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ARTICLE · 08 SEPTEMBER 2025

CEQA Reform Is Here | Part 3: CEQA Litigation Reform

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In this third and final update on the CEQA amendments contained in the 2025 budget trailer bills we focus on the SB 131 provisions that relate to CEQA litigation reform.

United StatesEnvironment
Liz Klebaner
Liz Klebaner
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Part three of a three-part series

As previously reported in Part 1 of this series, on June 30, 2025 Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 131 into law (SB 131), amending the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to offer streamlined environmental review for projects that narrowly miss qualifying for an exemption from CEQA. Assembly Bill 130, which accompanied SB 131, addressed important statutory and regulatory developments relating to transportation impacts analysis under CEQA and are covered in Part 2 of this series.

In this third and final update on the CEQA amendments contained in the 2025 budget trailer bills we focus on the SB 131 provisions that relate to CEQA litigation reform. These amendments are aimed at limiting challenges to CEQA-exempt projects and reducing the expense and delay associated with resolving a CEQA challenge.

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