The Governor may certify a leadership project for streamlining before a lead agency certifies a final environmental impact report for a project under this chapter if all the following conditions are met:
(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the project will result in a minimum investment of one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) in California upon completion of construction.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to a leadership project described in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 21180.
(b) The project creates high-wage, highly skilled jobs that pay prevailing wages and living wages, provides construction jobs and permanent jobs for Californians, helps reduce unemployment, and promotes apprenticeship training. For purposes of this subdivision, a project is deemed to create jobs that pay prevailing wages, create highly skilled jobs, and promote apprenticeship training if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Governor that the project will comply with Section 21183.5.
(c) (1) For a project described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 21180, the project does not result in any net additional emission of greenhouse gases, including greenhouse gas emissions from employee transportation. For purposes of this paragraph, a project is deemed to meet the requirements of this paragraph if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Governor that the project will comply with Section 21183.6.
(2) For a project described in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 21180, the project does not result in any net additional emission of greenhouse gases, including greenhouse gas emissions from employee transportation.
(d) The applicant demonstrates compliance with the requirements of Chapter 12.8 (commencing with Section 42649) and Chapter 12.9 (commencing with Section 42649.8) of Part 3 of Division 30, as applicable.
(e) The applicant has entered into a binding and enforceable agreement that all mitigation measures required under this division to certify the project under this chapter shall be conditions of approval of the project, and those conditions will be fully enforceable by the lead agency or another agency designated by the lead agency. In the case of environmental mitigation measures, the applicant agrees, as an ongoing obligation, that those measures will be monitored and enforced by the lead agency for the life of the obligation.
(f) The applicant agrees to pay the costs of the trial court and the court of appeal in hearing and deciding any case challenging a lead agency’s action on a certified project under this division, including payment of the costs for the appointment of a special master if deemed appropriate by the court, in a form and manner specified by the Judicial Council, as provided in the California Rules of Court adopted by the Judicial Council under Section 21185.
(g) The applicant agrees to pay the costs of preparing the record of proceedings for the project concurrent with review and consideration of the project under this division, in a form and manner specified by the lead agency for the project.
(h) For a project for which environmental review has commenced, the applicant demonstrates that the record of proceedings is being prepared in accordance with Section 21186.
(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 19, Sec. 1. (SB 7) Effective May 20, 2021. Repealed as of January 1, 2026, pursuant to Section 21189.3.)