SACRAMENTO – Today, Senate Bill 575, authored by State Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), was approved by members of the State Senate with bipartisan and unanimous support. SB 575 re-establishes the California Sea Otter Voluntary Contribution Fund, allowing taxpayers to once again support sea otter conservation and near-shore ecosystem protection through voluntary donations on their state tax returns.

Originally established in 2006 through Assembly Bill 2485 jointly authored by then-Assemblymember Laird, the fund has collected more than $5 million in taxpayer donations and played a critical role in supporting research, enforcement, public outreach, and recovery efforts for southern sea otters and their coastal habitats.

“Since its inception, the fund has supported sea otter recovery and reintroduction planning, community education and engagement, and sea otter rescue and rehabilitation,” said Laird. “Without this funding, California’s ability to monitor mortality and address the threats facing sea otters would be severely compromised.”

Revenue from the fund is split evenly between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the California Coastal Conservancy (CCC). CDFW uses its share to investigate sea otter mortality and conduct essential monitoring, while the Coastal Conservancy administers the remaining funds through a competitive grant program. Since 2008, the grant program has awarded more than $2 million to support recovery, education, and rehabilitation efforts along California’s coast.

In 2024, the fund received $228,699, falling short of the $250,000 minimum contribution requirement needed to remain active. As a result, the fund is inoperative for the 2025 taxable year. SB 575 would restore the fund, establish a new sunset date of January 1, 2033, and eliminate the minimum contribution requirement to prevent future interruptions in funding.

“The Sea Otter Fund’s lapse underscores the need for a more sustainable structure,” Laird added. “SB 575 ensures Californians can continue supporting sea otter conservation without unnecessary funding barriers.”

Southern sea otters remain listed as a federally threatened species and continue to face serious challenges, including climate change, pollution from land-based runoff, and other human-related impacts. As a keystone species, sea otters play a vital role in maintaining kelp forests and overall coastal ecosystem health; population declines would have far-reaching ecological and economic consequences.

“Californians have proudly poured more than $5 million into the California Sea Otter Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund for the past two decades,” said Pamela Flick, California program director for Defenders of Wildlife, a sponsor of the bill. “These donations have supported critical sea otter conservation research, annual population counts and mortality investigations by the state, as well as restoration grants and public education efforts by nongovernmental organizations. Defenders of Wildlife is immensely grateful to Senator Laird for championing SB 575, as the bill will restore a crucial funding source that allows Californians to support sea otters simply by checking a box on their tax forms.”

“The California Sea Otter Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund is a meaningful way for Californians to support the ongoing recovery of the southern sea otter population,” said Amy Wolfrum, Director of California Policy and Government Affairs at Monterey Bay Aquarium. “We are grateful to Senator Laird for his leadership in introducing SB 575 to establish a continuously appropriated fund that will help ensure a healthier future for these threatened animals which are vital to the health of the coastal ecosystems they inhabit.”

SB 575 does not impose any tax increase. All contributions to the fund remain strictly voluntary.