SB 1268 – Support Outdoors for All!

California has some of the most spectacular public lands in the world. But for millions of Californians — particularly in low-income communities and communities of color — those lands might as well not exist.

SB 1268 establishes the Outdoors for All Initiative, a state-level commitment to making sure every Californian — regardless of income, race, geography, age, disability, or background — can actually get outside.

The barriers are real: no nearby parks, no reliable transportation, park fees that families can't afford, language barriers, safety concerns, and a history of outdoor spaces that weren't designed with everyone in mind. This bill names those barriers explicitly and directs the Natural Resources Agency to systematically identify and dismantle them.

It requires the Natural Resources Agency — in consultation with the Department of Parks and Recreation and community stakeholders — to pursue equitable access to parks, trails, beaches, forests, and open spaces; invest in park expansions and programs in disadvantaged and low-income communities; and align those efforts with California's existing 30x30 conservation goal, so that protecting land also means opening it up to the people who need it most.

The bill also requires transparent, annual public reporting to the Legislature beginning January 1, 2028, with community input built into the process under the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act.

As federal actions threaten public lands — from opening them to drilling, to conducting immigration enforcement at parks, to charging different entrance fees based on citizenship — California has an opportunity to go in the opposite direction. SB 1268 puts that commitment into statute.

Every Californian deserves a place to breathe, explore, and belong. This bill helps make that real.