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CaliforniaSB 8392025-2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

Small craft harbors and connecting waterways: harbors of safe refuge: definition.

Sponsored By: John Laird (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Stronger rights to recover oil spill damages

The law makes responsible parties strictly and jointly liable for spill harms. Injured people can sue directly or ask the state to sue, and courts can add other responsible parties. You can recover cleanup costs, property loss, harm to natural resources, subsistence loss, lost taxes or rents, loss of public use, and lost profits only if at least 25% of your earnings come from the affected work (or season). Courts consider scientific testing, parties must share samples, and winning plaintiffs can get attorney and expert fees. Defenses are narrow (war, extreme natural disasters, injured person’s negligence, third‑party crime, natural seepage, or permitted discharges) and are lost if the party violated listed spill laws; you cannot be paid twice for the same loss. Personal injury and wrongful death claims stay under other laws, and payments do not reduce public royalties or rents; vessel coverage follows the Harbors and Navigation Code definition.

Grants and rules to boost spill readiness

The administrator can fund local governments and tribes to buy spill‑response gear and to complete or update area spill plans. The administrator sets adequacy rules, reviews plans, and returns weak plans; fixes are due within 90 days. Plans must align with local coastal, state, and federal contingency plans and must train local fire and police in spill response. The administrator reviews community readiness and asks the Legislature for money when more help is needed.

Faster seafood safety steps after spills

After an oil spill, the director can close waters and must warn the public. Health experts must be consulted within 24 hours when spills meet these triggers: 1 barrel in inland or estuary waters, 1 barrel on coastal shorelines, or 5 barrels in open ocean. OEHHA checks danger within 48 hours; seafood in vessel recirculating tanks is assessed; fast testing starts within 7 days unless OEHHA finds no big risk. Areas reopen as soon as they are safe, but stay closed where contamination lasts; taking fish or shellfish from closed waters is illegal. The director consults fishing groups and affected tribes and seeks response and testing costs from the responsible party.

New fund for environmental enhancement projects

The law creates the Environmental Enhancement Fund, which receives oil‑spill penalty money. A competitive grant program funds environmental enhancement projects, not cleanup or required restoration. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, cities, counties, districts, state agencies, federally recognized tribes, and some federal agencies. Grant money must match the approved project, extra funds are returned, state grantees should use the California Conservation Corps when feasible, and committee members with conflicts must recuse. Habitat purchases follow existing state acquisition rules.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • John Laird

    Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 204 • No: 0

House vote • 9/13/2025

Item 70 — Assembly AFLOOR

Yes: 79 • No: 0

Senate vote • 9/13/2025

Item 166 — Senate SFLOOR

Yes: 32 • No: 0

legislature vote • 8/29/2025

Vote in CX25

Yes: 11 • No: 0

legislature vote • 7/1/2025

Vote in CX13

Yes: 11 • No: 0

legislature vote • 6/23/2025

Vote in CX16

Yes: 14 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/28/2025

Item 212 — Senate SFLOOR

Yes: 32 • No: 0

legislature vote • 5/23/2025

Vote in CS61

Yes: 5 • No: 0

legislature vote • 5/12/2025

Vote in CS61

Yes: 7 • No: 0

legislature vote • 4/30/2025

Vote in CS64

Yes: 8 • No: 0

legislature vote • 4/8/2025

Vote in CS55

Yes: 5 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 237, Statutes of 2025.

    10/1/2025Senate

  2. Approved by the Governor.

    10/1/2025legislature

  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

    9/23/2025legislature

  4. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 32. Noes 0. Page 3059.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

    9/13/2025Senate

  5. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

    9/13/2025Senate

  6. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3446.) Ordered to the Senate.

    9/13/2025House

  7. Joint Rule 61(a)(14) and 51(a)(4) suspended. (Ayes 59. Noes 20. Page 3413.)

    9/13/2025House

  8. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    9/3/2025House

  9. Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    9/2/2025House

  10. From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 29).

    8/29/2025House

  11. August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.

    8/20/2025House

  12. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    7/2/2025House

  13. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    6/24/2025House

  14. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

    6/16/2025House

  15. Referred to Coms. on NAT. RES. and JUD.

    6/5/2025House

  16. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    5/28/2025House

  17. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 32. Noes 0. Page 1280.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    5/28/2025Senate

  18. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    5/23/2025Senate

  19. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 1214.) (May 23).

    5/23/2025Senate

  20. Set for hearing May 23.

    5/16/2025Senate

  21. May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

    5/12/2025Senate

  22. Set for hearing May 12.

    5/2/2025Senate

  23. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 964.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    5/1/2025Senate

  24. Set for hearing April 30.

    4/11/2025Senate

  25. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E.Q. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 708.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.

    4/8/2025Senate

Bill Text

  • Chaptered

    10/1/2025

    HTML

  • Enrolled

    9/18/2025

    HTML

  • Amended Assembly

    9/2/2025

    HTML

  • Amended Assembly

    6/16/2025

    HTML

  • Amended Senate

    3/24/2025

    HTML

  • Introduced

    2/21/2025

    HTML

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