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SB-630 • 2026

State parks: real property: acquisitions and leases.

State parks: real property: acquisitions and leases.

Housing
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Allen
Last action
2025-10-13
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 775, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify that changes to lease approvals are made, only acquisitions.

State Parks Real Property Rules

This law allows the Department of Parks and Recreation to buy, lease, or appraise real property for state parks without needing approval from other departments under certain conditions.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the director to waive approvals when buying or leasing land for parks.
  • Expands the amount of money that doesn't need special approval for real estate deals up to $750,000.
  • Changes who can approve leases and appraisals for park property.
  • Requires reports about how the department uses these new rules.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Parks and Recreation
  • People involved in buying, leasing, or appraising land for state parks

Terms To Know

State park system
All parks, public campgrounds, monument sites, landmark sites, and historical places owned by the state.
Appraisal
An estimate of how much something is worth.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The changes will only last until January 1, 2033.
  • Some parts of this law depend on another bill being passed too.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-13 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 775, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-13 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-23 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-12 California Legislative Information

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 28. Noes 7. Page 3007.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. 2025-09-12 California Legislative Information

    From committee: That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 3064.)

  6. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 2851.) Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.

  7. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d).

  8. 2025-09-10 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  9. 2025-09-10 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 60. Noes 19. Page 3170.) Ordered to the Senate.

  10. 2025-09-05 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to third reading.

  11. 2025-09-05 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended.

  12. 2025-09-05 California Legislative Information

    Assembly Rule 69(b)(1) suspended.

  13. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to third reading.

  14. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended.

  15. 2025-08-21 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  16. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (August 20).

  17. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    Coauthors revised.

  18. 2025-07-16 California Legislative Information

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

  19. 2025-07-15 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 3.) (July 15).

  20. 2025-06-27 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on W. P., & W. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

  21. 2025-06-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on A.,E.,S., & T.

  22. 2025-06-09 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on A.,E.,S., & T. and REV. & TAX.

  23. 2025-06-04 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  24. 2025-06-03 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 34. Noes 1. Page 1440.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  25. 2025-06-02 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  26. 2025-05-29 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to second reading.

  27. 2025-05-29 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended.

  28. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  29. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  30. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1207.) (May 23).

  31. 2025-05-16 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 23.

  32. 2025-05-05 California Legislative Information

    May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  33. 2025-04-25 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 5.

  34. 2025-04-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 872.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  35. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

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

  36. 2025-04-04 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 23.

  37. 2025-04-02 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.

  38. 2025-03-25 California Legislative Information

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

  39. 2025-03-05 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

  40. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.

  41. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

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

Official Summary Text

SB 630, Allen.
State parks: real property: acquisitions and leases.
Existing law designates all parks, public campgrounds, monument sites, landmark sites, and sites of historical interest established or acquired by the state, or that are under its control, as the state park system, except as specified. Under existing law, the Department of Parks and Recreation controls the state park system, which is made up of units. Existing law requires the approval of the Director of General Services before the state may enter into a contract for the acquisition or hiring of real property, subject to a list of specified exceptions, as provided. Existing law requires the Department of General Services to review and approve appraisals related to the acquisition of property conducted by the Department of Parks and Recreation.
This bill would authorize the director to waive the approvals as described above regarding state
acquisition or hiring of real property and appraisals conducted by the Department of Parks and Recreation. The bill would, until January 1, 2033, additionally exempt from the requirement of contract approval by the Director of General Services the acquisition by the Department of Parks and Recreation of real property for park purposes under specific circumstances.
Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to acquire title to or any interest in real property, including personal property incidental to the purchase of real property and options to purchase property, that the department deems necessary or proper for the extension, improvement, or development of the state park system. Existing law requires that all land and other real property to be acquired by or for any state agency be acquired by the State Public Works Board, except as specified.
This bill would additionally exempt from this requirement,
until January 1, 2033, acquisition of real property by the Department of Parks and Recreation for park purposes under specific circumstances.
Existing law authorizes the Director of General Services to exempt from the director’s approval, or from the approval of the Department of General Services, any state real estate acquisition or conveyance involving not more than $150,000.
This bill would expand this authorization regarding exemption of real estate acquisition or conveyance to any state real estate acquisition or conveyance involving not more than $750,000.
Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to lease, for any use, all or any portion of any parcel of real property acquired for state park system purposes under specific circumstances, including, among others, that the lease is subject to approval by the Department of General Services. Existing law
authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation, with the consent of the Department of General Services, to lease real or personal property that the department deems necessary or proper for the extension, improvement, or development of the state park system. Existing law requires the Department of General Services to approve the lease of real property by the Department of Parks and Recreation for agricultural purposes.
This bill would authorize the Department of General Services to waive its consent or approval of leases as described above regarding property leases for park purposes.
Before entering into a lease contract for park and recreational areas, existing law requires lands proposed to be leased to be appraised by the Department of General Services to determine the fair market value of the lands, and requires the total amount of rent to be paid for the entire term under a lease contract to not be in excess of the
fair market value of the lands, as determined by the Department of General Services, as specified.
This bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation, rather than the Department of General Services, to conduct the appraisal of the lands proposed to be leased. The bill would require the Department of General Services to review and approve the appraisal, unless review and approval is waived by the Department of General Services.
The bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation to submit a report, on or before January 1, 2028, January 1, 2030, and January 1, 2032, to the Legislature detailing the department’s use of the authority granted pursuant to the bill regarding the acquisition of real property without the approval of the Director of General Services.
This
bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 15853 of the Government Code and Section 5006.1 of the Public Resources Code proposed by AB 679 to be operative only if this bill and AB 679 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

Current Bill Text

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