BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 594
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 30, 2003

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                              Darrell Steinberg, Chair

                     AB 594 (Leno) - As Amended:  March 24, 2003 

          Policy Committee:                              Natural Resources  
                       Vote:                            9-1

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill exempts, from the California Environmental Quality Act  
          (CEQA),  projects that restripe, for bicycle lanes, an existing  
          paved right-of-way, subject to specific conditions designed to  
          ensure minimal negative impacts to public safety and the  
          environment. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          No direct state fiscal.  Potential savings to local agencies to  
          the extent new bicycle lanes using existing paved right-of-ways  
          can be opened without being subject to the environmental impact  
          report (EIR) or the negative declaration requirements of the  
          CEQA.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  .   The author argues this conditional exemption from  
            CEQA is consistent with the environmental protections that the  
            Act seeks to provide when any project is proposed.  The author  
            believes the conditions the restriping project must meet  
            ensure this exemption would not negatively impact the CEQA's  
            environmental protections.
           
          2)Conditions  .  The bill exempts these restriping projects only  
            if they satisfy  all  of the following conditions:

             a)   The project is consistent with the general plan, a  
               specific local or a local coastal program.
             b)   The local public works director finds the project will  
               not create a significant risk to either vehicle or  








                                                                  AB 594
                                                                  Page  2

               pedestrian safety.
             c)   This no effect on wetlands or wildlife habitat and no  
               protected species of animal or native plant is harmed.
             d)   The site is not a hazardous waste site, the site is  
               subject to a preliminary endangerment assessment to  
               determine if any hazardous substance has been released and,  
               if so, the release is removed or mitigated.
             e)   This no significant effect on historical resources, no  
               abnormal public health risk, no exposure to potential  
               landslides or floods and the project is not located within  
               a state conservancy or a state or local park.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Steve Archibald / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081