The Wire · CalGunHub

Newsom vetoes AB 1722, self-defense bill on endangered species take

Published September 18, 2026 · Updated October 12, 2026

The governor called the bill duplicative, writing that California law already shields people who take a protected species to prevent immediate bodily harm.

Written by the CalGunHub desk from public reporting

Who this affects: Because AB 1722 was vetoed, the Fish and Game Code is unchanged: no new self-defense provision for taking CESA-listed species was added. The governor's veto message asserts that existing California law already protects against penalties when a take occurs to protect oneself or another person, so the practical dispute is over whether a new statute would have added clarity or confusion. Rural residents, ranchers and outdoors users concerned about wildlife encounters should be aware the current statutes, not the vetoed bill, govern. This is general information, not legal advice.

Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed AB 1722 on Sept. 18, 2026, according to the bill's history on the state's legislative information website. The author is Assemblymember Heather Hadwick (R-Alturas), with coauthors Dahle, Gallagher and Grove. The Senate passed the bill 34-1 on Aug. 19, the Assembly concurred 61-1 on Aug. 20, and it was enrolled Aug. 27.

The bill would have added Fish and Game Code section 2080.8, barring civil or criminal penalties for taking a species listed under the California Endangered Species Act when the take occurred in self-defense or in defense of another person against immediate bodily harm. The California Rifle and Pistol Association had listed the measure among its supported self-defense bills. Its connection to firearms is indirect: it concerned wildlife encounters rather than gun regulation.

The measure had drawn only two dissenting votes across both floors before reaching the governor's desk. In his veto message, Newsom wrote that defending oneself from immediate bodily harm is a fundamental right, but said existing law already covers the scenario. "California law already protects against penalties for taking endangered species if the take occurred to protect oneself or another person," he wrote, calling the bill duplicative and potentially confusing.

The Legislature adjourned Aug. 31 without acting on the veto. Under Joint Rule 58.5, the window for a veto override runs into the 2027 session; as of Oct. 12, 2026, no override attempt had occurred. AB 1722 was the only firearms-adjacent measure among the roughly 120 bills Newsom vetoed in September 2026, according to veto trackers and leginfo records.

Informational only, not legal advice. Facts are attributed to the sources listed above.