SR 119: Relative to paleontology. - California

06/15/26 - Introduced → 06/25/26 - Amended Senate · 7 edits · Jun 25, 2026

MODERATE

The amended version of SR 119 expands the scope of California's paleontology resolution by adding STEM workforce development language, recognizing the La Brea Tar Pits as an internationally designated geoheritage site, adding the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History to the list of institutions, and broadening the resolution's recognition of paleontology's role in ecology, evolution, and public engagement. The amendment also makes several factual clarifications throughout the recitals.

SCOPE

The resolution now explicitly recognizes paleontology as a gateway to science for the public, an incubator for an interdisciplinary STEM workforce, and a critical record of life's past and California's natural history, broadening its stated purpose beyond environmental challenges and awe.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History was added to the list of paleontological institutions in California recognized by the resolution.

The description of paleontology's knowledge base was expanded to explicitly include ecology and evolution alongside the existing list of contributing disciplines.

REQUIREMENT

The La Brea Tar Pits are now noted as designated a geoheritage site and geo-collection by the International Commission on Geoheritage, adding an international recognition designation to the resolution.

DEFINITION

The definition of fossils was expanded from simply 'remains or traces of ancient organisms' to also include 'physical evidence of prehistoric life.'

TECHNICAL

Several factual clarifications were made: giant ground sloths are now noted as arriving from South America, the Antarctic forests are described as 'polar temperate rainforests' rather than just 'polar rainforests,' Morenosaurus is named as an example of elasmosaurid, and the White-Inyo Mountains name is spelled out fully.

The state dinosaur Augustynolophus morrisi location was narrowed from 'Counties of Fresno and San Benito' to just 'County of Fresno.'

06/25/26 - Amended Senate → 08/07/26 - Enrolled · 6 edits · Aug 7, 2026

MODERATE

The enrolled version of SR 119 makes only technical corrections and formatting updates to the amended Senate version. Changes include fixing a species name (Smilodon californicus to Smilodon fatalis), removing duplicate words throughout, correcting grammar, and consolidating a redundant description of the La Brea Tar Pits. No substantive policy changes were made.

TECHNICAL

Corrected the saber-toothed cat species name from 'Smilodon californicus' to 'Smilodon fatalis'

Removed reference to San Benito County as a location where the state dinosaur Augustynolophus morrisi was found, leaving only Fresno County

Removed the word 'polar' before 'temperate rainforests' in the description of Cretaceous Antarctica

Consolidated two separate WHEREAS clauses about the La Brea Tar Pits into a single clause, removing redundant phrasing

Removed numerous duplicate words and grammar errors throughout (e.g., 'Mountains Mountains,' 'A a 2018 study,' 'resembling like,' 'times periods')

Updated header formatting from the amended Senate version to the standard enrolled format with session designation and adoption date of August 6, 2026

08/07/26 - Enrolled → SR119 · 1 edit

MINOR

No substantive policy changes occurred between these two versions. The difference is purely presentational: the first version is the clean enrolled text of the resolution, while the second is a web page rendering of the same bill from the California legislature website, adding navigation menus, search boxes, status metadata, and a Legislative Counsel's Digest header around the identical bill text.

TECHNICAL

The document changed from a clean enrolled legislative text to a web page capture that includes site navigation (home, accessibility, FAQ, login, social links), a quick search box, bill status timeline (Introduced June 15, Amended June 25, Passed August 6, Enrolled August 7, 2026), and a Legislative Counsel's Digest section header. The actual resolution text (all WHEREAS and RESOLVED clauses) is unchanged.

Relative to paleontology.

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors