Senate BillChaptered/SignedGovernment
SB 49: Tribal gaming: compact and amendment ratification.
What SB 49 does, verified December 13, 2025
The bill aims to ratify amendments between the state of California and the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California, extending the terms of the existing tribal-state gaming compact. It also ratifies a new tribal-state gaming compact between the state of California and the same tribe. These amendments are intended to provide clarity and consistency in the gaming compacts. The bill ensures that certain actions related to the compacts are not considered projects under the California Environmental Quality Act. The bill takes effect immediately as an urgency statute.
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Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 3, Statutes of 2025. (2025-05-19)Alert me
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| May. 28, 2025 | Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 3, Statutes of 2025. |
| May. 28, 2025 | Approved by the Governor. |
| May. 23, 2025 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m. |
| May. 23, 2025 | Enrolled and filed with the Secretary of State at 2 p.m. |
| May. 20, 2025 | In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. |
Latest bill textChaptered version, May 28, 2025 · 1,055 words
Senate Bill No. 49
CHAPTER 3
An act to add Sections 12012.117 and 12012.118 to the Government Code, relating to tribal gaming, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.
[ Approved by Governor May 28, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State May 28, 2025. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 49, Grove. Tribal gaming: compact and amendment ratification.
Existing federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, provides for the negotiation and execution of tribal-state gaming compacts for the purpose of authorizing certain types of gaming on Indian lands within a state. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to negotiate and conclude those compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature. Existing law expressly ratifies a number of tribal-state gaming compacts, and amendments to tribal-state gaming compacts, between the State of California and specified Indian tribes.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project, as defined, that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, as defined, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect.
This bill would ratify amendments between the State of California and the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California, executed on December 12, 2024, and February 12, 2025, to extend the terms of the existing tribal-state gaming compact, executed on September 10, 1999. The bill would also ratify a new tribal-state gaming compact entered into between the State of California and the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California. The bill would provide that, in deference to tribal sovereignty, certain actions related to these compacts are not projects for the purposes of CEQA.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 12012.117 is added to the Government Code, to read:12012.117.
(a) (1) The third amendment between the State of California and the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California, executed on December 12, 2024, entered into in accordance with the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (18 U.S.C. Secs. 1166 to 1168, inclusive, and 25 U.S.C. Sec. 2701 et seq.) for the sole purpose of extending the terms of the existing tribal-state gaming compact, executed on September 10, 1999, is hereby ratified.(2) The fourth amendment between the State of California and the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California, executed on February 12, 2025, entered into in accordance with the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (18 U.S.C. Secs. 1166 to 1168, inclusive, and 25 U.S.C. Sec. 2701 et seq.) for the sole purpose of extending the terms of the existing tribal-state gaming compact, executed on September 10, 1999, is hereby ratified.
(b) (1) In deference to tribal sovereignty, none of the following shall be deemed a project for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code):
(A) The execution of an amendment to a tribal-state gaming compact ratified by this section.
(B) The execution of an amended tribal-state gaming compact ratified by this section.
(C) The execution of an intergovernmental agreement between a tribe and a county or city government negotiated pursuant to the express authority of, or as expressly referenced in, an amended tribal-state gaming compact ratified by this section.
(D) The execution of an intergovernmental agreement between a tribe and the Department of Transportation, or other state agency, negotiated pursuant to the express authority of, or as expressly referenced in, an amended tribal-state gaming compact ratified by this section.
(E) The on-reservation impacts of compliance with the terms of an amended tribal-state gaming compact ratified by this section.
(2) Except as expressly provided in this section, this subdivision does not exempt a city, county, or city and county, or the Department of Transportation, or any state agency or local jurisdiction, from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act.
SEC. 2.
Section 12012.118 is added to the Government Code, to read:12012.118.
(a) The tribal-state gaming compact entered into in accordance with the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (18 U.S.C. Secs. 1166 to 1168, inclusive, and 25 U.S.C. Sec. 2701 et seq.) between the State of California and the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California, executed on December 12, 2024, is hereby ratified.(b) (1) In deference to tribal sovereignty, none of the following shall be deemed a project for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code):
(A) The execution of the tribal-state gaming compact ratified by this section.
(B) The execution of an amendment to the tribal-state gaming compact ratified by this section.
(C) The execution of an intergovernmental agreement between the tribe and a county or city government negotiated pursuant to the express authority of, or as expressly referenced in, the tribal-state gaming compact ratified by this section.
(D) The execution of an intergovernmental agreement between the tribe and the Department of Transportation, or other state agency, negotiated pursuant to the express authority of, or as expressly referenced in, the tribal-state gaming compact ratified by this section.
(E) The on-reservation impacts of compliance with the terms of the tribal-state gaming compact ratified by this section.
(2) Except as expressly provided in this section, this subdivision does not exempt a city, county, or city and county, or the Department of Transportation, or any state agency or local jurisdiction, from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act.
SEC. 3.
This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:In order to enhance the economic development, stability, and self-sufficiency of the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California, and to protect the interests of these tribes and their members, the surrounding communities, and the California public at the earliest possible time, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.
Text of SB 49 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions