AB 1673: County fish and wildlife propagation fund: wildlife coexistence: tear gas.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law allows a person to purchase, possess, or use tear gas or a tear gas weapon for the projection or release or tear gas if the tear gas or tear gas weapon is used solely for self-defense purposes, subject to specified requirements. Under existing law, anyone who uses tear gas or a tear gas weapon except in self-defense is guilty of a crime.

This bill would allow a person, who is authorized by the Department of Fish and Wildlife to apply aversive conditioning on wolves, to purchase, possess, or use any tear gas weapon that expels a projectile upon authorization from the sheriff of a county or the chief or other head of a municipal police department of any city or city and county.

Existing law requires certain fines and penalties paid to and retained in a county treasury to be deposited in a county fish and wildlife propagation fund and expended for the protection, conservation, propagation, and preservation of fish and wildlife, as specified. Existing law authorizes expenditures from a county fish and wildlife propagation fund for purposes relating to fish and wildlife, including, among other things, costs incurred by a district attorney or city attorney in investigating and prosecuting civil and criminal actions relating to fish and wildlife.

This bill would additionally authorize expenditures from a county fish and wildlife propagation fund for costs relating to wildlife coexistence programs to prevent human-wildlife conflict.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Republican 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. June 18, 2026In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
2. June 15, 2026Re-referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and PUB. S.
3. June 12, 2026Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
4. June 12, 2026Withdrawn from committee.
5. June 11, 2026From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.
6. May 6, 2026Referred to Com. on N.R. & W.
7. April 23, 2026In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
8. April 23, 2026Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 4789.)
9. April 13, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
10. April 9, 2026Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
11. April 8, 2026From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 8).
12. March 24, 2026From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (March 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.