Next Steps on State Bat Bill: Senate Vote. Action needed.

Exciting news: the State Bat Bill, SB 732, has advanced to the Senate Floor, and may be heard as soon as May 4, 2023.

Voice support to your Senator by Wednesday, May 3rd.

Why? SB732, making pallid bat the State Bat, has passed the first of several vote hurdles and has moved out of Committee to the full California Senate. It will be a huge help to have ALL 40 California Senators prepped and ready to support the bill when it comes to a vote. Especially if you haven’t already, please write or call your Senator with your support for SB732, Pallid Bat as the State Bat.

What’s the fastest way to do this if you support this bill?

1. Go to your Senator’s contact page, and write “Please support the State Bat Bill, SB 732” in the comment field, add your name & address and click Submit. Of course, if you have time, please add your reasons, and give them some talking points in case they encounter debate. You can also submit a full support letter.
2. Call your Senator’s office and let them know you’d like to log your support of SB 732 and request that the Senator support the Bill in upcoming votes and floor discussions. The staffer might want to chat about it, but more likely they’ll just want to know the Bill number and your position.
3. Find your Senator and their contact links here:

https://www.senate.ca.gov/senators#:~:text=916)%20651%2D4038-,District%20Offices,(949)%20598%2D5850

Thank you all for your actions and outreach so far.

It is fantastic that the bill made it out of the Committee hearing and on to the full Senate. In-person testimony at the hearing was provided by the 12-year-old author of the bill, bat champion Naomi d'Alessio. You can hear a clip of her testimony in the following CapRadio newscast, at time point 2:08: CapRadio State Bat news

If your Senator was on the Committee for Governmental Organization (Committee Members), send them a thank you (Senator Contact List)!

Now, it is time again to let every state senator know about the State Bat Bill, SB 732. Every phone call and letter counts! Please support this cause!

Background on SB 732:

The following is the text of the bill:

• https://trackbill.com/bill/california-senate-bill-732-bats/2373760/

On 17 February 2023, the Honorable Senator Caroline Menjivar (California Senate District 20) introduced Senate Bill 732 (SB 732) to name the Pallid Bat (Antrozous pallidus) as the California State Bat.

On 17 March 2023, the California Bat Working Group submitted required paperwork declaring the group as a lead sponsor of SB 732.

On 25 April 2023, the State Bat Bill passed the first of several hurdles, as Senators of the Governmental Organization Committee voted 13-0 to pass SB732 on to the Senate. The Honorable Senator Menjivar presented the bill. Supporting testimony was provided by Naomi d’Alessio and Kim Richard.

Stay tuned for more actions you can take to support the State Bat Bill as it continues through the legislative process!