AB 1722 (2026): Endangered Species Self-Defense Exception

What the Bill Would Do

AB 1722 would amend the California Endangered Species Act (Fish and Game Code section 2080 et seq.) by adding Section 2080.8 to create an explicit exception allowing the take of an endangered or threatened species when necessary for self-defense or the defense of another person ^[1]. Under existing Fish and Game Code section 86, "take" is defined to mean "hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill." The current statute prohibits the take of any listed species without specific authorization, with no general self-defense carve-out.

Sponsors

The bill was authored by Assembly Member Heather Hadwick (R), with bipartisan committee support to date.

Current Status

AB 1722 has passed the Assembly and is advancing in the Senate. After unanimous votes in the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife, Judiciary, and Appropriations Committees, the bill passed the Assembly floor 64-0 on May 28, 2026. In the Senate it cleared the Natural Resources and Water Committee 7-0 on June 23 and the Judiciary Committee 12-0 on June 30, and was re-referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 1, 2026 ^[2]. The Legislature is in summer recess until August 3, 2026, and August 31, 2026 is the last day for final passage in the 2025-2026 session.

Why This Matters: Gray Wolf and Other Listed Predators

Several large predators present in California are protected as endangered or threatened. The gray wolf is listed as endangered under both federal and California state law, and a recovering wolf population has expanded into Northern California counties since 2011. Mountain lions are not listed under the California Endangered Species Act, but they are a "specially protected mammal" under Fish and Game Code section 4800 with their own non-self-defense restrictions. The California condor, San Joaquin kit fox, and other listed species are unlikely to present a self-defense scenario, but the broad statutory prohibition on "take" of any listed species technically applies to any killing of a protected animal regardless of circumstance.

Context

This bill sits at the intersection of wildlife conservation and self-defense rights. The federal Endangered Species Act provides a self-defense exception under 16 U.S.C. section 1540(b)(3), but California state law does not explicitly mirror that exception. Residents in rural and rural-urban interface areas, particularly Northern California counties with established wolf packs, have raised concerns about legal exposure if they kill a protected predator while defending themselves, a family member, or livestock. AB 1722 would create a defined legal pathway by adding a self-defense exception to the state act, while leaving California's broader take prohibitions intact for non-self-defense scenarios.

What to Watch

The bill has drawn unanimous votes at every step in both houses. The remaining steps are Senate Appropriations, a Senate floor vote after the Legislature returns on August 3, 2026, and Assembly concurrence in the June 25 Senate amendments, all before the August 31 end-of-session deadline. Watch for amendments that distinguish defense of person from defense of property or livestock, since those carry different policy considerations under existing law.