Coastal resources: monarch butterfly habitat.

The bill was reformatted from a traditional legislative document layout with line numbers and page markers into a web page layout with navigation elements, search functionality, and links. No changes to the actual statutory language, deadlines, or policy requirements were made.

Local governments must now 'develop and implement enforceable monarch butterfly overwintering habitat site protection policies consistent with the guidance' rather than simply 'include' such policies in their local coastal program. This raises the bar from passive inclusion to active implementation of enforceable measures.

The description of acceptable model policies is expanded to require 'enforceable habitat management plans, plans with measurable outcomes' and specifies that other local policies should be 'locally enforceable with measurable outcomes,' such as ordinances. This adds a quantifiable performance standard.

The fixed deadline of July 1, 2027 for local governments to adopt protection policies is removed. Compliance is now triggered only after the state's model policy guidance under Section 1021.5(b) is finalized, making the timeline contingent on state action rather than a hard date.

Subdivision (c) of Section 30505, which defined how the location of a monarch butterfly overwintering habitat site would be determined using the 'Monarch Overwintering Areas, Areas of Conservation Emphasis' dataset, is removed entirely. The method for identifying qualifying sites is no longer specified in this section.

Grant eligibility language under the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Rescue Program is slightly reworded from requiring that 'the local government's local coastal program includes' protection policies to requiring that 'the local government has' such policies, which could be read more broadly to include policies outside the local coastal program.

New Section 1021.5 added to the Fish and Game Code requiring the Department of Fish and Wildlife, in coordination with the Coastal Commission, to identify monarch butterfly overwintering habitat sites in the coastal zone and existing local management plans by January 1, 2028, and to develop model policy guidance (including habitat restoration and enhancement) by July 1, 2028.

The prior Section 2, which stated the Legislature's intent to enact subsequent legislation to protect monarch butterflies, was removed entirely.

The new Fish and Game Code section requires the department and commission to post their guidance on their websites and permits them to use existing data sets from local governments, invertebrate conservation organizations, and other relevant entities.

The trigger for local governments to include monarch butterfly habitat protection policies in their local coastal programs changed from a fixed date (on and after July 1, 2027) to a conditional one: after the model policy guidance under the new Fish and Game Code section is finalized (which would be no later than July 1, 2028).

Habitat site identification for the local coastal program requirement now references the process in Section 1021.5(a) of the Fish and Game Code rather than solely relying on the existing Monarch Overwintering Areas dataset.

A new provision encourages local governments to apply for grants under the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Rescue Program (Fish and Game Code Section 1374) if their local coastal program includes habitat protection policies consistent with the developed guidelines.

Assembly Members Zbur and Hart were added as coauthors, and the fiscal committee vote changed from no to yes, indicating budget approval of the bill.

The California Coastal Commission must develop and provide guidance on model policies for protecting monarch butterfly overwintering habitat by July 1, 2027.

Local governments with a monarch butterfly overwintering habitat site within their jurisdiction and the coastal zone must include habitat protection policies in their local coastal program upon their next amendment, on and after July 1, 2027.

A monarch butterfly overwintering habitat site is defined by reference to the 'Monarch Overwintering Areas, Areas of Conservation Emphasis' dataset established by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines the bill contains state-mandated costs, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts is required under Government Code Part 7 (Division 4, Title 2).

Fiscal committee review changed from 'no' to 'yes,' and state-mandated local program changed from 'no' to 'yes,' reflecting the new binding obligations imposed on local governments.

The bill changed from a non-binding statement of legislative intent to an enforceable regulatory requirement with specific deadlines and obligations on both the Coastal Commission and local governments.