California Senate Bill SB360

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 6/5/25
• Introduced: 2/13/25
• Refer: 2/26/25
• Report Pass: 3/25/25
• Refer: 3/25/25
• Report Pass: 5/23/25
• Engrossed: 5/28/25
• Refer: 6/5/25

Caption

An act to amend Section 1 of Chapter 321 of the Statutes of 2010, relating to land conservation.

Summary

SB 360 amends a 2010 statute governing the County of San Bernardino’s use of land in the Chino Agricultural Preserve that was acquired with grant funds under the California Wildlife, Coastal, and Park Land Conservation Act. The bill expands the list of allowable long-term preservation purposes to include park and recreational uses, and it expressly identifies examples such as playgrounds, recreational venues, sporting venues, amphitheaters, and preservation of historical resources, alongside existing agricultural, open-space, community garden, wildlife, and education purposes. The bill also revises how the county may handle revenues and income associated with these lands. It would allow proceeds from land sales or exchanges, as well as other income generated from preserve properties, to be used for acquiring replacement land and for improving, operating, and maintaining qualifying lands and public-purpose facilities in the preserve. It removes an earlier, more specific procedure for spending unexpended sale proceeds, while keeping Department of Parks and Recreation approval for proposed uses and continuing to require compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act.

Impact

SB 360 would amend Chapter 321 of the Statutes of 2010 and, by its own terms, operate as an amendment to the California Wildlife, Coastal, and Park Land Conservation Act. In practical terms, it broadens the permitted conservation and public-use purposes for certain San Bernardino County lands and changes the financial rules for revenues generated from those lands, while preserving the requirement that the county maintain protections in perpetuity and obtain state approval for key actions. The bill affects the County of San Bernardino, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the management of lands and easements in the Chino Agricultural Preserve.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad support and little visible opposition. The bill advanced unanimously or near-unanimously through committee votes, including a 6-0 do pass recommendation, a 7-0 suspense-file action, and a 5-0 do pass as amended vote, and it later passed Senate third reading 37-0. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, so the record reflects procedural consensus more than detailed debate.

Contention

The main policy tension appears to be between preserving land for traditional conservation and agricultural purposes versus allowing a broader mix of park and recreational uses. The bill explicitly adds facilities such as playgrounds, sporting venues, amphitheaters, and historical-resource preservation, which could raise concerns about whether such uses remain fully aligned with the original conservation intent of the 1988 bond act. A second point of potential concern is fiscal control: the bill expands the county’s ability to use sale proceeds and other income, but it also removes a prior, more detailed procedure for unexpended proceeds, which may prompt questions about oversight even though state department approval remains required.