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Committee advances 'Parks for All' bill to secure library distribution of state park day passes
Summary
AB 616 would authorize the State Parks system to transfer annual day-use passes to the State Library at no charge, preserving a program that distributes passes through public libraries and mobile library locations; committee voted to refer the bill to Appropriations.
Assemblymember Colosa introduced AB 616, branded in testimony as “Parks for All,” which would authorize California State Parks to transfer annual day-use passes to the State Library free of charge and create a statutory mechanism intended to stabilize the library parks pass program.
Colosa said the bill would provide a safety net for a program that currently distributes physical passes through libraries and mobile library locations; testimony from the author said the proposal would provide 33,000 physical passes with at least three passes for every library location and would help maintain the program in years when general fund support is limited.
Abigail Smet of the California State Parks Foundation urged the committee to support the bill and described the program’s success since its establishment in the 2021 state budget. “This provides free access for anyone who has access to a local library,” Smet told the committee, calling the library distribution model “the lowest common barrier that folks can overcome to be accessing these parks.”
Committee members praised the bill’s approach to increasing outdoor access, with one member noting the program helps homeschooled families and other groups that use local library services. After brief remarks, members voted to pass AB 616 to the Appropriations Committee; the chair said the committee would leave the record open for add‑ons and coauthors.
Supporters said the measure is not a mandate on libraries but a means to keep the program funded and stable. The bill now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for consideration of fiscal impacts.
