AB 2452: California Council on Science and Technology: contracting.
- Session Year: 2015-2016
- House: Assembly
Existing law generally requires contracts by the state for the acquisition of goods and services be awarded pursuant to various procedures and requirements. Existing law exempts specified projects and types of contracts from those procedures and requirements. The California Council on Science and Technology is a nonpartisan, impartial, not-for-profit corporation, created in 1988 by legislative resolution.
This bill would authorize state entities, as defined, to enter into contracts with the council for the councils assistance in translating scientific studies to inform public policy. The bill would require that a contract between the entity and the council be entered into on a noncompetitive bid basis and would exempt the contract from state contracting procedures and requirements.
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. CEQA authorizes a court, in an action or proceeding brought challenging the decision of a public agency on the ground of noncompliance with CEQA, to enter an order to suspend any specific project activity if the court finds that the activity will prejudice the consideration and implementation of particular mitigation measures or alternatives to the project.
This bill would, in an action or proceeding under CEQA, prohibit a court from staying or enjoining transportation infrastructure projects, as defined, based solely on the projects potential contribution to the emissions of greenhouse gases.
Discussed in Hearing
4MINSenate Standing Committee on Governmental Organization
Bill Author
