---
type: "Bill"
title: "Open-space easements."
description: "(1) Existing law regulates the execution and acceptance of a grant of an open-space easement, as defined, that was entered into before January 1, 1975. The execution and acceptance of a grant of an open-space easement constitutes a dedication to the public of the open-space character of the lands for the term specified. Existing law provides that the easement and covenant run for a term of not less than 20 years. Existing law authorizes an open-space easement to contain a covenant against the extraction of natural resources or other activities that may destroy the unique physical and scenic characteristics of the land, as specified."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20112012"
identifier: "SB 1501"
citation: "California SB 1501 (20112012)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Open-space easements."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Kehoe"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 20
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2012-02-24"
last_action: "2012-09-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/1b640ad1-1ef6-4e4b-bfda-b5a5c808051b"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB1501"
source_hash: "7e30dc8bc80f46399a7fc9b45a64bb6cd0c8cfcd1ceaef75c3a638d8ab18ed15"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ca"]
---

# California SB 1501 (20112012) — Open-space easements.

(1) Existing law regulates the execution and acceptance of a grant of an open-space easement, as defined, that was entered into before January 1, 1975. The execution and acceptance of a grant of an open-space easement constitutes a dedication to the public of the open-space character of the lands for the term specified. Existing law provides that the easement and covenant run for a term of not less than 20 years. Existing law authorizes an open-space easement to contain a covenant against the extraction of natural resources or other activities that may destroy the unique physical and scenic characteristics of the land, as specified.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **02/24/12 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB1501&version=20110SB150199INT)
2. **03/26/12 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB1501&version=20110SB150198AMD)
3. **04/11/12 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB1501&version=20110SB150197AMD)
4. **09/30/12 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB1501&version=20110SB150195CHP)
5. **SB1501** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB1501)
6. **08/24/12 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB1501&version=20110SB150196ENR)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading — **29–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass. — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- SB 1501 Kehoe Senate Third Reading By GORDON — **76–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass. — **6–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Kehoe — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2012-02-24** Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. `introduction`
- **2012-02-25** From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 26.
- **2012-02-27** Read first time. `reading-1`
- **2012-03-22** Referred to Com. on RLS. `referral-committee`
- **2012-03-26** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. `reading-2, reading-1, committee-passage, amendment-passage, referral-committee`
- **2012-03-29** Re-referred to Com. on GOV. & F. `referral-committee`
- **2012-03-30** Set for hearing April 18.
- **2012-04-11** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on GOV. & F. `reading-2, reading-1, committee-passage, amendment-passage, referral-committee`
- **2012-04-18** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 3206.) (April 18). `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2012-04-19** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2012-05-29** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 0. Page 3637.) Ordered to the Assembly. `reading-3, reading-1, passage`
- **2012-05-30** In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. `reading-1`
- **2012-06-07** Referred to Com. on L. GOV. `referral-committee`
- **2012-06-13** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 13). `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2012-06-14** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2012-08-22** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 6118.) Ordered to the Senate. `reading-3, reading-1, passage`
- **2012-08-22** In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
- **2012-08-28** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
- **2012-09-30** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2012-09-30** Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 875, Statutes of 2012.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/1b640ad1-1ef6-4e4b-bfda-b5a5c808051b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).