AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 17, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 23, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 10, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 28, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

95

Introduced by Senator Hurtado

February 20, 2025

An act to add Section 1350.5 to the Fish and Game Code, relating to habitat conservation.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the Wildlife Conservation Board within the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Under existing law, the board administers various habitat conservation and restoration programs.

This bill would require, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the sum of $21,500,000 to be allocated to the board for floodplain acquisition, habitat restoration, and associated conservation projects on floodplains in the Counties of Kern, Kings, and Tulare. Tulare, as provided.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for Counties of Kern, Kings, and Tulare.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 1350.5 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

1350.5.

Upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute, statute for the purposes of this section, the sum of twenty-one million five hundred thousand dollars ($21,500,000) shall be allocated to the Wildlife Conservation Board for floodplain acquisition, habitat restoration, and associated conservation projects on floodplains in the Counties of Kern, Kings, and Tulare.

SEC. 2.

The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique uncontrolled flooding and groundwater depletion circumstances existing at the various waterways in the Counties of Kern, Kings, and Tulare.