The 2025 legislative session has come to an end, and the bills have crossed the Governor’s desk. Now that the dust has settled after an eventful session, we’re here to break down the outcomes of key legislation for CNPS.
First, the good news
We’re excited to celebrate the several bills that passed in favor of native plants, healthy habitats, ecologically informed wildfire management, and biodiversity across the state.
The successes of this year would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of grassroots advocates across the state, including CNPS members and supporters, as well as our legislative champions whose leadership made this progress possible. Every call, email, meeting, and social media post mattered during the several key moments throughout this session. We look forward to carrying this energy and engagement into 2026!
Key Legislation:
A.B.581: State shrub, Bennett
Native plants were in the spotlight this session with the passage of AB 581, officially establishing bigberry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca) as California’s state shrub. The bill highlights this iconic species’ vital ecosystem services and helps spread awareness of the important role of chaparral plant communities.
S.B.653: Wildfire prevention: environmentally sensitive vegetation management, Cortese
Following the influx of wildfire-related bills this session, we were pleased to see the passage of SB 653, which encourages wildfire mitigation projects to use environmentally sensitive vegetation management practices that maintain ecological health and strengthen biodiversity. The bill promotes practices that avoid habitat type conversion and the introduction of invasive species, advancing wildfire management approaches that safeguard both communities and the environment.
A.B.1319: Protected species: California Endangered Species Act, Schultz
As environmental protections are threatened at the federal level, this bill would help provide an important backstop by creating a process for emergency adoption of federally listed species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) through December 31, 2031.
S.B.427: Habitat Conservation Fund, Blakespear, Stern
The Habitat Conservation Fund (HCF) is vitally important for conservation funding in California and this bill extends the annual $30M funding to HCF from 2030 to 2035.
The bad news
Although some legislative outcomes were not as favorable, they will help inform our priorities and focus areas as we head into 2026.
On June 30, SB 131 was voted into law via a last-minute budget trailer bill, adding a new suite of exemptions to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). As many of you may know, CNPS, alongside a broad coalition of over 200 environmental and community organizations, advocated for two key amendments:
1) Remove the “advanced manufacturing” exemption
2) Amend “natural and protected lands” to include habitat for special-status species and lands important for Natural Community Conservation Plans/Habitat Conservation Plans
Unfortunately, even though many state leaders acknowledged the need for a clean-up bill in response to SB 131, legislation that addressed each of these key issues did not move forward within the 2025 session. Without these changes, various projects could impact California’s most imperiled biodiversity without any knowledge of what was lost.
Our work continues
Fortunately, state legislators are continuing to take action to address the shortcomings of SB 131. Thank you to Assemblymember Damon Connolly and a growing number of over 20 co-authors for introducing AB 1083, which aims to fix the principal community and environmental concerns of SB 131. We anticipate seeing action on AB 1083 at the start of the 2026 session. Please stay tuned in the coming months on ways to support the passage of this important legislation.
2025 Legislative Session Bill Overview:
To see an overview of the outcomes of bills that CNPS took positions on in the 2025 session, click here.
