California Municipal Law Blog
category:
Legislative Updates
by Stephen J. Zelezny on October 23, 2025
posted in
Administrative Regulations, CEQA, Legislative Updates,
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed landmark California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) reform legislation into law on June 30, 2025. Together, Senate Bill 131 (SB 131) and Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) exempt numerous development projects from extensive environmental review — enacting an urgent statewide effort to spur new housing construction. In addition to prioritizing housing, SB 131 also creates statutory exemptions for nonresidential developments, such as healthcare facilities, day care centers and broadband projects.
Municipalities, developers and residents will surely welcome these new CEQA reforms, ... Continue Reading
tags:
AB130, administrative record, CEQA, construction, developers, SB 131,
by Betsy Martyn on December 31, 2024
posted in
Administrative Regulations, CEQA, Code Enforcement, Employment Law, Legislative Updates, Uncategorised, Zoning,
Unless otherwise stated, all bills are effective January 1, 2025, and do not require an implementing ordinance to take effect. Please note, that the California Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”) is expected to release guidelines for some of the new housing laws. Our office will continue to update you as information is provided.
ZONING AND PLANNING
Zoning Ordinance Notice (Assembly Bill 2904) – Increases the notice period to 20 calendar days – Mandatory [Passed Sept. 27, 2024]
Assembly Bill 2904 (“AB 2904”) extends the notice period for public ... Continue Reading
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by Betsy Martyn on January 21, 2024
posted in
Legislative Updates,
GENERAL GOVERNMENTAL MATTERS
All bills take effect January 1, 2024, unless otherwise noted.
Brown Act: AB 557 revises the Brown Act (Govt. Code Section 54953) to remove the requirement (and corresponding references to that requirement) that there be a state declaration of an emergency to allow an all-zoom meeting. Instead, local agencies may continue to use teleconferencing during a proclaimed local state of emergency.
Public Agency Internet websites: AB 1637 adds Govt. Code Section 50034 which provides that no later than January 1, 2029, all public agencies must ... Continue Reading
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by Betsy Martyn on March 19, 2021
posted in
Employee Benefits, Employment Law, Legislative Updates,
Governor Newson recently signed SB 95. The law is effective not only immediately but retroactively to January 1, 2021. As discussed more below, the law provides supplemental paid sick leave for all employees of an employer with 25 or more employees, with special rules for firefighters, when the employee is unable to work or telework if as a result of COVID-19.
Retroactivity
The law is in effect retroactively to January 1, 2021, and through September 30, 2021.
Notice must be provided by posting the attached notice or emailing it to those employees who are not present at the workplace. The notice ... Continue Reading
tags:
COVID-19, Labor Commissioner, SB 95,
by David G. Ritchie on March 25, 2020
posted in
Employee Benefits, Family and Medical Leave, Legislative Updates,
Congress Approved H.R. 6201, the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (FFCRA) with new requirements for employers with fewer than 500 employees and public employers. The text of the law may be found here.
The Act requires certain employers to provide FFCRA paid sick leave, and also to extend family medical leave act benefits, in certain circumstances; and employers are able to retain an amount equal to the qualifying sick leave and child-care leave that they pay from payroll taxes. The Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division is responsible for the administration and enforcement ... Continue Reading
tags:
COVID-19, Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, Families First Coronavirus Response Act,
