An act to amend Section 376 of the Streets and Highways Code, relating to state highways.
Summary
AB 1051 amends Section 376 of the Streets and Highways Code to give a ceremonial name, the "Paymkawish Highway," to two specified segments of Route 76 in San Diego County. The named portions run between Sengme Oaks Road and Rincon Rancho Road, and between Pauma Reservation Road and Pankey Road. The bill also requires Caltrans to calculate the cost of the appropriate highway signs and, if sufficient donations from nonstate sources are provided, to erect those signs.
The bill includes legislative findings explaining that the designation recognizes the long-standing historical and cultural significance of the Route 76 corridor to the Luiseño people, including its use as a seasonal migration path and its connection to the San Luis Rey Valley and the historic village of Topomai. The measure is a route designation bill rather than a transportation funding or construction bill, and it does not alter the physical highway alignment or general operation of Route 76.
Impact
AB 1051 makes a targeted amendment to the state highway code by adding a special designation for portions of Route 76 in San Diego County. It affects the Streets and Highways Code, Section 376, and directs the Department of Transportation to handle signage for the new designation, but only after nonstate donations cover the sign costs. The bill has no appropriation and does not create a state-funded program or change the underlying route description of Route 76.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed committee and floor votes unanimously at each recorded stage, including in both houses and on concurrence, and it was ultimately chaptered as Chapter 86, Statutes of 2025. The unanimous votes suggest strong bipartisan or at least cross-party agreement with the cultural recognition reflected in the measure.
Contention
No major opposition is reflected in the available record. Because the bill is a commemorative highway naming measure tied to recognition of Luiseño history, any potential concerns would likely have centered on the use of state highway signage and the requirement that signs be funded by donations rather than state funds. However, the vote history shows no recorded dissent, indicating that such issues were not significant points of contention in the legislative process.