AB 178: Public resources trailer bill.

Official summary

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

(1)Existing law, the California Farmland Conservancy Program Act, establishes within the Department of Conservation the California Farmland Conservancy Program. Existing law authorizes the program to offer financial assistance, including grants or contracts, for projects and activities on agricultural lands, as defined, that support agricultural conservation and sustainable land management.

The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, approved by the voters as Proposition 4 at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for specified purposes. Of these funds, the act makes $30,000,000 available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Department of Conservation, in consultation with specified entities, to improve land access and tenure for socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, tribal producers, and beginning farmers and ranchers, as specified.

This bill would establish the Farmland Access and Conservation for Thriving Communities Program under the administration of the department, and would authorize the department to administer the program through the California Farmland Conservancy Program. Under the program, the bill would require the department to provide grants and related technical assistance to qualified entities, as defined, for the purpose of acquiring agricultural lands to transfer or provide long-term leases to qualified farmer participants, as defined, to support agricultural land acquisition and protection, as provided. The bill would make the operation of the program contingent upon the Legislature making an appropriation from the above-described funding from Proposition 4, and would make the program inoperative on July 1, 2041, or when that funding has been fully spent and is no longer available to support or administer the program, whichever occurs sooner.

(2)Existing law, the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act, requires a distributor of specified beverage containers to pay a redemption payment to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery for each beverage container sold or transferred to a dealer, for deposit into the California Beverage Container Recycling Fund and, except as specified, continuously appropriates moneys in the fund to the department for specified purposes. Existing law requires the department to expend specified amounts from the fund for grants for beverage container litter reduction programs and recycling programs, including education and outreach, issued to specified community conservation corps.

This bill would, for the 2026–27 fiscal year only, increase by $60,000,000 the amount required to be expended from the fund for those purposes. Because the bill would increase the amount of continuously appropriated moneys available for those purposes, the bill would make an appropriation.

(3)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.

Sponsors

“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. August 31, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2. August 31, 2026From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (August 31).
3. August 30, 2026Measure version as amended on August 28 corrected.
4. August 28, 2026From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. & F. R.
5. April 2, 2025Referred to Com. on B. & F. R.
6. March 20, 2025In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
7. March 20, 2025Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 53. Noes 17. Page 752.)
8. March 18, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
9. March 17, 2025(Ayes 53. Noes 17. Page 643.)
10. March 17, 2025Ordered to second reading.
11. March 17, 2025Withdrawn from committee.
12. February 3, 2025Referred to Com. on BUDGET.