CAMTB Legislative Update – October 2021
The California Mountain Biking Coalition (CAMTB) works on several fronts to make bike-friendly trails and access better in our state, including state-level legislation. In 2021, CAMTB supported and advocated for several bills that would improve funding for trails, improve diversity and equity on public lands, and make bicycling safer for all trail users. While not all made the cut, a number of key pieces of legislation were adopted. See below for the latest updates.
SB155 – Public Resources Trailer Bill and SB170 – Budget Act of 2021
CAMTB Position: Support
Status: Passed on September 23 2021
These bills provide funding this year and next for a wide variety of climate resilience projects, including multi-benefit projects for public access. This funding goes through multiple avenues, such as the State Resources Agencies, CalFire, and multiple State Conservancies, which are regional organizations which in turn fund local projects throughout the state. These were passed and signed by the governor.
AB 155/SB 45 – Wildfire Prevention, Safe Drinking Water, Drought Preparation, and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2022
CAMTB Position: Support
Status: Pending Rules Committee
These are bond proposals to support lands throughout California in many ways. They did not proceed this legislative season, but many of the proposed projects were funded directly with the state budget surplus via SB155 and SB170.
AB122 – Vehicles: Required Stops: Bicycles
CAMTB Position: Support
Status: Passed, but vetoed by the Governor
AB 122, aka the Safety Stop Bill, would have allowed bicyclists to treat stop signs as yields and permit rolling stops. Similar laws are in currently in place in 10 states across the US. The bill passed both the Assembly and Senate, But the governor said he feared that the legislation intended to increase bicyclist safety would have โthe opposite effect.โ
SB 624 – Environmental Equity and Outdoor Access Act
CAMTB Position: Support
Status: Hearing postponed by Assembly Appropriations Committee
Adds a new division to the Public Resource Code that explicitly establishes promoting environmental equity and outdoor access as a goal for all state agencies and departments that manage natural resources -currently there area a lack of job training and career pathway opportunities for employment at the Natural Resource Agency, and each department , board, conservancy, and commission within the agency, that allow for upward mobility within the agency. We believe in equitable hiring processes, workforce development, and visitation for user groups at all levels under our government – supporting this bill will uphold California to ensure all Californians can benefit from and have meaningful access to the state’s rich cultural and natural resources. This bill did not proceed.
AB 30 – Outdoor Access to Nature: Environmental Equity
CAMTB Position: Support
Status: Hearing postponed by Assembly Appropriations Committee
Would declare that it is the established policy of the state that access to nature and access to the benefits of nature is a human right and that every human has the right to safe and affordable outdoor access. This bill did not proceed in 2021.
This is just a start as CAMTB ramps up our efforts in the legislature, along with our work with other state, regional, and federal agencies and legislators.
