Bill > AB66

This bill provides a specific exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for certain fire safety egress route projects in high-risk fire areas. The exemption applies to egress route projects undertaken by public agencies to improve emergency access and evacuation for residential subdivisions with more than 30 dwelling units that currently lack a secondary access route. To qualify for the exemption, the project must meet several specific conditions, including being located in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone, avoiding wetlands and riparian areas, not harming protected species, consulting with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, ensuring the route is appropriately scaled to the subdivision's population, and having fire safety as its primary purpose. The lead agency must hold a public meeting to hear community comments before declaring the project exempt, and must file a notice of exemption with the appropriate county and state offices. This exemption is temporary, set to expire on January 1, 2032, and is intended to help communities improve emergency evacuation routes in fire-prone areas while streamlining the environmental review process for such critical infrastructure projects.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB66