Section 5647.

(a) The department shall adopt guidelines to amplify or clarify the criteria specified in this chapter, and may adopt additional criteria, to supplement those criteria, but the scope of the additional criteria shall be limited to providing additional guidance in selecting projects in areas that have the greatest deficiencies in parks and facilities.

(b) The department shall develop a procedural guide for the administration of this chapter and the guidance of applicants.

(c) The department shall solicit written comments and hold public hearings at convenient locations throughout the state on any guideline or procedural guide that is proposed to be adopted or developed pursuant to this section.

(d) The department shall offer technical assistance to all applicants and potential applicants for grant preparation in order to encourage full participation in the grant program.

(e) The department shall allow grantees to spend no more than 25 percent of the grant amount for project planning, design, compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000)), and other incidental, but directly related, construction or acquisition costs.

(f) The department shall adopt the guidelines or develop the procedural guide on or before April 1, 2009.

(g) Any regulation or procedural guide adopted or developed pursuant to this section shall not be subject to the review or approval of the Office of Administrative Law or to any other requirement of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 623, Sec. 11. Effective January 1, 2009.)