Senate BillChaptered/SignedPublic Resources
SB 299: California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: day care center: zoning.
What SB 299 does, verified September 22, 2026
The bill aims to exempt certain projects from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). It specifically exempts projects that consist exclusively of day care centers or family daycare homes located on land zoned for residential use, except in certain circumstances. The exemption would require lead agencies to determine the applicability of these exemptions, thereby imposing additional duties on local agencies. The state would be responsible for reimbursing local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. However, this bill would provide that no reimbursement is required for a specific reason.
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Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 413, Statutes of 2026. (2026-09-20)Alert me
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| Sep. 20, 2026 | Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 413, Statutes of 2026. |
| Sep. 20, 2026 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Sep. 02, 2026 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m. |
| Aug. 27, 2026 | Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. |
| Aug. 25, 2026 | Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 6518.) Ordered to the Senate. |
Latest bill textChaptered version, September 20, 2026 · 464 words
Senate Bill No. 299
CHAPTER 413
An act to add Section 21080.68 to the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental quality.
[ Approved by Governor September 20, 2026. Filed with Secretary of State September 20, 2026. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 299, Cabaldon. California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: day care center: zoning.
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.
Existing law exempts specified projects from CEQA, including a project that consists exclusively of a day care center, as defined, that is not located in a residential area.
This bill would exempt from CEQA a project that consists exclusively of a day care center, as defined, that is located in a residential area, except as provided. By imposing additional duties on a lead agency to determine the applicability of these exemptions, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 21080.68 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:21080.68.
(a) This division does not apply to a project that consists exclusively of a day care center, as defined in Section 1596.76 of the Health and Safety Code, that is located in a residential area.
(b) This section does not apply to a project located within 3,200 feet of a facility that actively extracts or refines oil or natural gas.
(c) This section does not apply to a project located on natural and protected lands, as defined pursuant to Section 21067.5.
SEC. 2.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code.Text of SB 299 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions