Governor Signs CEQA Streamlining Bill for Infrastructure Projects ​

Governor Newsom has signed AB 1847, a bill that streamlines CEQA review for qualifying infrastructure projects by establishing a 270-day shot clock for EIR certification and limiting the scope of judicial challenges. If you just felt a disturbance in the force, that was every environmental attorney in the state simultaneously opening a new billing file.

The bill applies to transportation, water, and flood control projects valued over $25 million that are "primarily rehabilitative in nature" — meaning new capacity projects still get the full CEQA experience. Replacing a culvert that's been failing since Reagan was president? Streamlined. Adding a lane to reduce congestion? Please take a seat; your EIR will be ready in 2031.

What "Streamlined" Actually Means ​

Let's calibrate expectations. Under the current system, a routine highway drainage project can spend 3-5 years in environmental review. Under AB 1847, the same project targets 9 months for the EIR, though the 270-day clock pauses for — and I'm quoting the bill here — "agency review periods, public comment periods, and consultation with responsible and trustee agencies." So the clock pauses for basically every part of the process. It's a shot clock with unlimited timeouts.

That said, the litigation reform is genuinely meaningful. The bill limits CEQA challenges to the administrative record, requires challengers to post a bond covering agency defense costs, and imposes a 180-day resolution deadline on courts. This won't eliminate CEQA lawsuits, but it does make filing one slightly more expensive and slightly less rewarding as a delay tactic.

Industry Reaction ​

ACEC California called the bill "a step in the right direction," which is engineer-speak for "we'll believe it when the first project actually gets through faster." Environmental groups expressed concern about reduced public participation, which is understandable given that public comment is a foundational right, though perhaps 47 comment letters saying "I oppose this project because of traffic during construction" could be consolidated more efficiently.

The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.