Subdivision Map Act: action or proceeding

The law limits follow-on map-law challenges when substantially the same issues were already fully resolved in a CEQA case involving the same parties and defendant. It applies only to a narrowly defined category of large housing projects.

What the law does ​

• Prevents a Subdivision Map Act action from proceeding when it substantially duplicates a fully adjudicated CEQA case begun before January 1, 2019, against the same defendant and involving the same or legally connected parties.
• Limits the rule to lead-agency-approved projects with at least 400 mixed-income homes, a project labor agreement, and a location in unincorporated territory of a county with 3 million to 4 million residents.
• Preserves timely objections to an agency's return to a writ, timely separate actions concerning the project, and map-law claims needed to enforce CEQA mitigation measures.
• Preserves local agencies' obligations to follow Subdivision Map Act procedures.
• Repeals the restriction on January 1, 2032.

Who it affects ​

• Developers and owners of qualifying large mixed-income housing projects.
• Parties seeking to challenge subdivision-map decisions after litigating substantially similar CEQA claims.
• Local agencies approving and administering subdivision maps.