BILL NUMBER: SB 778	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Allen

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2015

   An act to amend Section 5096.520 of the Public Resources Code,
relating to conservation easements.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 778, as introduced, Allen. Conservation easements: central
public registry.
   Existing law requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources
Agency to establish a central public registry of all conservation
easements held or required by the state, or purchased with state
grant funds provided by an agency, department, or division of the
state on or after January 1, 2000, as prescribed. Existing law
requires the registry to be updated biennially.
   This bill would require the registry to be updated biennially, or
more frequently at the discretion of the secretary.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 5096.520 of the Public Resources Code is
amended to read:
   5096.520.  (a) The Secretary of the  Natural  Resources
Agency shall establish a central public registry of all conservation
easements held or required by the state, or purchased with state
grant funds provided by an agency, department, or division of the
state on or after January 1, 2000. In constructing the registry, the
 Natural  Resources Agency shall draw upon the Department of
General Services' property inventory, and other information held by
a state agency, department, division, or other sources.
   (b) For the purposes of this section, "conservation easement"
means any limitation in a recorded instrument that contains an
easement, restriction, covenant, condition, or offer to dedicate,
that has been executed by or on behalf of the owner of the land 
that is  subject to that limitation and is binding upon
successive owners of the land, and the purpose of which is to retain
land predominantly in its natural, scenic, historical, agricultural,
forested, or open-space condition. "Conservation easement" includes a
conservation easement as defined in Section 815.1 of the Civil Code,
an open-space easement as defined in Section 51075 of the Government
Code, and an agricultural conservation easement as defined in
Section 10211.
   (c) The registry shall only include the following information on
each conservation easement  that is  listed in the registry:

   (1) The assessor's parcel numbers for the property covered by the
easement.
   (2) The purpose of the easement.
   (3) The location of the easement, identified by county and nearest
city.
   (4) The identity of the easementholder.
   (5) The size of the easement in acres.
   (6) The date the easement transaction was recorded.
   (7) The amount of funding provided by the agency, department, or
division of the state holding or requiring the easement or providing
state grant funds for the easement.
   (d) An agency, department, or division of the state with
conservation easements that are held or required by the state or
purchased with state grant funds shall enter and keep current the
information specified in subdivision (c) for those easements in the
registry established pursuant to this section.
   (e)  On or before January 1, 2009, the   The
 Secretary of the  Natural  Resources Agency shall make
the registry available for use by the general public. Only the
information  pertaining   relating  to
paragraphs (2) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (c) regarding
conservation easements held or required by the state, or purchased
with state grant funds provided by an agency, department, or division
of the state on or after January 1, 2006, shall be provided by the
Secretary of the  Natural  Resources Agency on the Internet.
Personal identifying information shall not be posted on the
Internet. The registry shall be updated  biennially 
 biennially, or more frequently at the discretion of the
secretary  .