Skip to main content
Independent and nonpartisan. SaveYourState is a civic information resource. It is not a government website and is not affiliated with any government agency, party, or campaign.

California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Senate Bill

SB 426: California Environmental Quality Act: defensible space.

Did not advance Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted
  6. Did not advance

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

SB 426 is a senate bill introduced in the California Senate on February 18, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: California Environmental Quality Act: defensible space. Primary sponsor: Marie Alvarado-Gil (R). Most recent recorded action (February 2, 2026): Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

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

The California Environmental Quality Act requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment.

Existing law requires a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains specified structures within certain areas to maintain a defensible space around the structures meeting certain requirements.

This bill would exempt from CEQA projects undertaken or approved by a public agency for purposes of maintaining defensible space to comply with the above requirements.

Because a lead agency would be required to determine the applicability of the exemption, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Republican 1

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Marie Alvarado-GilPrimary sponsorRepublicanSenate4

“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. Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
  2. April 2 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
  3. Set for hearing April 2.
  4. Referred to Coms. on E.Q. and N.R. & W.
  5. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 21.
  6. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sources

  1. California Legislative Information — pubinfo database export
  2. Official bill page