Environmental Law & Policy Alert – Update from Somach Simmons & Dunn

July 28, 2025

CEQA Reform … A Primer

On June 30, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills into law that have substantially modified the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to, in large part, increase housing development in a state with a “serious housing shortage” that has resulted in especially low rates of home ownership in young adults. In a somewhat controversial move, Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) and Senate Bill 131 (SB 131) were advanced as trailer bills to the state’s 2025 budget—maintaining some, but not all, of the CEQA reforms included in SB 607 introduced by Senator Scott Wiener early this year, as we previously reported … Read More

Written by Casey A. Shorrock