What SB 1250 does
An act to add Section 14526.4.1 to the Government Code, and to amend Sections 158.1, 158.5, and 164.6 of the Streets and Highways Code, relating to transportation.
Existing law vests the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) with full possession and control of the state highway system and requires Caltrans to improve and maintain the state highways. Existing law requires Caltrans, in consultation with the California Transportation Commission, to prepare a robust asset management plan to guide selection of projects for the state highway operation and protection program (SHOPP).
This bill would require the department, in connection with each revision of the asset management plan, to prepare and publish a supplemental list of wildlife connectivity improvements on the state highway system, as specified, and would require the department to submit the supplemental list to the commission for review and comments before the final list is published.
Existing law declares the intent of the Legislature that Caltrans review the full extent of the state highway system, as currently maintained, in consultation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and with opportunities for the public to provide data input for consideration, to develop a comprehensive approach to address wildlife connectivity needs throughout the state with the goal of implementing measures that protect, conserve, and improve the state’s unique wildlife, landscapes, and natural resources.
This bill would explicitly require Caltrans to undertake this duty, in consultation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and with opportunities for the public to provide data and input for consideration, as specified.
Existing law requires Caltrans, in consultation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and other appropriate agencies, to establish an inventory of connectivity needs on the state highway system where the implementation of wildlife passage features could reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions or enhance wildlife connectivity, and to update the inventory on a biennial basis, as specified.
This bill would instead require Caltrans, in consultation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and other appropriate agencies, to assess potential barriers to wildlife to establish an inventory of connectivity needs on the state highway system where the implementation of wildlife passage features could reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions or enhance wildlife connectivity. The bill would require the biennial update to the inventory to be based on an analysis of transportation assets within priority route segments identified by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The bill would require Caltrans to consult with the Department of Fish and Wildlife on the development of each update to the inventory, as prescribed.
Existing law requires Caltrans to prepare a State Highway System Management Plan (SHSMP), which includes a 10-year rehabilitation plan for the rehabilitation or reconstruction by the SHOPP of all state highways and bridges, and a 5-year maintenance plan that addresses the maintenance needs of the state highway system, as provided. Existing law requires the SHSMP to include specific quantifiable accomplishments, goals, objectives, costs, and performance measures consistent with the asset management plan described above. Existing law requires the SHSMP to be updated every 2 years.
This bill would require Caltrans to include wildlife connectivity as an objective in the SHSMP.
Summary from the Legislative Counsel's Digest of the enrolled text, August 28, 2026. Read the full text on leginfo.
How it got here
Senator Cortese introduced SB 1250 on February 19, 2026, with coauthors Senators Blakespear and Stern. The text was amended 4 times, 2 in the Assembly and 2 in the Senate, and heard in 8 committee hearings before its final floor votes.
- Senate Floor, May 19, 2026: 37 ayes, 0 noes.
- Assembly Floor, August 24, 2026: 59 ayes, 15 noes.
- Senate Floor, August 26, 2026: 34 ayes, 3 noes.
Committee votes along the way:
- Senate Transportation, April 7, 2026: Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources and Water], 9-0.
- Senate Natural Resources and Water, April 21, 2026: Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations], 5-0.
- Senate Appropriations, May 4, 2026: Placed on suspense file, 7-0.
- Senate Appropriations, May 14, 2026: Do pass as amended, 6-0.
- Assembly Transportation, June 22, 2026: Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Water, Parks, and Wildlife], 11-4.
- Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife, June 30, 2026: Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations], 9-1.
- Assembly Appropriations, August 13, 2026: Do pass as amended., 11-4.
Who supports and opposes SB 1250
The Senate Floor Analyses analysis dated August 24, 2026 lists 120 organizations in support and 0 in opposition. When Senate Transportation first listed positions on April 3, 2026, the count was 93 in support and 1 opposed. By the Senate Floor Analyses analysis of August 24, 2026 it was 120 to 0.
In support: The Nature Conservancy (sponsor); 350 Bay Area Action; 350 Sacramento; Active San Gabriel Valley; Alameda County Resource Conservation District; All Hands Ecology; Alta Peak Chapter, California Native Plant Society; American River Conservancy; and 112 more.
Read the Senate Floor Analyses analysis.
Our read
Analysis by Capitol Axis, drawn from the committee analyses and vote record for SB 1250.
Senate Transportation recorded 93 in support; Senate Floor Analyses recorded 120. Coalitions grow like that when the drafting starts resolving objections rather than absorbing them.
The sponsor is The Nature Conservancy. Sponsorship tells you whose problem the bill was written to solve.
What happens next
It reached the Governor's desk on August 31, 2026. Bills presented after the Legislature adjourned on August 31 must be signed or vetoed within thirty days.
The Governor can sign the bill, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Until the decision, sign and veto request letters are the remaining channel, and the Department of Finance's enrolled bill report carries weight on anything with a fiscal effect. If signed, most provisions take effect January 1, and implementation moves to the agencies named in the bill.
What it means for transportation organizations
Two decisions follow from a bill at this stage. The first is whether to weigh in with the Governor's office before the thirty-day window closes. The second is how to prepare for implementation if it becomes law: which agency writes the rules, when the comment period opens, and which obligations begin January 1.
The transportation group at Capitol Axis handles that for transportation clients.
Questions about SB 1250
What does SB 1250 do?
This bill would require the department, in connection with each revision of the asset management plan, to prepare and publish a supplemental list of wildlife connectivity improvements on the state highway system, as specified, and would require the department to submit the supplemental list to the commission for review and comments before the final list is published.
Has SB 1250 passed the California Legislature?
It reached the Governor's desk on August 31, 2026. Bills presented after the Legislature adjourned on August 31 must be signed or vetoed within thirty days.
Who supports and opposes SB 1250?
The Senate Floor Analyses analysis dated August 24, 2026 lists 120 organizations in support and 0 in opposition. Supporters include The Nature Conservancy (sponsor); 350 Bay Area Action; 350 Sacramento.
What happens next with SB 1250?
The Governor can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Until then, sign and veto request letters are the remaining channel, and the Department of Finance's enrolled bill report carries weight on anything with a fiscal effect.