Enacted Legislation

• Summary of California Environmental Legislation 2003 Session
  Summary: This review of California environmental legislation covers bills chaptered into law during the 2003 session of the California Legislature. This summary intends to capture this year's most important environmental bills. It presents new statutes in broad environmental categories of Air, Energy, Hazardous Waste, Land Use, Solid Waste, Natural Resources and Protected Species, and Water. As a summary, the descriptions do not present exhaustive explanations of each bill, and are not intended as legal advice. Please refer directly to the statute itself for the complete language. All bills may be viewed at www.leginfo.ca.gov
  Source: Legislative Review Subcommittee: Scott B. Birkey, Esq.; Steven J. Elie, Esq.; Bradley R. Hogin, Esq.
  

• Summary of California Environmental Legislation 2002 Session 
  Summary: This review of California environmental legislation covers bills chaptered into law during the 2002 session of the California Legislature. The status of many bills this year was complicated by the state's budget shortfalls. Democrats enjoyed large majorities in both houses, but still needed the votes of Republicans to reach the requisite 2/3 vote.
  Source: Legislative Review Subcommittee: Sigmund Shyu, Scott B. Birkey, Vanita Peter, Gregory D. Trimarche
  

• Summary of California Environmental Legislation 2001 Session
  Summary: This review of the California environmental legislation covers bills chaptered into law during the 2001 session of the California Legislature. 2001 was not a typical year in the California Legislature. The lawmakers spent much of the session considering hundreds of bills inspired by the energy crisis, while paying little attention to anything else. Additionally, the general economic situation had severe impacts on tax revenues making it very difficult for the Governor and the Legislature to carry out plans to fund many environmental projects. Finally, the events of September 11, 2001, made the last few days of the legislative session extremely difficult.
  Source: Legislative Review Subcommittee: Kevin McDonnell, Siegmund Shyu, Vanita Peter, Sandra Ikuta
  

• Summary of California Environmental Legislation 2000 Session 
  Summary: This review of California environmental legislation covers bills chaptered into law during the 2000 session of the California Legislature. The 1999-2000 legislative session prompted many disappointed environmentalists as Governor Gray Davis vetoed a large number of environmental bills submitted to him, demonstrating his desire to strike a balance between the agendas of environmentalists and California's business community. Nevertheless, this year more than 70 environmental bills became law.
  Source: Legislative Review Subcommittee: Deanne Miller, Kevin McDonnell, Leslie Mintz
  

• Summary of California Environmental Legislation 1999 Session 
  Summary: This review of California Environmental Legislation covers bills chaptered into law during the 1999 session of the California Legislature. Notwithstanding a change to a democratic administration, few significant environmental bills successfully passed through the legislative process. This can be attributed, in part, to Governor Davis' commitment to focus primarily on education his first year in office. In all, at least 80 environmental bills became law.
  Source: Legislative Review Subcommittee: Stephanie Jones, Jeffrey Dintzer, Murray Sinclair