SB 49: Tribal gaming: compact amendment ratification.

Existing federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, provides for the negotiation and execution of tribal-state gaming compacts for the purpose of authorizing certain types of gaming on Indian lands within a state. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to negotiate and conclude those compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature. Existing law expressly ratifies a number of tribal-state gaming compacts, and amendments to tribal-state gaming compacts, between the State of California and specified Indian tribes.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project, as defined, that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, as defined, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect.

This bill would ratify amendments between the State of California and the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California, executed on December 12, 2024, to (1) extend the terms of the existing tribal-state gaming compact, executed on September 10, 1999, and (2) include provisions in the tribal-state gaming compact, executed on January 16, 2024, to ensure the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California retains its exclusivity over Class III gaming operations within the state. The bill would provide that, in deference to tribal sovereignty, certain actions related to these amendments are not projects for the purposes of CEQA.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.