(a) Not later than 30 days from the date of service of a copy of a decision or order issued by the state board under this division, other than a decision or order issued pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 13550) of Chapter 7, any aggrieved party may file with the superior court a petition for writ of mandate for review of the decision or order. An aggrieved party must file a petition for reconsideration with the state board to exhaust that party’s administrative remedies only if the initial decision or order is issued under authority delegated to an officer or employee of the state board and the state board by regulation has authorized a petition for reconsideration. The state board shall order or deny reconsideration on a petition therefor not later than 90 days from the date the state board adopts the decision or order.

(b) A party aggrieved by a final decision or order of a regional board subject to review under Section 13320 may obtain review of the decision or order of the regional board in the superior court by filing in the court a petition for writ of mandate not later than 30 days from the date on which the state board denies review.

(c) The time for filing an action or proceeding subject to Section 21167 of the Public Resources Code for a person who seeks review of the regional board’s decision or order under Section 13320, or who seeks reconsideration under a state board regulation authorizing a petition for reconsideration, shall commence upon the state board’s completion of that review or reconsideration.

(d) If no aggrieved party petitions for writ of mandate within the time provided by this section, a decision or order of the state board or a regional board shall not be subject to review by any court.

(e) Except as provided in this section, Section 1094.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure shall govern proceedings for which petitions are filed pursuant to this section. For the purposes of subdivision (c) of Section 1094.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the court shall exercise its independent judgment on the evidence in any case involving the judicial review of a decision or order of the state board issued under Section 13320, or a decision or order of a regional board for which the state board denies review under Section 13320, other than a decision or order issued under Section 13323.

(f) Except as provided in this section, no legal or equitable process shall issue in any proceeding in any court against the state board, a regional board, or any officer of the state board or a regional board to review, prevent, or enjoin any adjudicative proceeding under this division. Except as provided in this section and Section 13321, no legal or equitable process shall issue in any proceeding in any court against the state board, a regional board, or any officer or employee of the state board or a regional board to review, prevent, or enjoin a decision or order by the state board, a regional board, or any officer or employee of the state board or a regional board before a decision or order is issued and the procedures for administrative review of that decision or order have been exhausted.

(g) A party aggrieved by a decision or order issued by the state board under Article 7 (commencing with Section 13550) of Chapter 7 may petition for reconsideration or judicial review in accordance with Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 1120) of Part 1 of Division 2.

(h) For purposes of this section, a decision or order includes a final action in an adjudicative proceeding and an action subject to Section 11352 of the Government Code, but does not include an action subject to Section 11353 of the Government Code or the adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation under Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 523, Sec. 3. (AB 2446) Effective January 1, 2017.)