Bill Would Preclude California Universities and College Housing Construction from CEQA

Students pass through Sather Gate of the college campus at the University of California–Berkeley, in a file photo. David A. Litman/Shutterstock

While the ruling to freeze enrollment at the University of California–Berkeley is under appeal, a bill was introduced on Feb. 22 that would make California public universities’ housing developments exempt from environmental review.

Senate Bill 886, introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would make University of California, California State University, and California Community College housing development exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act—known as CEQA—an environmental review process that spells out the potential adverse impacts of a proposed development.