Proposition 45 would overhaul parts of California's environmental review process

California voters will decide in November whether to change how the state reviews the environmental impacts of certain major projects.

Proposition 45 would create new, expedited procedures under the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, for projects including housing, transportation, water, clean energy, health facilities, wildfire mitigation, education and broadband.

CEQA, enacted in 1970, requires state and local agencies to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of projects before they are approved.

Existing law prevents public agencies from approving projects that could have significant environmental impacts if feasible measures could be taken to reduce them.

Prop. 45 would impose tighter deadlines on government agencies reviewing eligible projects. For example, an agency would generally have 365 business days to complete an environmental impact report. If that deadline is missed, a project applicant could request a hearing and potentially take the matter to court.

"It still is going to require environmental review. It just has to be done on a much more condensed timeline," said Ryan Thomason, an environmental law attorney with Mitchell Chadwick.

Supporters of the measure argue CEQA's current review process is out of date and delays increase costs for Californians.

"The centerpiece of California's climate plan depends on converting our electric grid to clean energy," said Alex Jackson, executive director of the American Clean Power Association. "Over the next two decades, we've made a lot of progress on that front, but we have a whole lot more to do, and that's going to require a project approval process that is aligned with that speed."

The No on Prop 45 campaign argues the measure weakens the state's environmental review requirements and further exposes them to harmful developments.

"It weakens protections for clean air and clean water in California. It allows developers to fast-track polluting projects, including heavy industrial projects like data centers with less public oversight and accountability," said Gabriel Tolson, an environmental policy advocate with the Planning and Conservation League.

Much of the debate centers around whether the measure would create a loophole for data centers, but environmental law attorney Ryan Thomason says that's not the case.  

"I've seen a lot of them that say data centers are going to fall within this. That's not the case if you look at the text," Thomason said.

Under the measure, eligibility would depend on whether a project falls within one of the categories specifically identified in Prop. 45. The Legislative Analyst's Office lists eligible categories including housing, water systems, clean energy, health facilities, fire and police stations, wildfire risk reduction, broadband, education and transportation projects.

The measure would also change how courts handle CEQA challenges involving eligible projects, including limiting the evidence courts can consider and the remedies they can impose.

CBS News Sacramento reached out to Sacramento County's Planning and Environmental Review Division to ask whether projects in the county could qualify for the expedited process, how the measure could affect the county's development approval process and whether county officials support Proposition 45.

A Sacramento County spokesperson said the county is still reviewing the measure.

"They are looking into how [Prop. 45] could impact the county and [their] applicants if passed," the spokesperson said.

The county added, "At this point, we're still working to understand the measure and its potential implications, so we don't have enough information to provide definitive answers to these questions."

Proposition 45 is on the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide ballot.