Committee keeps statewide migratory bird protections permanent by advancing AB 454

Assemblymember (identified in the transcript as) Carlra presented AB 454 to remove the statutory sunset on the California Migratory Bird Protection Act, which mirrors earlier federal interpretations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) that included incidental take protections.

Supporters testified that the MBTA historically covered incidental take and that a federal legal opinion and subsequent administrative action had created uncertainty about incidental take protections at the federal level. Michael Chen of Audubon California testified that North American bird populations have declined dramatically since 1970 and that consistent state protections are needed regardless of federal shifts.

Other conservation groups testified in support, including Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club California, and land trusts. Supporters said the 2019 state law helped ensure continuity when the federal interpretation shifted and that removing the sunset would keep California’s protections stable under changing federal policies.

No opposition witnesses were recorded at the hearing. The committee voted to pass AB 454 as amended to Appropriations. Proponents told the committee the statute has not produced increased enforcement costs since passage and that keeping the state law permanent would preserve predictability for regulated industries and bird conservation alike.