California steps up again as an enlightened state as it relates to wildlife management as it passes a law stating that Pumas who enter human settlements but do not cause any threats to human safety will not be killed------instead removed from the human settlement and returned to more wild surroundings

California Mountain Lion Public Safety Bill

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The killing of two mountain lion kittens in Half Moon Bay, California, sparked legislation to change how the California Department of Fish & Wildlife handles mountain lion public safety situations. On September 6th, the landmark bill was signed into law. Read through this page to learn more about SB 132 and relive our journey to pass the first nonlethal mountain lion public safety bill

September 6, 2013 UPDATE: Senate Bill 132 Signed into Law!

WE DID IT! Today, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 132, officially making the bill California state law. The Mountain Lion Foundation (MLF) thanks the Governor, Senator Hill, and the entire California Legislature for voting to pass this landmark legislation that will help protect mountain lions that come into contact with people but pose no imminent threat to public safety.

Thank you to all our members and supporters who helped pass this bill!

August 26, 2013 UPDATE: Senate Bill 132 Passes the Legislature!

August 19, 2013 UPDATE: Passed Full Assembly!

Congratulations Everyone!!!! At 2:13 pm today, California Senate Bill 132 passed out of the Assembly on a 75 to 0 vote after presentation by Assemblymember Roger Dickinson. Thus, the bill has received not a single nay vote throughout its voting history. Thanks to all of you who have supported the bill with your donations, calls and letters, and thanks to Senator Jerry Hill and his remarkable staff for getting us this far. SB 132 is now expected to appear once more before the Senate for concurrence of a technical amendment on Monday, August 26. Then on to Governor for signing. We'll need your help again in urging the Governor to sign, so keep an eye out here for the latest call to action!

August 14, 2013 UPDATE: Passed Assembly Appropriations

Senate Bill 132 passed California's Assembly Appropriations Committee today. The bill is expected to be presented on the Assembly floor for a vote this upcoming Monday, August 19th.

July 2, 2013 UPDATE: Passed First Assembly Committee

Senate Bill 132 passed the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee this morning. For the latest review and summary of the bill, read the Assembly's SB 132 Brief.

The bill is now being reviewed by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. We are preparing for the Assembly floor vote. To help ensure SB 132 passes this critical step with the necessary 4/5ths vote, please contact your Assembly Member and ask him or her to vote for Senate Bill 132.

Click here to look up your Assembly Member.

MAY 28, 2013 UPDATE: Passed the Senate!

After being suspended for over a month, the bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and a floor vote in the Senate.

SB 132 needed a 4/5ths vote on the Senate floor to pass. Not only did it receive enough votes, it passed unanimously, with every single Senator voting in favor! Our staff is thrilled and hoping for similar results as SB 132 now moves to the Assembly.

APRIL 9, 2013 UPDATE: Passed First Committee

Just after 10:00 a.m. this morning Senate Bill 132 was heard by the Senate Natural Resources Committee. Twenty organizations submitted support letters ahead of time, and not a single group formally opposed the bill. During the hearing, eight of the nine committee members were present (Senator Canella was absent), and all eight voted in support of SB 132. Senator Canella later also voted to approve the bill.

Senate Bill 132 will now head to the Senate appropriations committee and then a floor vote in the Senate. If 4/5ths approval is achieved, the bill will proceed onto the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee for another hearing. To help Senate Bill 132 continue to pass smoothly through the legislature, please sign up for updates and MLF will notify you of future action items. Thank you.

MARCH 18, 2013 UPDATE: Committee Hearing Scheduled

Senate Bill 132 will be heard by the Senate Natural Resources Committee on April 9th. Support letters for the bill will be given to the committee members on April 1st for review.

Thank you for helping MLF pass this important bill.

MARCH 1, 2013 UPDATE: CDFW Releases "Draft" of New Guidelines

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife released a "draft" version of its revised mountain lion guidelines. The new policy will direct Department personnel when responding to mountain lion public safety and depredation incidents.

The Department has included sections about rehabilitating mountain lions as well as partnering with outside organizations to help resolve potential public safety situations with nonlethal measures. However, CDFW will not be able to utilize these new options until Senate Bill 132 passes thus giving them the legal authority to do so.

In addition to the improved treatment of mountain lions that accidentally wander into town, the new policy provides a flow chart to help advise wardens in the field on appropriate actions to take, and it also requires reporting of all incidents into the Department's records database.

These much-needed guidelines are a good step forward for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. MLF will continue to work with Senator Hill to get SB 132 passed into state law.

JANUARY 25, 2013 UPDATE: Senator Jerry Hill Introduces SB 132

Senator Jerry Hill announcing Senate Bill 132 at Friday's press conference in San Mateo.

Senator Jerry Hill held a press conference today in San Mateo to announce his mountain lion public safety bill. This legislation (Senate Bill 132) will require the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to utilize nonlethal options when responding to mountain lion incidents when there is no imminent threat to human life.

The nonlethal procedures CDFW will be required to utilize under Hill's legislation include capturing, pursuing, anesthetizing, temporarily possessing, temporarily injuring, marking, attaching to or surgically implanting monitoring or recognition devices, providing veterinary care, transporting, hazing, rehabilitating, and releasing.

However, the legislation still provides CDFW with the authority to kill mountain lions if the lion can reasonably be expected to cause immediate death or physical harm to humans.

The legislation also authorizes CDFW to develop partnerships with veterinarians, scientists, zoos and other individuals and organizations to work with state game wardens when mountain lions wander too close to humans. This is an important change since wildlife and nonprofit organizations throughout the state have the capability and experience to assist with mountain lion incidents.

"The safety of Californians is priority number one, but the law needs to be changed to give wardens more nonlethal options when dealing with the increasing number of mountain lion encounters in our neighborhoods," Hill said.

"Californians value mountain lions as the last remaining apex predator in the state; contributing substantially to environmental health. Senator Hill's legislation reflects those values and will help to ensure that mountain lions remain in the wild for future generations to appreciate," said Tim Dunbar, executive director of the Mountain Lion Foundation.