20250SB__128698AMD INTRODUCED 2026-02-20 AMENDED_SENATE 2026-04-15 2025 SB AMD Introduced by Senator Richardson (Coauthors: Senators Allen, Blakespear, McGuire, Strickland, Weber Pierson, and Wiener) LEAD_AUTHOR SENATE Richardson COAUTHOR SENATE Allen COAUTHOR SENATE Blakespear COAUTHOR SENATE McGuire COAUTHOR SENATE Strickland COAUTHOR SENATE Weber Pierson COAUTHOR SENATE Wiener

An act to add and repeal

Section 425.4 of the Government Code, relating to state government. state government 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.</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 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. MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION

Section 425.4 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section shall be repealed on January 1, 2032, pursuant to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. <caml:Num>SECTION 1.</caml:Num><caml:Content><xhtml:p>The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>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.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>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.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>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.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(d)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>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).</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(e)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>It is the intent of the Legislature that this recognition helps provide additional protections as California sea lions face a rapidly changing environment.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:BillSection><caml:BillSection id="id_1F97B91B-0628-4C0D-84A2-4C7F1E9010E6"><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'425.4'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section 425.4 is added to the <caml:DocName>Government Code</caml:DocName>, to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_ECA4F315-4E0E-438F-A8AC-973D4D431A41"><caml:Num>425.4.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_00F26B96-047C-4B3F-9E2F-3F00371DEADB"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) is the official state pinniped.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection>"?>