20250SB__117897AMD INTRODUCED 2026-02-18 AMENDED_SENATE 2026-04-07 AMENDED_SENATE 2026-04-15 2025 SB AMD Introduced by Senator Reyes LEAD_AUTHOR SENATE Reyes

An act to add and repeal

Section 425.17 of the Government Code, relating to state government. state government California State Library: study: state wasp. Existing law establishes the state flag and the state’s emblems, including, among other things, the golden poppy as the official state flower, the California redwood as the official state tree, and the California Grizzly Bear as the official state animal. 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 yellow jacket (Vespula sulphurea) as the official state wasp.</xhtml:p>"?> 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 wasp.

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. MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION

Section 425.17 is added to the Government Code , to read: 425.17. (

a) The California State Library shall conduct a study, in consultation with the public, on the best candidate for the official state wasp. (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section shall be repealed on January 1, 2032, pursuant to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. <caml:Num>SECTION 1.</caml:Num><caml:Content><xhtml:p>The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The California yellow jacket, or Vespula sulphurea, is native to California’s Upper Sonora region.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The California yellow jacket is not a common species.

Known for its unique greenish-yellow “racing stripes,” it can be identified by the longitudinal bands across its thorax.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Like most yellow jacket species, their nests are built in underground nests and follow the typical hive system with a queen, drone, and workers that protect the colony.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(d)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Their diet consists of sugars from nectar, fruits, and plant sap, as well as proteins from other insects such as spiders, flies, and caterpillars.

Yellow jackets also benefit gardeners and farmers by acting as natural pest control. These effective predators only eat live prey like beetles, caterpillars, and invasive fruit flies that damage crops.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(e)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Colton High School in the County of San Bernardino, which opened in 1895, has had the yellow jacket as the school mascot since the 1950s named Yogi.

Several other schools across the state such as Berkeley High School and Franklin High School in Stockton also have the yellow jacket as the school mascot.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:BillSection><caml:BillSection id="id_A2299BD9-5481-4B3D-829D-E999D15BACCD"><caml:Num>SEC. 2.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_ADDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:GOV:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2F%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'425.17'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section 425.17 is added to the <caml:DocName>Government Code</caml:DocName>, to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_0DA7D839-2DF8-40B4-B1EF-E50E089B7892"><caml:Num>425.17.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_C47FB2B6-BF8E-4D30-A4FC-5DC23109108E"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>The California yellow jacket (Vespula sulphurea) is the official state wasp.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection>"?>