Authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D), SB 292 passed on September 9, 2011 and was signed into law by the Governor on September 27, 2011. It was passed specifically to expedite environmental review of one large development project, the Convention Center Modernization and Farmers Field Project in Los Angeles, which is projected to generate 12,000 full-time construction jobs and 11,000 permanent jobs. The proposal is for a new National Football League (NFL) football stadium and replacement and expansion of the existing Los Angeles Convention Center.

The bill provides for expedited judicial review of the proposed stadium project by directing legal challenges to the CEQA review of the project directly to the Second District Court of Appeal, bypassing the trial courts. It further streamlines the challenge process by: (1) establishing an expedited briefing schedule; (2) requiring the Court of Appeal to decide the challenge within 60 days after the last reply brief is filed; and (3) requiring the California Supreme Court to render a decision on any petition for review within 30 days after filing.

Another notable provision is that, within five days after the close of the public comment period, a party who commented on the draft EIR may request the lead agency and applicant to participate in non-biding mediation, with the costs to be borne by the applicant.

SB 292 also imposes strict mitigation requirements on the Farmers Field project, including:  

• The applicant must include measures to reduce GHG emissions to the extent feasible, and must purchase carbon offset credits for any unmitigated emissions to achieve and maintain zero net emissions of GHGs from private automobile trips.
• The applicant must achieve and maintain a trip ratio that is no more than 90 percent of the trip ratio at any other stadium serving a team in the National Football League.
• If the applicant achieves a trip ratio that is more than 90 percent of the trip ratio at the NFL stadium with the lowest trip ratio, the lead agency may require the applicant to provide private charter buses and/or temporarily expand the capacity of the public transit line, as needed, to serve stadium events. The applicant may also be required to pay its fair share of the cost to expand a pubic fixed or light rail station that is used by spectators attending stadium events.   

You can download the full text of the bill here:  SB 292 

AB 900 establishes expedited review procedures similar to those established by SB 292 for any project that the Governor certifies as a "leadership project." A leadership project must involve investment of at least $100 million or more and must create high-wage, highly skilled construction and permanent jobs. To qualify, a project must result in no net increase in GHG emissions, and the applicant must agree to implement all mitigation measures identified in the EIR and pay for ongoing mitigation monitoring for the life of the project.

A leadership project can be one of the following:

• An infill residential, retail, commercial, sports, cultural, entertainment, or recreational use project that is certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as a as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) project with a LEED rating of Silver or better. Where applicable, the project must achieve a 10-percent greater standard for transportation efficiency than for comparable projects. The project must be consistent with the general plan if it is located in an area covered by an approved sustainable communities strategy or alternative planning strategy.
• A clean renewable energy project that generates electricity exclusively through wind or solar.
• A clean energy manufacturing project that manufactures products, equipment, or components used for renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, or for the production of clean alternative fuel vehicles.

AB 900 will sunset on January 1, 2015 unless the Legislature extends it.

You can download the full text of the bill here:  AB 900