SB 1178

SB1178:v97#DOCUMENT

Bill Start

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1178

An act to add and repeal Section 425.17 to of the Government Code, relating to state government.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1178, as amended, Reyes. State wasp. California State Library: study: state wasp.

Existing law establishes the state flag and the state’s emblems, including, among other things, the golden poppy as the official state flower, the California redwood as the official state tree, and the California Grizzly Bear as the official state animal. Existing law establishes the California State Library within the state government and vests control of the library to the State Librarian. Existing law authorizes the California State Library to serve as the central reference and research library for the departments of state government and maintain adequate legislative reference and research library services for the Legislature.

This bill would establish the California yellow jacket (Vespula sulphurea) as the official state wasp.

This bill would require the California State Library to conduct a study, in consultation with the public, on the best candidate for the official state wasp. The bill would require the California State Library, on or before January 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature with the California State Library’s recommendations based on the study, as provided. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2032.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NOYES Local Program: NO

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 425.17 is added to the Government Code, to read:

425.17. (a) The California State Library shall conduct a study, in consultation with the public, on the best candidate for the official state wasp.(b) (1) On or before January 1, 2028, the California State Library shall submit a report to the Legislature with the California State Library’s recommendations based on the study conducted pursuant to subdivision (a).(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.(c) This section shall be repealed on January 1, 2032, pursuant to Section 10231.5.

SECTION 1.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(a)The California yellow jacket, or Vespula sulphurea, is native to California’s Upper Sonora region.

(b)The California yellow jacket is not a common species. Known for its unique greenish-yellow “racing stripes,” it can be identified by the longitudinal bands across its thorax.

(c)Like most yellow jacket species, their nests are built in underground nests and follow the typical hive system with a queen, drone, and workers that protect the colony.

(d)Their diet consists of sugars from nectar, fruits, and plant sap, as well as proteins from other insects such as spiders, flies, and caterpillars. Yellow jackets also benefit gardeners and farmers by acting as natural pest control. These effective predators only eat live prey like beetles, caterpillars, and invasive fruit flies that damage crops.

(e)Colton High School in the County of San Bernardino, which opened in 1895, has had the yellow jacket as the school mascot since the 1950s named Yogi. Several other schools across the state such as Berkeley High School and Franklin High School in Stockton also have the yellow jacket as the school mascot.

SEC. 2.Section 425.17 is added to the Government Code, to read:

425.17.

The California yellow jacket (Vespula sulphurea) is the official state wasp.