Lackey, Tom Republican Not Voting
Patterson, Joe Republican Yea
Sanchez, Kate Republican Not Voting
Ta, Tri Republican Not Voting
Wallis, Greg Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass.

Passed 12 Yea · 1 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 9000
Unaffiliated 2001
Republican 1101
Total 12102
% of votes cast 80%7%0%13%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Villapudua — Yea
Jim Patterson — Not Voting
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
Grayson, Timothy S. Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Dixon, Diane Republican Nay
Sanchez, Kate Republican Not Voting
Ta, Tri Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Passed 10 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 6001
Unaffiliated 2000
Republican 2001
Total 10002
% of votes cast 83%0%0%17%
How each member voted (12)
Member Party Vote
Wood — Yea
Friedman — Yea
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Not Voting
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Connolly, Damon Democratic Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Flora, Heath Republican Yea
Hoover, Josh Republican Yea
Lackey, Tom Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

Passed 34 Yea · 1 Nay · 5 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 10001
Democratic 18103
Republican 6001
Total 34105
% of votes cast 85%3%0%13%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Roth — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Newman — Yea
Min — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Portantino — Not Voting
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Yea
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Yea
Ashby, Angelique V. Democratic Yea
Becker, Josh Democratic Yea
Blakespear, Catherine S. Democratic Not Voting
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Cortese, Dave Democratic Not Voting
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Gonzalez, Lena A. Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Nay
Limón, Monique Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Menjivar, Caroline Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Rubio, Susan Democratic Yea
Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Not Voting
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wahab, Aisha Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Alvarado-Gil, Marie Republican Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Not Voting
Niello, Roger W. Republican Yea
Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie Republican Yea
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Passed 7 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 5000
Republican 1000
Unaffiliated 1000
Total 7000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (7)
Member Party Vote
Skinner — Yea
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Yea
Gonzalez, Lena A. Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Menjivar, Caroline Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 312 do?
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. Existing law, until January 1, 2030, exempts from CEQA a university housing development project carried out by a public university on real property owned by the public university if the project meets certain requirements, including that each building within the project is certified as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum or better by the United States Green Building Council. Existing law requires the lead agency, if the university housing development project is exempt from CEQA under the above provision, to file the LEED certificate for buildings within the project and a notice determining that the construction impacts of the project have been fully mitigated with the Office of Planning and Research and the county clerk of the county in which the project is located. Existing law requires a university housing development project carried out by the University of California, in order to be exempt from CEQA under this law, to be consistent with the most recent long-range development plan EIR certified on or after January 1, 2018, as provided. This bill would extend the application of the university housing development project exemption until January 1, 2032. The bill would instead require a university housing development project carried out by the University of California, in order to be exempt from CEQA under the above-described exemption to be located on a campus site identified for housing in the most recent long-range development plan EIR or an EIR prepared for any subsequent amendment to that plan relating to housing, as specified. The bill would repeal the requirement to file the LEED certificate with the county clerk of the county in which the project is located. Existing law requires a public university or a relevant public agency with authority to issue a certificate of occupancy for a building within an exempt university housing development project to not issue the certificate of occupancy for the building unless the lead agency receives certification of LEED Platinum or better from the United States Green Building Council for the building and the lead agency determines that the construction impacts of the project have been fully mitigated. This bill would instead require a public university to obtain LEED Platinum certification for each building within a university housing development project no later than 18 months from the issuance of the building's certificate of occupancy or an equivalent certification, or its initial usage, and would authorize a public university to obtain 2 extensions for this LEED certification compliance requirement in 6-month increments, as provided. The bill would prohibit a public university that has exempted an approved university housing development project pursuant to the above-described exemption from applying that exemption to a subsequent university housing development project until the public university has obtained LEED Platinum certification for each building within the prior exempted university housing development project, except as specified. The bill would also make other related changes.
Who sponsors SB 312?
SB 312 is sponsored by Wiener, Scott D. (Democratic) and Allen, Benjamin (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 312?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 06, 2023. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 312?
Track SB 312 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on SB 312

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Stay ahead of SB 312

Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →