California Assembly Bill 130 (2025)

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California Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) is a 2025 law which exempts most infill housing development from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The bill incorporated text from AB 609, drafted by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, while the bill itself was a budget trailer bill intended to be mandatory in order for the state budget to take effect. The bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on June 30, 2025. [1]

The bill was signed by Newsom alongside California Senate Bill 131 (SB 131), another budget trailer law which incorporated text from SB 607 as drafted by Senator Scott Wiener. [2] SB 131 exempts certain other projects from CEQA review, including advanced manufacturing in industrial districts, high-speed rail, and wildfire mitigation. [3] [4]

Both bills were endorsed by Newsom, who requested that both bills be incorporated into the state budget.

Reception

The bills' passage was well-received by supporters of the YIMBY movement, while environmental groups worried about potential environmental and health consequences from the bills' carve-outs of CEQA.

References

  1. "AB 130- ENROLLED". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  2. "SB 131- AMENDED". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  3. Bollag, Sophia (2025-06-30). "California passes major overhaul of CEQA, hoping to kickstart housing production". San Francisco Chronicle.
  4. Bandlamudi, Adhiti (2025-06-30). "California Lawmakers Approve Major Overhaul of Landmark Environmental Law". KQED.