Bill Commons

CA AB 1520

enacted

Public resources: conservation.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 1520 pass?

Yes. CA AB 1520 has been enacted into law as of 2025-10-06. Latest recorded action (2025-10-06): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 401, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA AB 1520 about?

(1) Existing law prohibits a conservation bank, mitigation bank, or conservation and mitigation bank from being operative, vested, or final unless the Department of Fish and Wildlife has approved the bank in writing and, if applicable, a conservation easement has been recorded on the site. Existing law requires a person interested in establishing any bank with the department to submit a bank prospectus to the department, as specified, and if the department determines the bank prospectus is acceptable, allows the person to submit a bank agreement package that, among other things, is required to contain estimates of financial assurances and proposed forms of security, as specified. This bill would authorize surety bonds to be proposed forms of security for the above purposes. (2) Existing law requires all funds derived from the sale of state duck hunting validations and state duck stamps, and related items, to be deposited into the State Duck Stamp Account in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, as provided. Existing law requires the funds in the account to be used for projects or endowments approved by the Fish and Game Commission for the purpose of protecting, preserving, restoring, enhancing, and developing migratory waterfowl breeding and wintering habitat, evaluating habitat projects, and conducting waterfowl resource assessments and other waterfowl-related research. Existing law authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife to enter into contracts or grant funds for fish and wildlife habitat preservation, restoration, and enhancement with public and private entities whenever the department finds that the contract will assist in meeting the department's duty to preserve, protect, and restore fish and wildlife. This bill would require that the department be subject to the above-described provisions in making grants or entering into agreements pursuant to the State Duck Stamp Account, as provided. (3) Existing law, the Water Conservation District Law of 1931, authorizes a water conservation district to be organized and established by a county board of supervisors, with specified powers and purposes. The law permits a water conservation district to levy groundwater charges and requires a district to annually make an engineering investigation and report on groundwater conditions of the district that includes, among other things, an estimate of the annual overdraft for the current water year and for the ensuing water year. Existing law defines "water year" for purposes of these provisions to mean July 1 of one calendar year to June 30 of the following calendar year. This bill would redefine "water year" to mean the period beginning October 1 of one calendar year and ending September 30 of the following calendar year for purposes of the above-described provisions. (4) Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into contracts with natural persons, corporations, partnerships, and associations for the construction, maintenance, and operation of concessions within units of the state park system. Existing law requires all contracts authorizing occupancy of any portion of the state park system for a period of more than 3 years to be awarded to the best responsible bidder. Existing law requires public notice to be given to bidders of all proposed contracts authorizing the occupancy of property in the state park system for a period of more than 2 years, as specified, including requiring the department to publish an advertisement for bid at least once per week for 2 consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the concession is to operate and in a major daily newspaper in the closest metropolitan area. This bill would instead require public notice to bidders to be given of all proposed contracts authorizing the occupancy of property in the state park system for a period of more than 3 years, as specified. The bill would delete the requirement that the department publish an advertisement in a newspaper, as described above. Existing law requires a concession contract to contain certain provisions, including the provision that every concessionaire submit to the department all sales and use tax returns and, at the request of the department, provide an annual financial statement prepared or audited by a certified public accountant. This bill would instead require every concessionaire to submit to the department an annual financial statement prepared or audited by a certified public accountant. (5) This bill would make corresponding changes and changes to update obsolete place names and would make other nonsubstantive changes, including by repealing obsolete laws.

Who sponsors CA AB 1520?

Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1520.

Description

(1) Existing law prohibits a conservation bank, mitigation bank, or conservation and mitigation bank from being operative, vested, or final unless the Department of Fish and Wildlife has approved the bank in writing and, if applicable, a conservation easement has been recorded on the site. Existing law requires a person interested in establishing any bank with the department to submit a bank prospectus to the department, as specified, and if the department determines the bank prospectus is acceptable, allows the person to submit a bank agreement package that, among other things, is required to contain estimates of financial assurances and proposed forms of security, as specified. This bill would authorize surety bonds to be proposed forms of security for the above purposes. (2) Existing law requires all funds derived from the sale of state duck hunting validations and state duck stamps, and related items, to be deposited into the State Duck Stamp Account in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, as provided. Existing law requires the funds in the account to be used for projects or endowments approved by the Fish and Game Commission for the purpose of protecting, preserving, restoring, enhancing, and developing migratory waterfowl breeding and wintering habitat, evaluating habitat projects, and conducting waterfowl resource assessments and other waterfowl-related research. Existing law authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife to enter into contracts or grant funds for fish and wildlife habitat preservation, restoration, and enhancement with public and private entities whenever the department finds that the contract will assist in meeting the department's duty to preserve, protect, and restore fish and wildlife. This bill would require that the department be subject to the above-described provisions in making grants or entering into agreements pursuant to the State Duck Stamp Account, as provided. (3) Existing law, the Water Conservation District Law of 1931, authorizes a water conservation district to be organized and established by a county board of supervisors, with specified powers and purposes. The law permits a water conservation district to levy groundwater charges and requires a district to annually make an engineering investigation and report on groundwater conditions of the district that includes, among other things, an estimate of the annual overdraft for the current water year and for the ensuing water year. Existing law defines "water year" for purposes of these provisions to mean July 1 of one calendar year to June 30 of the following calendar year. This bill would redefine "water year" to mean the period beginning October 1 of one calendar year and ending September 30 of the following calendar year for purposes of the above-described provisions. (4) Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into contracts with natural persons, corporations, partnerships, and associations for the construction, maintenance, and operation of concessions within units of the state park system. Existing law requires all contracts authorizing occupancy of any portion of the state park system for a period of more than 3 years to be awarded to the best responsible bidder. Existing law requires public notice to be given to bidders of all proposed contracts authorizing the occupancy of property in the state park system for a period of more than 2 years, as specified, including requiring the department to publish an advertisement for bid at least once per week for 2 consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the concession is to operate and in a major daily newspaper in the closest metropolitan area. This bill would instead require public notice to bidders to be given of all proposed contracts authorizing the occupancy of property in the state park system for a period of more than 3 years, as specified. The bill would delete the requirement that the department publish an advertisement in a newspaper, as described above. Existing law requires a concession contract to contain certain provisions, including the provision that every concessionaire submit to the department all sales and use tax returns and, at the request of the department, provide an annual financial statement prepared or audited by a certified public accountant. This bill would instead require every concessionaire to submit to the department an annual financial statement prepared or audited by a certified public accountant. (5) This bill would make corresponding changes and changes to update obsolete place names and would make other nonsubstantive changes, including by repealing obsolete laws.

Introduced
2025-04-22
Latest action
2025-10-06 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 401, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlifeauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-03-13

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

  2. 2025-03-14

    From printer. May be heard in committee April 13.

  3. 2025-03-24

    Referred to Com. on W. P., & W.

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-04-22

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on W. P., & W. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  5. 2025-04-23

    Re-referred to Com. on W. P., & W.

    referral-committee

  6. 2025-04-30

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  7. 2025-05-14

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  8. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  9. 2025-05-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  10. 2025-06-03

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1999.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  11. 2025-06-04

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1,referral-committee

  12. 2025-06-18

    Referred to Com. on N.R. & W.

    referral-committee

  13. 2025-06-23

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  14. 2025-07-10

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 8).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee

  15. 2025-07-14

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  16. 2025-08-07

    In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  17. 2025-08-18

    (Ayes 27. Noes 0. Page 2172.)

  18. 2025-08-18

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  19. 2025-08-25

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  20. 2025-08-29

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  21. 2025-08-29

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  22. 2025-09-05

    Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  23. 2025-09-08

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  24. 2025-09-09

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2735.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  25. 2025-09-09

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  26. 2025-09-10

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3208.).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  27. 2025-09-22

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  28. 2025-10-06

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  29. 2025-10-06

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 401, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

Versions

  • 03/13/25 - Introduced — 2025-03-13Compare
  • 04/22/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-04-22Compare
  • 06/23/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-06-23Compare
  • 07/14/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-07-14Compare
  • 08/18/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-08-18Compare
  • 09/05/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-09-05Compare
  • 09/12/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-12Compare
  • 10/06/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-06Compare
  • AB1520Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-04-29 · pass · 13-0

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Rogers: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Papan: yes

  • Do pass.

    2025-05-23 · pass · 14-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Calderon: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Sanchez: other

  • AB 1520 W., P. & W. Assembly Third Reading By PAPAN

    2025-06-03 · pass · 79-0

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Pacheco: yes

  • Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-07-08 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Limón: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Hurtado: yes

  • Placed on suspense file

    2025-08-25 · pass · 6-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Grayson: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Wahab: other

  • Do pass

    2025-08-29 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes

  • 3rd Reading AB1520 W., P., & W. (Papan) By Limón

    2025-09-09 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Jones: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Alvarado-Gil: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Blakespear: yes

  • AB 1520 W., P. & W. Concurrence in Senate Amendments By PAPAN

    2025-09-11 · pass · 79-0

    Member-level votes (80)
    • Addis: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Johnson: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Tangipa: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1520

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

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