The California Environmental Quality Act can be preserved and reformed to limit abuses

After more than a year of study, California’s Little Hoover Commission has confirmed what many have long known: the California Environmental Quality Act needs reform.

The commission, which stands as an independent agency which investigates state policy issues and offers recommendations for reform, began holding hearings on CEQA in March 2023.

The commission credits the environmental protection law, which was signed in 1970 by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan, for offering important protections to the Golden State’s environment.