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	<ns0:Description>
		<ns0:Id>20250AB__055097AMD</ns0:Id>
		<ns0:VersionNum>97</ns0:VersionNum>
		<ns0:History>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-02-11</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-04-07</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-05-06</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
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		<ns0:LegislativeInfo>
			<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
			<ns0:SessionNum>0</ns0:SessionNum>
			<ns0:MeasureType>AB</ns0:MeasureType>
			<ns0:MeasureNum>550</ns0:MeasureNum>
			<ns0:MeasureState>AMD</ns0:MeasureState>
		</ns0:LegislativeInfo>
		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Petrie-Norris</ns0:AuthorText>
		<ns0:Authors>
			<ns0:Legislator>
				<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
				<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
				<ns0:Name>Petrie-Norris</ns0:Name>
			</ns0:Legislator>
		</ns0:Authors>
		<ns0:Title> An act to add Section 2081.3 to the Fish and Game Code, relating to fish and wildlife.</ns0:Title>
		<ns0:RelatingClause>fish and wildlife</ns0:RelatingClause>
		<ns0:GeneralSubject>
			<ns0:Subject>The California Endangered Species Act: take of species: renewable electrical generation facilities.</ns0:Subject>
		</ns0:GeneralSubject>
		<ns0:DigestText>
			<html:p>The California Endangered Species Act prohibits the taking of an endangered, threatened, or candidate species, except as specified. Under the act, the Department of Fish and Wildlife may authorize the take of listed species by certain entities through permits or memorandums of understanding for specified purposes. The act allows take by permit if, among other things, the impact of the authorized take is fully minimized and mitigated.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would provide that if an at-risk species, as defined, becomes listed as an endangered, threatened, or candidate species, further authorization or approval shall not be required for a take of that species, if specified conditions are met, including that the potential listing of the at-risk species was anticipated in a permit previously issued by the department for incidental take caused by a renewable electrical generation facility. The bill would authorize the department, in partnership with a permit applicant for an incidental
			 take caused by a renewable electrical generation facility, to develop a research project that evaluates specified factors. The bill would authorize a research project reviewed and approved by the department to contribute to a renewable electrical generation project’s mitigation, as provided. The bill would require the department to report to the Legislature specified information, including among other things, a report on each at-risk species authorized for take, as provided.</html:p>
		</ns0:DigestText>
		<ns0:DigestKey>
			<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
			<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
			<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
			<ns0:LocalProgram>NO</ns0:LocalProgram>
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			<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
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				<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
				<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
				<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
				<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
				<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
				<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
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	</ns0:Description>
	<ns0:Bill id="bill">
		<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
		<ns0:BillSection id="id_A2D4C62D-3BC1-4728-8CA6-90DD5FC5E5D9">
			<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
			<ns0:Content>
				<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(a)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					California has created ambitious climate and energy goals to achieve a net zero carbon economy by 2045. The California Air Resources Board “2022 Scoping Plan for Achieving Carbon Neutrality” calls for the state to cut air pollution by 71 percent and to reduce fossil fuel consumption by 86 percent.
				</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(b)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					The 100 Percent Clean Energy Act of 2018 (Chapter 312 of the Statutes of 2018) updated the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11) of Chapter 2.3 of Part 1 of Division
				1 of the Public Utilities Code) to ensure that by 2030 at least 60 percent of California’s electricity is renewable and for the state to provide 100 percent of its retail sales from zero-emission sources by 2045.
				</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(c)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					It is the policy of the state to conserve, protect, restore, and enhance any endangered species or any threatened species and its habitat. The conservation, protection, and enhancement of these species and their habitats is of statewide concern.
				</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(d)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					Certain species of fish, wildlife, and plants have been rendered endangered or threatened as a consequence of human activity, including climate change. All state agencies, boards, and commissions should seek to conserve endangered and threatened species. 
				</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(e)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					Clean energy projects can help mitigate climate change, and advancing clean energy development in the state can in this way help protect endangered or threatened species. 
				</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(f)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					The state’s ambitious climate and energy goals will require a massive buildout of new clean energy projects. The state must nearly double its clean energy capacity over the next five years alone to stay on track with its goals.
				</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(g)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					These goals may be achieved through a collaborative stewardship approach to protecting endangered or threatened species while catalyzing the development of clean
				energy.
				</html:p>
			</ns0:Content>
		</ns0:BillSection>
		<ns0:BillSection id="id_6E513F03-97BE-4567-BB9C-CC7605E285D6">
			<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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				Section 2081.3 is added to the 
				<ns0:DocName>Fish and Game Code</ns0:DocName>
				, to read:
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				<ns0:LawSection id="id_B5AC694B-DB2A-4545-A290-35878AD990CC">
					<ns0:Num>2081.3.</ns0:Num>
					<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_CC7ED8B0-43F9-49DD-B5F3-411CC49F12AA">
						<ns0:Content>
							<html:p>
								(a)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								If an at-risk species becomes listed as an endangered, threatened, or candidate species pursuant to this chapter, then further authorization or approval shall not be required for a take of that at-risk species, if both of the following conditions are met:
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(1)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								The potential listing of the at-risk species was anticipated in a permit previously issued by the department pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 2081 for incidental take caused by a renewable electrical generation facility, as defined in Section 25741 of the Public Resources Code.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(2)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								The take is in compliance with both the terms of Section 2081 and the terms of the permit described in paragraph (1).
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(b)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								(1)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								The department may, in partnership with an applicant of a permit
						described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), develop a research project that evaluates all of the following:
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(A)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								The impact of the renewable electrical generation facility’s siting, design, and construction on the at-risk species and its habitat.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(B)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								The take of an at-risk species.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(C)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								Any other elements the department seeks to include.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(2)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								Research projects that are reviewed and approved by the department may contribute towards a renewable electrical generation project’s mitigation, pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 2081, to the degree the department deems fit.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(c)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								(1)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								On or before January 1, 2030, the department shall report to the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, and directly transmit a copy of the report to the relevant policy and fiscal committees, regarding all of the following:
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(A)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								The projects that included an at-risk species in a take authorization pursuant to Section 2081 and each at risk-species authorized for take.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(B)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								The effectiveness of this section for both species protection and project security.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(C)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								The staff time and resources required to accomplish this section.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(2)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								This subdivision shall become inoperative on January 1, 2034, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(d)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								For purposes of this section, “at-risk species” includes species proposed for listing as an endangered or threatened species pursuant to this chapter, or species that the department determines may, in the near future, be candidate species or proposed for listing as an endangered or threatened species pursuant to this chapter. An at-risk species is not an endangered, threatened, or candidate species.
							</html:p>
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