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California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California SB 542

Tribal gaming: compact ratification.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Passed House
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

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Summary

Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary

Existing federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, provides for the negotiation and execution of tribal-state gaming compacts for the purpose of authorizing certain types of gaming on Indian lands within a state. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to negotiate and conclude those compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature. Existing law expressly ratifies a number of tribal-state gaming compacts, and amendments to tribal-state gaming compacts, between the State of California and specified Indian tribes. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project, as defined, that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, as defined, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. This bill would ratify the 2nd amendment to the tribal-state gaming compact entered into between the State of California and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians executed on August 4, 2026. The bill would provide that, in deference to tribal sovereignty, certain actions related to this amended compact are not projects for the purposes of CEQA. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 8:06 AM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Aug 25, 2026
Senate		Unfinished Business SB542 Limón Urgency Clause ConcurrencepassSet your home in California to see
Aug 24, 2026
House		SB 542 Limón Third Reading Urgency By HartpassSet your home in California to see
Aug 29, 2025
House		Do pass as amended.passSet your home in California to see
Jul 14, 2025
House		Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
Jul 7, 2025
House		Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Emergency Management]passSet your home in California to see
Jun 3, 2025
Senate		3rd ReadingpassSet your home in California to see
May 23, 2025
Senate		Do pass as amendedpassSet your home in California to see
May 12, 2025
Senate		Placed on suspense filepassSet your home in California to see
Apr 22, 2025
Senate		Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see

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