The Building an Affordable California Act (BACA), sponsored by the California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber), is a ballot measure designed to streamline and modernize the construction of essential projects and could result in a multibillion-dollar boost to California’s economy, add new jobs and revenues to help pay for vital government programs, according to Jennifer Barrera CalChamber CEO.
The measure is close to receiving enough signatures to be up for voter approval in November, Barrera said.
Speaking to the Propeller Club of Northern California on April 7th, Barrera argued in favor of streamlining environmental approvals mandated by the California Environmental Quality Act (EQA):” Our state has so much potential that’s being locked up by well-intended but outmoded processes, and the Building an Affordable California Act will be a catalyst toward making the state a more affordable place to live and work.”
The “measure would establish strict deadlines for environmental review and judicial proceedings under CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act). Public agencies must determine whether an application is complete within 30 days of receipt, or the application is automatically deemed complete. Once complete, the lead agency must decide within 30 days which type of environmental document to prepare. The ballot measure would impose firm timelines for completing CEQA review,” according to the law firm Best, Best & Kreiger.
A review by California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) found evidence of economic benefits of BACA.