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AB-53 • 2026

Native American tribes: fish and wildlife: conservation and mitigation lands.

Native American tribes: fish and wildlife: conservation and mitigation lands.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Ramos
Last action
Official status
Senate - Appropriations
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill status shows it passed both chambers but reached final enrollment; however, the effective date is not listed in the provided metadata.

AB-53: Expanding Conservation Programs and Land Transfers to Federally Recognized Tribes

This law allows federally recognized tribes to receive grants, loans, management contracts, and land transfers for fish and wildlife conservation that were previously limited to other groups.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the Wildlife Conservation Board to authorize the Department of Fish and Wildlife to award grants and loans from the California Riparian Habitat Conservation Program to federally recognized tribes.
  • Permits the board to make grants or loans under the Inland Wetlands Conservation Program to federally recognized tribes for wetland work.
  • Authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife to sign management contracts with federally recognized tribes for state-managed lands.
  • Exempts sales or transfers of conservation land to federally recognized tribes from rules that usually block such transactions.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Federally recognized Native American tribes
  • The Wildlife Conservation Board
  • The Department of Fish and Wildlife

Limits and Unknowns

  • No effective date is provided in the source material to show when this law begins.
  • The text does not specify how much money will be available for these new tribal awards.

Bill History

  1. California Legislative Information

    Senate - Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Native American tribes: fish and wildlife: conservation and mitigation lands.