---
type: "Bill"
title: "California Environmental Quality Act: exemptions: transportation-related projects."
description: "(1) The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20192020"
identifier: "SB 288"
citation: "California SB 288 (20192020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["California Environmental Quality Act: exemptions: transportation-related projects."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Wiener"]
version_count: 14
action_count: 46
vote_count: 10
first_action: "2019-02-13"
last_action: "2020-09-28"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0656f992-b0b4-4a55-aa6e-96482f748974"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288"
source_hash: "7eeb7e65f4ecea8ae52024b7e9b0d3700d0ec439a58e6e6b8eb3f74386aa0946"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ca"]
---

# California SB 288 (20192020) — California Environmental Quality Act: exemptions: transportation-related projects.

(1) The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **02/13/19 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28899INT)
2. **03/28/19 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28898AMD)
3. **05/01/19 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28897AMD)
4. **05/17/19 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28896AMD)
5. **06/03/20 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28891AMD)
6. **06/19/19 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28895AMD)
7. **07/09/19 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28894AMD)
8. **07/27/20 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28890AMD)
9. **08/12/20 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28889AMD)
10. **08/19/19 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28893AMD)
11. **09/04/19 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28892AMD)
12. **09/28/20 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28887CHP)
13. **SB288** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288)
14. **09/04/20 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB288&version=20190SB28888ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass as amended. — **4–0** (pass) · lower
- Placed on suspense file — **6–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] — **11–0** (pass) · upper
- SB 288 Wiener Senate Third Reading By Friedman — **65–3** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] — **7–1** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended — **4–2** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading SB288 Wiener et al. — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- Be re-referred to the Committee on [Elections and Redistricting] — **12–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass. — **16–2** (pass) · lower
- Unfinished Business SB288 Wiener et al. Concurrence — **32–5** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Wiener — primary (person)
- Friedman — coauthor (person)
- Mathis — coauthor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-02-13** Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2019-02-14** From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 16.
- **2019-02-21** Referred to Com. on E., U. & C. `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-21** Set for hearing April 2.
- **2019-03-25** April 2 hearing postponed by committee.
- **2019-03-26** Set for hearing April 10.
- **2019-03-28** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E., U. & C. `reading-1, reading-2, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2019-04-30** From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 650.) (April 10). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2019-05-01** Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `reading-1, reading-2, amendment-passage, referral-committee`
- **2019-05-03** Set for hearing May 13.
- **2019-05-13** May 13 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- **2019-05-14** Set for hearing May 16.
- **2019-05-17** From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 4. Noes 2. Page 1095.) (May 16). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2019-05-17** Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-05-20** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-05-23** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1246.) Ordered to the Assembly. `passage, reading-3, reading-1`
- **2019-05-24** In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. `reading-1`
- **2019-06-06** Referred to Com. on U. & E. `referral-committee`
- **2019-06-18** June 26 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
- **2019-06-18** July 10 set for second hearing canceled at the request of author.
- **2019-06-19** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on U. & E. `reading-1, reading-2, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2019-06-20** Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96. `referral-committee`
- **2019-06-24** From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on E. & R. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on E. & R. `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2019-07-08** From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (July 3). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2019-07-09** Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-07-10** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-08-19** Read third time and amended. `amendment-passage, reading-3, reading-1`
- **2019-08-19** Ordered to third reading.
- **2019-08-19** Re-referred to Coms. on E. & R. and APPR. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2. `referral-committee`
- **2019-09-04** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E. & R. `reading-1, reading-2, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2020-06-03** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E. & R. `reading-1, reading-2, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2020-06-15** Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96. `referral-committee`
- **2020-07-27** Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96. `referral-committee`
- **2020-07-27** Assembly Rule 56 suspended.
- **2020-07-27** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. `reading-1, reading-2, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2020-07-27** July 29 hearing postponed by committee.
- **2020-08-11** From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (August 6). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2020-08-12** Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `reading-1, reading-2, amendment-passage, referral-committee`
- **2020-08-20** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 16. Noes 2.) (August 20). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage`
- **2020-08-24** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2020-08-30** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 65. Noes 3. Page 5288.) Ordered to the Senate. `passage, reading-3, reading-1`
- **2020-08-30** In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- **2020-08-31** Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 32. Noes 5.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. `amendment-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2020-09-10** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
- **2020-09-28** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2020-09-28** Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 200, Statutes of 2020.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0656f992-b0b4-4a55-aa6e-96482f748974`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).