Senate BillPassed both housesFish and Game
SB 1062: Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act: fees.
What SB 1062 does, verified September 14, 2026
This bill aims to conserve the western joshua tree by regulating its import, export, and sale within the state. It prohibits taking, possessing, purchasing, or selling the tree or its parts, except under specified conditions. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is authorized to permit the taking of the tree if certain conditions are met, including mitigating the impact on the tree and its ecosystem. The bill also allows permittees to pay fees instead of completing mitigation measures. Furthermore, the bill enables the department to establish project-specific conditions for projects related to life-sustaining services, which may include avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating the impact on the tree and its ecosystem.
Bill journey
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5GovernorCurrent
6ChapteredPending
Last action: Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m. (2026-08-25)Alert me
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| Sep. 02, 2026 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m. |
| Aug. 27, 2026 | Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. |
| Aug. 25, 2026 | Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 6531.) Ordered to the Senate. |
| Aug. 25, 2026 | In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending. |
| Aug. 25, 2026 | Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. |
Latest bill textEnrolled version, August 30, 2026 · 939 words
| Enrolled August 30, 2026 |
| Passed IN Senate August 27, 2026 |
| Passed IN Assembly August 25, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly August 20, 2026 |
| Amended IN Senate April 23, 2026 |
| Amended IN Senate March 25, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 1062
| Introduced by Senator Ochoa Bogh |
February 12, 2026 |
An act to amend Section 1927.8 of the Fish and Game Code, relating to the western Joshua tree.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1062, Ochoa Bogh. Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act: fees.
The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act prohibits any person or public agency from importing into the state, exporting out of the state, or taking, possessing, purchasing, or selling within the state, a western Joshua tree or any part or product of the tree, except as specified. The act authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife to permit the taking of a western Joshua tree if specified conditions are met, including, but not limited to, that the permittee mitigates all impacts to, and taking of, the western Joshua tree through measures that are roughly proportional in extent to the impact of the authorized taking of the western Joshua tree. The act authorizes, in lieu of completing the mitigation measures, a permittee to elect to satisfy the mitigation obligation by paying fees pursuant to a specified fee schedule, as provided. Existing law requires the department to annually adjust the fees, as specified.
This bill would require the department to consider making the fees proportionate to the impact of a project and the use of tiered fees by project type, size, or other criteria.
This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 1927.8 of the Fish and Game Code proposed by AB 1808 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1808 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1927.8 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:1927.8.
(a) Beginning in 2026, and at least every two years thereafter, the commission shall review the status of the western Joshua tree and the effectiveness of the conservation plan in conserving the species at a public meeting to be held prior to August 31. Concurrent with each review conducted pursuant to this section, the department shall make recommendations to the commission, as necessary, for amendments to the conservation plan to ensure the conservation of the western Joshua tree.(b) The department shall annually adjust the fees provided for in Section 1927.3 pursuant to Section 713. By December 31, 2026, and every three years thereafter, the department shall adopt and subsequently amend regulations pursuant to Section 702 adjusting the fees as necessary to ensure the conservation of the species. The department shall consider making the fees proportionate to the impact of a project and the use of tiered fees by project type, size, or other criteria. The department shall utilize total cost accounting when determining the adequacy of the fees for ensuring conservation of the species, including ensuring sufficient funds for land acquisition or conservation easement costs, monitoring costs, restoration costs, transaction costs, and the amount of endowments for land management or easement stewardship costs consistent with Chapter 4.6 (commencing with Section 65965) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code and Part 7 (commencing with Section 18501) of Division 9 of the Probate Code.
SEC. 1.5.
Section 1927.8 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:1927.8.
(a) Beginning in 2026, and at least every two years thereafter, the commission shall review the status of the western Joshua tree and the effectiveness of the conservation plan in conserving the species at a public meeting to be held before August 31. Concurrent with each review conducted pursuant to this section, the department shall make recommendations to the commission, as necessary, for amendments to the conservation plan to ensure the conservation of the western Joshua tree.(b) The department shall annually adjust the fees provided for in Section 1927.3 pursuant to Section 713. By June 30, 2027, and every three years thereafter, the department shall adopt and subsequently amend regulations pursuant to Section 702 adjusting the fees as necessary to ensure the conservation of the species. The department shall consider making the fees proportionate to the impact of a project and the use of tiered fees by project type, size, or other criteria. The department shall use total cost accounting when determining the adequacy of the fees for ensuring conservation of the species, including ensuring sufficient funds for land acquisition or conservation easement costs, monitoring costs, restoration costs, transaction costs, and the amount of endowments for land management or easement stewardship costs consistent with Chapter 4.6 (commencing with Section 65965) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code and Part 7 (commencing with Section 18501) of Division 9 of the Probate Code.
SEC. 2.
Section 1.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 1927.8 of the Fish and Game Code proposed by this bill and Assembly Bill 1808. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2027, (2) each bill amends Section 1927.8 of the Fish and Game Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Assembly Bill 1808, in which case Section 1927.8 of the Fish and Game Code, as amended by Section 3 of Assembly Bill 1808, shall remain operative only until the operative date of this bill, at which time Section 1.5 of this bill shall become operative, and Section 1 of this bill shall not become operative.Text of SB 1062 as enrolled, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions