SB1232 - Mountain lions.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 1232 Introduced by Senator Alvarado-Gil February 19, 2026 An act to amend Section 4807 of the Fish and Game Code, relating to mountain lions. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1232, as introduced, Alvarado-Gil. Mountain lions. Proposition 117, an initiative measure approved by the voters at the June 5, 1990, statewide primary election, enacted the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990. The act classifies the mountain lion as a specially protected mammal under the laws of this state, and makes it unlawful to take, injure, possess, transport, import, or sell any mountain lion or any part or product thereof. The act authorizes the take of mountain lions under limited circumstances, including by authorizing any mountain lion that is encountered while in the act of pursuing, inflicting injury to, or killing livestock, or domestic animals, to be taken immediately by the owner of the property or the owner’s employee or agent. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that take authorization. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 4807 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read: 4807. (a) Any mountain lion that is encountered while in the act of pursuing, inflicting injury to, or killing livestock, or domestic animals, may be taken immediately by the owner of the property or the owner’s employee or agent. The taking shall be reported within 72 hours to the department. The department shall investigate the depredation, and, if the mountain lion was captured, injured, or killed, the mountain lion or the entire carcass of the mountain lion which that has been recovered shall be turned over to the department. Upon satisfactorily completing the investigation and receiving the mountain lion or the carcass, if recovered, the department shall issue a permit confirming that the requirements of this section have been met with respect to the particular mountain lion taken under these circumstances. (b) The department shall undertake a complete necropsy on any returned mountain lion carcass and report the findings to the commission. The commission shall compile the reported findings and prepare an annual written report that shall be submitted to the Legislature not later than the January 15 next following the year in which the mountain lion was taken.