SB 1061 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act: relocation.

Summary

The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act prohibits any person or public agency from importing into the state, exporting out of the state, or taking, possessing, purchasing, or selling within the state, a western Joshua tree or any part or product of the tree, except as specified. The act authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife to permit the taking of a western Joshua tree if specified conditions are met, including, but not limited to, that the permittee mitigates all impacts to, and taking of, the western Joshua tree through measures that are roughly proportional in extent to the impact of the authorized taking of the western Joshua tree. The act authorizes, in lieu of completing the mitigation measures, a permittee to elect to satisfy the mitigation obligation by paying fees pursuant to a specified fee schedule, as provided. Existing law authorizes the department to include permit conditions that require the permittee to relocate one or more of the western Joshua trees, as specified. Existing law requires the department to adopt guidelines and relocation protocols, based on the best available science, to relocate western Joshua trees successfully. This bill would authorize the department to authorize, by permit, and without payment of fees or other mitigation, the relocation of up to 10 individual western Joshua trees from a parcel, as provided. The bill would require a person seeking a relocation permit to submit a permit application to the department and meet certain conditions including, among other conditions, that the tree identified in the application would be relocated within 2.5 kilometers of its original location and that the relocation be consistent with the guidelines and relocation protocols adopted by the department. The bill would require the department to maintain a list of relocation permits issued pursuant to this authority and sufficient information regarding each relocation to be able to assess the success or failure of the relocation and the factors contributing to that success or failure.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Aug 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Assembly Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 12, 2026 Last action Aug 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

04/23/26 - Amended Senate → 06/17/26 - Amended Assembly · 3 edits · Jun 17, 2026

MINOR

The Assembly amended SB 1061 by removing two provisions from the Senate version: (1) a definition clarifying that 'take' does not include unintentionally or accidentally killing a western Joshua tree, and (2) an exemption for relocations within the same parcel or to a contiguous parcel owned by the same person. The Assembly also broadened relocation permit eligibility so an applicant no longer needs to own both the source and destination parcels, only the source parcel plus written permission from the destination owner.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed in one direction (removing the same-parcel/contiguous parcel exemption means more relocations are now regulated) but broadened in another (the 'take' definition no longer carves out accidental deaths, potentially expanding what counts as a prohibited take). The act description was changed from amending three sections to amending only Section 1927.3.

DEFINITION

Removed the amendment to Section 1927.1 that defined 'take' to exclude unintentionally or accidentally causing the death of a western Joshua tree. Without this clarification, accidental deaths may now fall under the act's prohibitions on taking.

SCOPE

Removed the addition of Section 1928.1, which would have exempted relocations within the same parcel or to a contiguous parcel owned by the same person from the act's requirements. Same-parcel and contiguous same-owner relocations are no longer exempt.

ELIGIBILITY

Broadened relocation permit eligibility under Section 1927.3(h)(1). Previously, the applicant had to be the property owner (or authorized by the owner) of both the source parcel and the destination parcel. Now, the applicant only needs to own (or be authorized by the owner of) the source parcel and have written permission from the destination parcel's owner.

03/24/26 - Amended Senate → 04/23/26 - Amended Senate · 5 edits · Apr 23, 2026

MODERATE

The April 23 amendment adds a new relocation permit authority to Section 1927.3 that allows the Department of Fish and Wildlife to authorize, by permit and without fees or other mitigation, the relocation of up to 10 western Joshua trees from a single parcel. The bill was also restructured to amend Section 1927.3 (the existing permit and fee provisions) rather than Section 1927 (the short title), and the fiscal committee determination changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the new authority creates state fiscal implications.

SCOPE

New subdivision (h) in Section 1927.3 authorizes the department to issue relocation permits for up to 10 individual western Joshua trees per parcel without requiring payment of fees or other mitigation measures, provided the trees are relocated within 2.5 kilometers of their original location and consistent with department-adopted guidelines.

ELIGIBILITY

Relocation permit eligibility requires that the tree be on a parcel containing a single-family primary residence or a multifamily residence where at least half the families live there, that the applicant is the property owner (or authorized by the owner) of both the source and destination parcels, and that relocation follows department guidelines.

REQUIREMENT

The department must maintain a list of all relocation permits issued under the new authority, with sufficient information to assess whether each relocation succeeded or failed and what factors contributed to that outcome.

FISCAL

Fiscal committee determination changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now has state fiscal implications, likely due to administrative costs of processing and monitoring the new relocation permits.

TECHNICAL

The bill was restructured to amend Section 1927.3 (containing permit conditions, fee schedules, and local delegation provisions) instead of Section 1927 (the short title provision), reflecting that the new relocation authority is being added to the existing operational section rather than creating a standalone amendment.

Floor votes · Senate May 22, 2026

How they voted

33–0

Passed · 7 other

Total votes 40

May 22, 2026

D Democratic30

25 Yea 5

83% Yea

R Republican10

8 Yea 2

80% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

lower

Jun 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Jun 16, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 16).

lower

Jun 1, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on W., P., & W.

lower

May 22, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 4418.) Ordered to the Assembly.

upper

May 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4263.) (May 14).

upper

Apr 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Apr 22, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 3981.) (April 21).

upper

Apr 8, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.

upper

Mar 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 12, 2026

Introduced

Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors