Bill > SB322

This bill creates a new Urban Equestrian Incentive Zones program that allows cities, counties, or city-counties to establish zones where landowners can voluntarily enter into contracts to use their land for equestrian activities. Under the program, landowners can restrict between 0.1 and 3 acres of land to equestrian uses, with contracts lasting at least five years. The land can include structures supporting equestrian activities like stables, barns, riding areas, and tool sheds, but cannot include residential dwellings except for a livestock caretaker's home. Landowners can be charged a fee for administrative costs, and the zones can include areas already designated as equine districts in local plans. The bill explicitly prohibits including any land already identified in housing site inventories, reflecting a careful balance between preserving equestrian heritage and housing development needs. The legislation recognizes California's rich equestrian history, from Spanish settler influences to modern equestrian events, and aims to protect these cultural landscapes. The program will sunset on January 1, 2029, but contracts entered before that date will remain valid. The bill also declares that preserving equestrian land use is a statewide concern and applies to all cities, including charter cities.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB322