Legislation & Advocacy
2026-2027 Notable Legislation
(Papan D) Fish and wildlife: invasive species: invasive mussels.
Introduced: 2/9/2026
Last Amend: 6/25/2026
Status: 8/3/2026-In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
Location: 8/3/2026-S. APPR. SUSPENSE FILE
Summary: Existing law, until January 1, 2030, generally prohibits a person from possessing, importing, shipping, or transporting in the state, or from placing, planting, or causing to be placed or planted in any water in the state, invasive mussels, and authorizes the Director of Fish and Wildlife or the director’s designee to engage in various enforcement activities, including ordering the areas in conveyance that contain water be drained, dried, or decontaminated, as provided. Existing law requires a public or private agency that operates a water supply system to cooperate with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to implement measures to avoid infestation by invasive mussels and to control or eradicate any infestation that may occur in a water supply system. Existing law requires, if invasive mussels are detected, the operator of a water supply system to, in cooperation with the department, prepare and implement a plan to control or eradicate invasive mussels within the system, and eliminate or minimize any potential downstream transport of an invasive mussel. Existing law requires, on or before December 31, 2026, the department to review all approved plans and require all plans that do not specifically address all invasive mussel species known to be present in bodies of water in the state as of January 1, 2026, to be updated or revised appropriately to include all invasive mussel species, on or before September 30, 2027. Existing law requires every invasive mussel species to be addressed in a plan no later than 180 days from the date that the species is listed in a certain regulation. Existing law defines “invasive mussel” for these purposes as any nonnative detrimental mussel, as provided. This bill would prohibit a conveyance from being launched until a specified drying period has completed, as provided. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to require water supply system operators to update their plans to address all invasive mussel species present in the operator’s water system as of January 1, 2026, as provided.
(Rubio, Blanca D) Fish and wildlife: invasive mussels: imported water.
Introduced: 2/12/2026
Last Amend: 5/28/2026
Status: 6/23/2026-Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Location: 6/23/2026-S. THIRD READING
Summary: Existing law, until January 1, 2030, generally prohibits a person from possessing, importing, shipping, or transporting in the state, or from placing, planting, or causing to be placed or planted in any water within the state, invasive mussels, and authorizes the Director of Fish and Wildlife, or the director’s designee, to engage in various enforcement activities with regard to invasive mussels. Existing law, until January 1, 2030, requires a public or private agency that operates a water supply system to cooperate with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to implement measures to avoid infestation by invasive mussels and to control or eradicate any infestation that occurs in a water supply system. Existing law requires any person, or federal, state, or local agency, district, or authority that owns or manages a reservoir, where specified activities are permitted, except as specified, to develop and implement a program designed to prevent the introduction of invasive mussel species, as provided. Existing law requires any entity that discovers invasive mussels within the state to immediately report the discovery to the department. This bill would prohibit a public agency from prohibiting imported water deliveries for groundwater replenishment, as defined, due to invasive mussels if the importation complies with a specified invasive mussel control plan and unless there is substantial, documented evidence of a proven health and safety risk as a result of the invasive mussels.
(Ransom D) Fish and wildlife: golden mussels.
Introduced: 2/17/2026
Last Amend: 6/11/2026
Status: 8/3/2026-In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
Location: 8/3/2026-S. APPR. SUSPENSE FILE
Summary: Existing law, until January 1, 2030, generally prohibits a person from possessing, importing, shipping, or transporting in the state, or from placing, planting, or causing to be placed or planted in any water within the state, invasive mussels, as defined. Existing law requires a public or private agency that operates a water supply system to cooperate with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to implement measures to avoid infestation by invasive mussels and to control or eradicate any infestation that may occur in a water supply system, and, if invasive mussels are detected, to prepare and implement a plan, as specified, to control or eradicate invasive mussels within the system (control plan). Existing law prohibits the importation, transportation, possession, or live release of specified wild animals, except under a revocable, nontransferable permit, known as a restricted species permit, issued by the department, in cooperation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, and only if certain requirements are met. Existing law authorizes the department to issue permits, commonly known as scientific collecting permits, to take or possess any form of plant or animal life for scientific, educational, or propagation purposes. This bill would exempt from the requirement to obtain a restricted species permit for golden mussels a public or private agency that operates a water supply system and has submitted a control plan to the department for maintenance and operational activities in the water supply system, as specified.
(Wicks D) Public resources: Coastal Resilience Permitting Working Group.
Introduced: 2/18/2026
Last Amend: 7/6/2026
Status: 8/3/2026-In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
Location: 8/3/2026-S. APPR. SUSPENSE FILE
Summary: Would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, in consultation with the Secretary for Environmental Protection, to convene a Coastal Resilience Permitting Working Group for the purpose of developing a Coastal Resilience Permitting Roadmap for coastal resilience projects proposed in specified areas. The bill would require the Coastal Resilience Permitting Working Group to consist of representatives from federal, state, and local agencies, including, among others, the California Coastal Commission, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The bill would, on or before January 1, 2028, require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to submit the Coastal Resilience Permitting Roadmap to the Governor and the relevant fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature. The bill would require, on or before April 1, 2027, the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, in collaboration with the California Coastal Commission, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the California Regional Water Quality Boards with jurisdiction over the coast and the San Francisco Bay, to convene a Coastal Resilience Permit Advisory Group to support the deliberations of the Coastal Resilience Permitting Working Group.
(Gonzalez, Jeff R) Vessels: operation: registration.
Introduced: 2/18/2026
Last Amend: 6/16/2026
Status: 8/3/2026-In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
Location: 8/3/2026-S. APPR. SUSPENSE FILE
Summary: Existing law prohibits a for-hire vessel from operating or navigating on the waters of this state, except as provided. A violation of this prohibition is a crime. Existing law defines “for-hire vessel” to include any vessel propelled by machinery carrying more than 3 passengers for hire, except as provided. This bill would instead define “for-hire vessel” to include any vessel propelled by machinery carrying one or more passengers for hire, except as provided.
(Choi R) Fishing and hunting: youth program.
Introduced: 2/10/2026
Last Amend: 6/17/2026
Status: 7/1/2026-July 1 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
Location: 7/1/2026-A. APPR. SUSPENSE FILE
Summary: The California Constitution establishes the Fish and Game Commission and provides for the delegation to the commission of powers relating to the protection and propagation of fish and game. Existing law places the Fish and Game Commission in the Natural Resources Agency. This bill would require the commission to, on or before January 1, 2028, adopt regulations, as provided, to increase opportunities to fish, and to hunt big game, wild pigs, upland game birds, and migratory game birds, for resident youth with life-threatening illnesses. The bill would require the commission, in adopting those regulations, to ensure reasonable accommodations for participants in accordance with federal and state disability are incorporated into the regulations and to consider authorizing special hunts, as prescribed. The bill would authorize the commission to include in the regulations additional reasonable accommodations consistent with safe, ethical, and science-based wildlife management practices.
(McGuire D) Fish and wildlife.
Introduced: 2/18/2026
Status: 2/26/2026-Referred to Com. on RLS.
Location: 2/18/2026-S. RLS.
Summary: Current law establishes the Department of Fish and Wildlife and prescribes the functions and responsibilities of the department with regard to the implementation, administration, and enforcement of laws regulating fish and wildlife in the state. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation relating to fish and wildlife.