Senate committee fast-tracks SB 777 to speed study of abandoned cemeteries

The California State Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development on Thursday voted 8-0 to concur in Assembly amendments to SB 777, a study bill by Senator Richardson that accelerates a stakeholder work group on abandoned cemeteries and aims to deliver a report earlier than previously scheduled.

Senator Richardson, the bill’s author, told the committee she began researching abandoned cemeteries after learning there are six such sites in California and two in her district. "When I say abandoned, I mean, it's not a resting place. There are weeds up to your hip," Richardson said, showing photos of vandalized graves and opened crypts.

The bill does not yet create a fixed funding source; Richardson said the committee will accelerate the existing AB 3254 work group and expects the report in March so legislation can follow in June. She also described a potential future grant program to supplement cemetery endowment funds that Richardson said are often insufficient after many decades.

Why it matters: Committee members said abandoned cemeteries pose emotional harm to families and present public-safety and preservation issues. Several senators noted veterans are buried in some affected sites and that vandalism and theft have intensified. Richardson cited a proposal estimating roughly $6,000,000 to rehabilitate the Lincoln cemetery and said one cemetery’s endowment principal was about $1,000,000, producing roughly $3,000 a month in interest — an amount she said is inadequate for major repairs.

Discussion and amendments: Several members described how SB 777 evolved during the committee process. Senator Aragon acknowledged the bill has been substantially changed since it first appeared in local government, including removal of a prior provision that would have required LAFCO (Local Agency Formation Commission) to assume maintenance. "It's unfortunate in the course of the process that that piece . . . you had to take amendments to remove that piece," Aragon said, while praising Richardson’s work to forge a path forward.

Senator Nilo expressed concern about late changes and "gut-and-amend" practices. "We have no testimony from anybody that is either in favor or opposed to the specific approach that you've recommended," Nilo said, adding he was uneasy about making substantive last-minute changes without fuller vetting.

Senator Richardson and others responded that AB 3254 (2024) already established a work group to study abandoned cemeteries with a report originally due Jan. 1, 2027, and SB 777 simply seeks to expedite that process because damage is ongoing. Richardson told the committee the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Cemetery and Funeral Bureau currently holds endowment funds and performs annual audits but that gaps exist in maps and plot records that complicate restoration and identification.

Committee action and vote: Senator Archuleta moved to concur in the Assembly amendments; the motion carried on a roll call vote with recorded ayes from Ashby, Choi, Archuleta, Adegein, Grayson, Nilo, Strickland and Umberg and a final tally the chair announced as 8-0 in favor. The committee left the roll call open briefly and then closed it when the concurrence carried.

What the bill will do next: SB 777 as considered in committee is a study measure that directs stakeholders to accelerate the existing work group’s timeline and produce earlier recommendations on responsibility, funding options and regulatory fixes. Richardson said she intends to return with more detailed legislation next year, including possible proposals for a grant program that would be available to existing cemeteries with major needs.

Votes at a glance: The committee’s motion was "that the Assembly amendments be concurred in." Outcome: approved, 8-0.

The committee discussion made clear the measure does not yet set permanent funding or assign maintenance responsibility to a specific entity; those questions will be part of the accelerated work group’s report and future legislation.