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AB-697 • 2026

Protected species: authorized take: State Route 37 project.

Protected species: authorized take: State Route 37 project.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Wilson
Last action
2025-10-07
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 438, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details about which fully protected species are included or what the exact conditions for permitting harm will be.

Protected Species: Authorized Take for State Route 37 Project

This law allows the Department of Fish and Wildlife to give permission for some harm to certain fully protected species during construction work on State Route 37, if specific conditions are met.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the Department of Fish and Wildlife to permit incidental take of specified fully protected species due to impacts from a project on State Route 37.
  • Requires that any permitted harm must meet the same conditions as an incidental take permit under the California Endangered Species Act.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • Builders working on State Route 37
  • Certain fully protected species in the area

Terms To Know

Incidental take permit
A special permission from the government that allows some harm to endangered or threatened species when it is not avoidable.
Fully protected species
Animals that have extra protection and cannot be harmed without a specific reason.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify which fully protected species are included.
  • It is unclear what the exact conditions for permitting harm to these animals will be.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-07 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 438, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-07 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-04 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.

  5. 2025-09-04 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 2507.).

  6. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  7. 2025-08-19 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

  8. 2025-07-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  9. 2025-06-18 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on N.R. & W.

  10. 2025-06-04 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  11. 2025-06-03 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 70. Noes 0. Page 2021.)

  12. 2025-05-15 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  13. 2025-05-14 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).

  14. 2025-05-07 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  15. 2025-05-06 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  16. 2025-05-05 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 29).

  17. 2025-03-17 California Legislative Information

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

  18. 2025-02-15 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.

  19. 2025-02-14 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 697, Wilson.
Protected species: authorized take: State Route 37 project.
Existing law, the California Endangered Species Act, prohibits the taking of an endangered or threatened species, except in certain situations, including, if specified conditions are met, under a permit issued by the Department of Fish and Wildlife commonly known as an incidental take permit. Existing law also enumerates fully protected species and prohibits the take of fully protected species, except under limited circumstances.
This bill would permit the department to authorize, under the California Endangered Species Act, the incidental take of specified fully protected species resulting from impacts attributable to a specified project
on State Route 37, if certain conditions are met, including, among others, the conditions required for the issuance of an incidental take permit.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF