Election 2026

The November 3 election will reshape legislatures. Stay current on every seat, staff, and committee change with GovBuddy.

Stay Current
GovBuddy
Menu
GovBuddy

Connect, Connect Plus, and Engage, from access to professional intelligence.

ProductsConnectConnect PlusEngageExploreAudit BillsBillsCommitteesDirectoryMorePlansStoreBlogContact
Home/Bills/SB 1286California · 2025–2026 Regular Session
Senate BillIntroducedGovernment

SB 1286: California State Library: study: state pinniped.

California · Senate · 2025–2026 Regular Session · last verified May 18, 2026

What SB 1286 does, verified May 18, 2026

<p>The California State Library is required to conduct a public consultation study to determine the best candidate for the official state pinniped. By January 1, 2028, the library must submit its recommendations based on this study to the legislature. These provisions will be repealed on January 1, 2032.</p>

Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. (2026-05-14)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Sen. Laura RichardsonAuthor · California State Senate
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlock
Coauthors
Ben AllenCatherine BlakespearMike McGuireTony StricklandAkilah Weber PiersonScott Wiener
Recent actions12 total · showing 5
May. 14, 2026May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
May. 08, 2026Set for hearing May 14.
Apr. 27, 2026April 27 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
Apr. 17, 2026Set for hearing April 27.
Apr. 16, 2026Re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Joint Rule 10.5.
Full action history, 7 earlier actionsConnect Plus
Latest bill textAmended version, April 15, 2026 · 581 words

Amended IN Senate April 15, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 1286

Introduced by Senator Richardson
(Coauthors: Senators Allen, Blakespear, McGuire, Strickland, Weber Pierson, and Wiener)

February 20, 2026

An act to add and repeal Section 425.4 to of the Government Code, relating to state government.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 1286, as amended, Richardson. State pinniped. California State Library: study: state pinniped.
Existing law establishes the state flag and the state’s emblems, including, among other things, the California Grizzly Bear as the state animal, the California gray whale as the state marine mammal, and the Pacific leatherback sea turtle as the state marine reptile. Existing law establishes the California State Library within the state government and vests control of the library to the State Librarian. Existing law authorizes the California State Library to serve as the central reference and research library for the departments of state government and maintain adequate legislative reference and research library services for the Legislature.

This bill would establish the California sea lion as the official state pinniped. The bill would also make related findings and declarations.

This bill would require the California State Library to conduct a study, in consultation with the public, on the best candidate for the official state pinniped. The bill would require the California State Library, on or before January 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature with the California State Library’s recommendations based on the study, as provided. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2032.
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NOYES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

Section 425.4 is added to the Government Code, to read:

425.4.

(a) The California State Library shall conduct a study, in consultation with the public, on the best candidate for the official state pinniped.
(b) (1) On or before January 1, 2028, the California State Library shall submit a report to the Legislature with the California State Library’s recommendations based on the study conducted pursuant to subdivision (a).
(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.
(c) This section shall be repealed on January 1, 2032, pursuant to Section 10231.5.

SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a)Pinnipeds are fin- or flipper-footed marine mammals that have front and rear flippers; the California sea lion is a member of the “eared seal” family.

(b)California sea lions are found along the shore from California to Mexico, including Baja and Tres Marias Islands, in the Galapagos Islands, and in the southern Sea of Japan. They generally live along coastlines but have been found in rivers along the northern Pacific coast. California sea lions often congregate on man-made structures such as jetties, piers, offshore buoys, and oil platforms.

(c)California sea lions have been known to assemble at the mouths of freshwater rivers where there is a steady supply of fish. They also feed on cephalopods, anchovies, herring, Pacific whiting, rockfish, hake, salmon, squid, and octopuses.

(d)The California sea lion, once in severe decline, has rebounded and is abundant today because of the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-522).

(e)It is the intent of the Legislature that this recognition helps provide additional protections as California sea lions face a rapidly changing environment.

SEC. 2.Section 425.4 is added to the Government Code, to read:
425.4.

The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) is the official state pinniped.

Text of SB 1286 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions
GovBuddy Demo

See how GovBuddy fits your team.

Share a few details and our team will follow up with a focused walkthrough.