AB 1358 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Santa Ana River Conservancy Program: lower Santa Ana River region.

Summary

Existing law establishes the Santa Ana River Conservancy Program to be administered by the State Coastal Conservancy. Existing law authorizes the conservancy to, among other things, undertake or fund projects for several purposes, including to implement site improvements, upgrade deteriorating facilities or construct new facilities for outdoor recreation, public access, nature appreciation and interpretation, and historic and cultural preservation. This bill would require at least 60% of the funds allocated to fund or undertake the above-described projects to be for projects in heavily urbanized areas, as defined, of the lower Santa Ana River region, as defined, to benefit disadvantaged communities, severely disadvantaged communities, or vulnerable populations. The bill would define various terms for this purpose.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 21, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

03/13/25 - Amended Assembly → AB1358 · 3 edits

MINOR

This diff reflects a transition from an internal legislative document format to a published web version of AB 1358. No substantive policy changes were made; the actual bill text (definitions, powers, and the 60 percent funding requirement for projects in heavily urbanized areas of the lower Santa Ana River region) is identical in both versions. The differences are limited to formatting, removal of line numbers and page headers, addition of website navigation elements, and inclusion of publication metadata.

TECHNICAL

Removed internal document formatting including line numbers, page headers/footers (e.g., '98 AB 1358 -2-'), and the formal 'ASSEMBLY BILL No. 1358' header, replacing them with a web-published title format.

Added website navigation elements (skip to content, home, accessibility, FAQ, feedback, sitemap, login, search fields) and publication metadata including date published (03/13/2025 09:00 PM) and version history.

Added a 'Digest Key' section explicitly stating Vote: MAJORITY, Appropriation: NO, Fiscal Committee: YES, Local Program: NO, which was previously embedded in the document header in a less structured format.

02/21/25 - Introduced → 03/13/25 - Amended Assembly · 6 edits · Mar 13, 2025

MODERATE

AB 1358 was substantially expanded from a minor nonsubstantive fix to a comprehensive bill that adds new definitions and a full powers section for the State Coastal Conservancy's Santa Ana River program. The most significant addition is a requirement that at least 60 percent of project funds be directed to heavily urbanized areas of the lower Santa Ana River region benefiting disadvantaged communities, severely disadvantaged communities, or vulnerable populations. This shifts the bill from a technical cleanup to a major equity-focused funding mandate.

SCOPE

The bill now amends Sections 31172 and 31175 of the Public Resources Code in addition to Section 31178, expanding its reach from a single nonsubstantive fix to a comprehensive restructuring of the Santa Ana River Conservancy Program.

A new Section 31175 is added granting the conservancy broad powers including acquiring property, exercising right of first refusal on surplus public agency property, undertaking or funding projects for recreation and habitat protection, collecting fees, accepting grants and donations, recruiting volunteers, entering contracts, and suing or being sued.

DEFINITION

A new definitions section (Section 31172) is added establishing terms including 'disadvantaged community' (median household income below 80 percent of area or statewide median), 'severely disadvantaged community' (below 60 percent), 'heavily urbanized area' (city with population of 300,000 or more), 'lower Santa Ana River region' (lands west of the Santa Ana Mountains within half a mile of the riverbed plus adjacent watersheds), 'vulnerable population' (subgroup facing heightened climate change risk lacking adequate resources to cope), and 'Santa Ana River region' (full length from headwaters to the Pacific Ocean).

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement mandates that at least 60 percent of funds allocated to undertake or fund projects must be for projects in heavily urbanized areas of the lower Santa Ana River region specifically benefiting disadvantaged communities, severely disadvantaged communities, or vulnerable populations.

ENFORCEMENT

New 30-day written notice requirements are added: the conservancy must notify the city or county with jurisdiction before acquiring property outside the half-mile riverbed corridor, and before undertaking a project directly on affected real property.

FISCAL

The fiscal committee review designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the amended bill now requires fiscal committee review due to its expanded funding implications.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

lower

May 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

lower

Apr 23, 2025

Committee

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

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 4.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Mar 17, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

lower

Mar 13, 2025

Introduced

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

lower

Mar 13, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

lower

Feb 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. To print.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors