California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery.
- Exempts the Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery project from environmental review requirements through 2030.
- Creates Orange County's first veterans cemetery on 200 acres of public land to serve 90,000 local veterans.
- Requires the cemetery project to be less intensive than previously approved land use plans.
- Takes effect immediately as an urgency measure to expedite cemetery construction.
Assembly Member Quirk-Silva's legislation exempts the planned Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements, addressing Orange County's status as the state's largest county without a veterans cemetery despite its population of over 90,000 veterans and multiple military installations.
The exemption applies specifically to activities and approvals necessary for completing the cemetery project, provided two conditions are met: the cemetery must represent a less intensive land use than originally analyzed in the 2005 Mountain Park Specific Plan Amendment's environmental impact report (EIR), and the project must have been evaluated in the 2020 addendum to that EIR. The exemption includes a sunset clause, automatically repealing on January 1, 2030.
The bill's findings note extensive prior environmental review of the site, including the 2005 planning-level EIR and the 2024 Anaheim City Council's unanimous approval of an EIR addendum. All 34 cities in Orange County have adopted resolutions supporting the cemetery's development at Gypsum Canyon, where the County has deeded 200 acres to the Orange County Cemetery District for a veterans cemetery and adjacent public cemetery. The Orange County Board of Supervisors, Cemetery District, and Department of Veterans Affairs have collaborated on development and operational planning.
The legislation takes effect immediately upon passage as an urgency statute, with local agencies authorized to levy fees or assessments to cover implementation costs without state reimbursement. This targeted exemption aims to expedite construction while maintaining environmental review standards through reliance on previously completed assessments.
 Shannon GroveR Senator | Bill Author |  Not Contacted | |
 Sharon Quirk-SilvaD Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
 Steven ChoiR Senator | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
 Phillip ChenR Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
 Cottie Petrie-NorrisD Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted |
Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.
Introduced By
Latest Voting History
| Ayes | Noes | NVR | Total | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79 | 0 | 0 | 79 | PASS |
- Exempts the Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery project from environmental review requirements through 2030.
- Creates Orange County's first veterans cemetery on 200 acres of public land to serve 90,000 local veterans.
- Requires the cemetery project to be less intensive than previously approved land use plans.
- Takes effect immediately as an urgency measure to expedite cemetery construction.
Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.
Introduced By
Assembly Member Quirk-Silva's legislation exempts the planned Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements, addressing Orange County's status as the state's largest county without a veterans cemetery despite its population of over 90,000 veterans and multiple military installations.
The exemption applies specifically to activities and approvals necessary for completing the cemetery project, provided two conditions are met: the cemetery must represent a less intensive land use than originally analyzed in the 2005 Mountain Park Specific Plan Amendment's environmental impact report (EIR), and the project must have been evaluated in the 2020 addendum to that EIR. The exemption includes a sunset clause, automatically repealing on January 1, 2030.
The bill's findings note extensive prior environmental review of the site, including the 2005 planning-level EIR and the 2024 Anaheim City Council's unanimous approval of an EIR addendum. All 34 cities in Orange County have adopted resolutions supporting the cemetery's development at Gypsum Canyon, where the County has deeded 200 acres to the Orange County Cemetery District for a veterans cemetery and adjacent public cemetery. The Orange County Board of Supervisors, Cemetery District, and Department of Veterans Affairs have collaborated on development and operational planning.
The legislation takes effect immediately upon passage as an urgency statute, with local agencies authorized to levy fees or assessments to cover implementation costs without state reimbursement. This targeted exemption aims to expedite construction while maintaining environmental review standards through reliance on previously completed assessments.
Latest Voting History
| Ayes | Noes | NVR | Total | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79 | 0 | 0 | 79 | PASS |
Shannon GroveR Senator | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
Sharon Quirk-SilvaD Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
Steven ChoiR Senator | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
Phillip ChenR Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
Cottie Petrie-NorrisD Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted |