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 Bill Text - AB-53 Native American tribes: fish and wildlife: conservation and mitigation lands.

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 |Add To My Favorites |Track Bill | Version: 07/02/26 - Amended Senate
 06/11/26 - Amended Senate
 02/24/25 - Amended Assembly
 12/02/24 - Introduced

 AB-53 Native American tribes: fish and wildlife: conservation and mitigation lands.(2025-2026)

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 Date Published: 07/02/2026 09:00 PM

AB53:v96#DOCUMENTBill Start

 Amended
 IN 
 Senate
 July 02, 2026

 Amended
 IN 
 Senate
 June 11, 2026

 Amended
 IN 
 Assembly
 February 24, 2025

 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

 Assembly Bill

No. 53

Introduced by Assembly Member Ramos

December 02, 2024

An act to amend Sections 1390, 1416, and 1745 of the Fish and Game Code, and to amend Section 5096.516 of the Public Resources Code, relating to Native American tribes.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 53, as amended, Ramos.
 Native American tribes: fish and wildlife: conservation and mitigation lands.

(1) Existing law requires the Wildlife Conservation Board to establish and administer, through the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Riparian Habitat Conservation Program with the purpose and goal of protecting, preserving, and restoring riparian habitats throughout the state, as specified. Existing law authorizes the board to authorize the department to award grants and loans for the purposes of the program to specified entities.

This bill would authorize the board to authorize the department to make those awards to federally recognized tribes. 

(2) Existing law establishes the Inland Wetlands Conservation Program under the board with the purpose and goal of carrying out the programs of the Central
 Valley Habitat Joint Venture. Existing law authorizes the board to make grants or loans for the purpose of wetland and associated upland habitat acquisition, restoration, or enhancement to specified entities.

This bill would authorize the board to make those grants or loans to federally recognized tribes. 

(3) Existing law authorizes the department to enter into contracts or other agreements with nonprofit conservation groups or resource conservation districts for the management and operation of department-managed lands.

This bill would authorize the department to also enter into those contracts or other agreements with federally recognized tribes. 

(4)Existing law authorizes various agencies to acquire land for purposes related to conservation. Existing law prohibits, with specified exceptions, conservation lands from being sold to another owner, or having possession and control transferred to another agency, unless specified actions occur. Existing law exempts from that prohibition the sale or transfer to other public agencies or nonprofit organizations to improve conservation management, public access, historic preservation, or to protect or enhance the biological value of conservation lands.

This bill would also exempt from that prohibition the sale or transfer of conservation lands to federally recognized tribes for those purposes. 

Digest Key

 Vote:
 MAJORITY 
 Appropriation:
 NO 
 Fiscal Committee:
 YES 
 Local Program:
 NO 

Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that would develop a faster public process for the Department of Fish and Wildlife to return lands that meet certain criteria to federally recognized tribes.

SECTION 1.SEC. 2.

 Section 1390 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:

1390.

 In order to accomplish the objectives of this chapter, the Wildlife Conservation Board may authorize the department to do all of the following:

(a) Acquire interests in real property and water rights through gift, purchase, lease, easement, and transfer or exchange of easements, development rights or credits, and other interests in real property.

(b) Coordinate its activities under the program with any governmental program for surplus real property sales in the state.

(c) Award grants and loans to local public agencies, state agencies, federal agencies, federally recognized tribes, and nonprofit
 organizations for the purposes of this program.

(d) For the purposes of this chapter, “nonprofit organization” means any private, nonprofit organization which qualifies for exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue