AB 1097 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Trespass.

Summary
Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to commit a trespass by engaging in specified acts, including entering upon lands or buildings owned by another person where signs forbidding trespass are displayed where animals are being raised, as specified, or upon lands for the purpose of injuring property or property rights or with the intention of interfering with a lawful business, as specified. Existing federal law, commonly known as Public Law 280, authorizes the state to exercise jurisdiction over offenses committed by or against Indians in the areas of Indian country within the state, and gives state criminal laws the same force and effect within Indian country as they have elsewhere in the state. This bill would additionally make it a misdemeanor to commit a trespass by entering Indian lands, as defined, where signs forbidding trespass are displayed where animals are being raised, as specified, and would clarify that it is a misdemeanor to commit a trespass by entering Indian lands for the purpose of injuring property or property rights or with the intention of interfering with a lawful business, as specified. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to commit a trespass by entering private property after having been informed by a peace officer that the property is not open to the person who was informed, or refusing or failing to leave upon being asked to leave, as specified, if the person has been convicted of a crime committed upon that property. This bill would make it a misdemeanor to commit a trespass by entering Indian lands in the circumstances described above. The bill would, in the case of Indian lands, include trespass warnings or orders given by a tribal police officer. The bill would also make it a misdemeanor to commit a trespass by reentering private property or Indian lands, as specified, within 48 hours after having been requested by the owner, operator, or agent of the premises to leave the premises, or, in the case of Indian lands, after receiving an order of exclusion from a tribal government, as specified, if the person has been convicted of a crime committed upon that property. The bill would authorize a tribe to enter into an agreement with a law enforcement agency to enforce an order of exclusion, as specified. Because the bill would create a new crime and expand the scope of existing crimes, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would make other technical, nonsubstantive changes. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 20, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

02/20/25 - Introduced 03/17/25 - Amended Assembly · 7 edits · Mar 17, 2025
MODERATE
AB 1097 was transformed from a brief statement of legislative intent into a full operative amendment to Penal Code Section 602 (California's trespass statute). The amended version explicitly extends multiple existing trespass provisions to Indian lands, authorizes tribal police officers to issue trespass warnings, creates a new 'order of exclusion' mechanism for tribal governments, and allows tribes to contract with law enforcement agencies to enforce those orders. This matters because it gives federally recognized tribes in California a direct legal tool to address trespass on their lands that parallels the protections already available to private property owners.
SCOPE

Multiple existing trespass provisions (subdivisions h, k, and t) now explicitly apply to Indian lands as defined in subdivision (t)(6), meaning entering Indian lands where animals are raised with no-trespass signs, or entering for the purpose of injuring property or interfering with a lawful business, is now a misdemeanor.

The bill's title changed from a generic 'An act relating to crimes' to 'An act to amend Section 602 of the Penal Code, relating to crimes,' and the legislative digest was expanded from a one-line summary to a detailed explanation of all changes.

ENFORCEMENT

Tribal police officers are now authorized to issue trespass warnings and inform persons that property is not open to them on Indian lands, in addition to peace officers. This gives tribal law enforcement a direct role in initiating trespass prosecutions.

A federally recognized Indian tribe may enter into an agreement with a law enforcement agency for services to enforce an order of exclusion, creating a formal mechanism for intergovernmental cooperation on trespass enforcement.

REQUIREMENT

A new 48-hour reentry prohibition applies to Indian lands: after being asked to leave by the owner/operator/agent or after receiving an order of exclusion from a tribal government, reentering within 48 hours is a misdemeanor if the person has been previously convicted of a crime on that property.

DEFINITION

New definitions added in subdivision (t)(6): 'federally recognized Indian tribe' (per Public Law 103-454), 'Indian lands' (per 18 U.S.C. Section 1151), 'order of exclusion' (a written order by a tribal government prohibiting entry to the tribe's Indian lands), and 'tribal government' (the council or designated agency responsible for self-governance and territorial management).

FISCAL

The fiscal analysis changed from 'no state-mandated local program' and 'no fiscal committee' to 'yes' for both, reflecting that the bill now creates new crimes and expands existing ones, imposing costs on local agencies. A new Section 2 provides that no reimbursement is required under Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the costs arise from creating or changing crimes.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
9
Key actions
4
Committee
6
Amendments
1
Feb 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
lower
Apr 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
In committee: Set, second hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
lower
Apr 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
lower
Mar 18, 2025
Committee
Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
lower
Mar 17, 2025
Introduced
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.
lower
Mar 17, 2025
Committee
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
lower
Feb 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

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