SB896 - State Capitol: 250th Anniversary of the United States.

Amended IN Senate February 24, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 896 Introduced by Senator Seyarto January 16, 2026 An act to add Section 14638.2 to the Government Code, relating to the State Capitol. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 896, as amended, Seyarto. State Capitol: California’s 250th Anniversary. 250th Anniversary of the United States. Existing law provides for various memorials and monuments on the grounds of the State Capitol. Existing law requires the Department of General Services to maintain state buildings and grounds. This bill would authorize a nonprofit organization representing Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution, in consultation with the Department of General Services, to plan, construct, and maintain a monument to California’s the 250th Anniversary of the United States on the grounds of the State Capitol. The bill would require the nonprofit organization to submit a plan for the monument to the Joint Rules Committee for its review and approval. The bill would require the monument to be funded exclusively from private sources. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 14638.2 is added to the Government Code, to read: 14638.2. (a) A recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization representing Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution, in consultation with the Department of General Services, may plan, construct, and maintain a monument to California’s the 250th Anniversary of the United States on the grounds of the State Capitol in accordance with this section. (b) The Department of General Services, in consultation with the nonprofit organization representing Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution, shall do all of the following: (1) Review the preliminary design plans to identify potential maintenance concerns. (2) Ensure compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.) and address safety concerns. (3) Review and approve any documents prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code) for the work on the grounds of the State Capitol. (4) Review final construction documents to ensure that the documents comply with all applicable laws. (5) Prepare the right-of-entry permit outlining the final area of work, final construction documents, construction plans, the contractor hired to perform the work, insurance, bonding, provisions for damage to state property, and inspection requirements. (6) Prepare a maintenance agreement outlining the responsibility of the nonprofit organization representing Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution for the long-term maintenance of the monument due to aging, vandalism, or relocation. (7) Inspect all construction performed pursuant to this section by the contractor selected by the nonprofit organization representing Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution. (c) If a nonprofit organization representing Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution undertakes responsibility for a monument pursuant to this section, it shall submit a plan for the monument to the Joint Rules Committee for its review and approval. The organization shall not begin construction of the monument until both of the following have occurred: (1) The Joint Rules Committee has approved and adopted the plan for the monument. (2) The Joint Rules Committee and the Department of Finance have determined that sufficient private funding is available to construct and maintain the monument. (d) The planning, construction, and maintenance of the monument shall be funded exclusively through private funding.