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AB 274

Abandoned and derelict vessels: inventory.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Rhodesia Ransom

AB 274 would require the State Lands Commission to create a Delta vessel inventory with details on abandoned vessels and removal costs, funded by legislative appropriation.

From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
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Bill Summary · AB 274

AB 274 — Abandoned and Derelict Vessels: Inventory (Ransom)

Status: In committee — Held under submission (last action: 2025-05-23).
Introduced: January 21, 2025.
If enacted: Adds Public Resources Code §6112.

Purpose / Intent

AB 274 directs the State Lands Commission to create a comprehensive inventory of abandoned and derelict commercial and recreational vessels in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. The bill responds to navigation, environmental, and public‑health hazards posed by deteriorating vessels and aims to provide information needed to prioritize removal and remediation actions in the Delta — a uniquely sensitive and critical water supply and ecological region.

Key provisions

  • Adds Section 6112 to the Public Resources Code.
  • Definitions:
    • “Commercial vessel” — vessels designed/used for commercial work (e.g., ferries, tugs, barges, dredges, workboats, fishing trawlers, military craft). Includes “marine debris” per Harbors & Navigation Code §550.
    • “Commercially navigable waters” — surface water used or historically capable of commercial navigation, including adjacent tributaries.
    • “Recreational vessel” — as defined in Harbors & Navigation Code §651 (explicitly includes some passenger vessels).
  • Inventory requirement:
    • Deadline: on or before January 1, 2027.
    • Responsible agency: State Lands Commission.
    • Contingency: Requirement applies only upon appropriation by the Legislature (i.e., funding must be provided).
    • Data collection methods allowed: aerial surveys, existing federal/state/local datasets, or other available data.
  • Inventory contents (must include, broken down by county, vessel type, and size):
    • Number of abandoned/derelict commercial and recreational vessels in the Delta.
    • Estimated size and weight of each vessel.
    • Estimates of amounts of, and possible hazardous contents within, each vessel (e.g., fuels, oils, asbestos, PCBs, lead paint, batteries).
    • Whether a vessel is located near a commercial or community water source.
    • Estimated cost to remove each vessel.

Who is affected

  • State Lands Commission (tasked with preparing the inventory).
  • State, regional, and local agencies involved in Delta navigation, water supply, environmental protection, and vessel removal.
  • Communities relying on Delta water infrastructure and fisheries, and stakeholders in Delta habitat and recreation.
  • Potentially owners of identified vessels (for subsequent removal/cleanup actions, not directly addressed by this bill).

Legislative findings / special statute

The bill makes findings about the Delta’s unique geography (700+ miles of sloughs/waterways), its importance to water supply (cites 29 million Californians and $50 billion agricultural sector), and declares a special statute is necessary under Article IV, Section 16 of the California Constitution.

Procedural timeline / status

  • Introduced: 1/21/2025; read first time and printed.
  • Multiple committee referrals and amendments in March–April 2025; referred to Appropriations (suspense).
  • In committee: Held under submission as of 5/23/2025.
  • Effective action contingent on a legislative appropriation to fund the inventory.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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