Bill Text: CA AB1663 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 1663

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act: removal: trimming.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Engrossed) 2026-06-03 - Referred to Com. on N.R. & W. [AB1663 Detail]

Download: California-2025-AB1663-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly March 16, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1663

Introduced by Assembly Member Wallis

January 29, 2026

An act to ~~amend Section 1927 of~~ add Section 1928 to the Fish and Game Code, relating to conservation.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1663, as amended, Wallis. Western Joshua Tree Conservation ~~Act.~~ Act: single-family residence: exemption.

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 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.

This bill would exempt from the act a project or activity located within a parcel that contains, or will contain, a single-family residence that has been continuously owned by the same person, as specified, on or before July 10, 2023, and the parcel owner complies with applicable local ordinances regarding western Joshua trees as those local ordinances read on July 10, 2023.
~~This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to the provision naming the act.~~

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NOYES Local Program: NO

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

SECTION 1.

Section 1928 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

1928.
This chapter does not apply to a project or activity located within a parcel that contains, or will contain, a single-family residence that meets all of the following criteria:
(a) (1) The parcel has been continuously owned by the same person on or before July 10, 2023.
(2) For the purpose of this subdivision, “continuously owned by the same person” shall include all subsequent owners that obtained the property by gift or inheritance and no consideration was provided for transfer of ownership of the parcel.
(b) The parcel owner complies with applicable local ordinances regarding western Joshua trees as those local ordinances read on July 10, 2023.

SECTION 1.Section 1927 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:
1927.
~~This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act.~~