republic-os/legislation/us/states/ca/20112012/ab-2509.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Surface mining and reclamation plans: exempted activities."
description: "Existing law, the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975, prohibits a person from conducting a surface mining operation unless, among other things, a reclamation plan has been submitted to and approved by the lead agency, as defined, for the operation. Existing law excepts from those requirements certain activities including, among other things, excavations or grading conducted for farming or the immediate excavation or grading of lands affected by a flood or natural disaster for the purpose of restoring those lands to their prior condition."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20112012"
identifier: "AB 2509"
citation: "California AB 2509 (20112012)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Surface mining and reclamation plans: exempted activities."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Nielsen"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 24
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2012-02-24"
last_action: "2012-08-17"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/fc2491b4-f8c9-4703-aca4-dfa4abd5cc62"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB2509"
source_hash: "e2ef7522e1af5cabe1d2fe09d2337083dc2307f3942eb8a96b208159268c97a7"
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 AB 2509 (20112012) — Surface mining and reclamation plans: exempted activities.

Existing law, the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975, prohibits a person from conducting a surface mining operation unless, among other things, a reclamation plan has been submitted to and approved by the lead agency, as defined, for the operation. Existing law excepts from those requirements certain activities including, among other things, excavations or grading conducted for farming or the immediate excavation or grading of lands affected by a flood or natural disaster for the purpose of restoring those lands to their prior condition.

## 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=201120120AB2509&version=20110AB250999INT)
2. **04/09/12 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB2509&version=20110AB250998AMD)
3. **04/23/12 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB2509&version=20110AB250997AMD)
4. **06/15/12 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB2509&version=20110AB250996AMD)
5. **06/28/12 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB2509&version=20110AB250995AMD)
6. **08/17/12 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB2509&version=20110AB250993CHP)
7. **AB2509** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB2509)
8. **08/08/12 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB2509&version=20110AB250994ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass, to Consent Calendar. — **17–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended, but re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations Recommend Consent. — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- AB 2509 NIELSEN Consent Calendar Second Day — **75–0** (pass) · lower
- AB 2509 NIELSEN Concurrence in Senate Amendments — **73–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations. — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- Consent Calendar 2nd — **36–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Nielsen — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2012-02-24** Introduced. To print. `introduction`
- **2012-02-26** From printer. May be heard in committee March 27.
- **2012-02-27** Read first time. `reading-1`
- **2012-03-19** Referred to Com. on NAT. RES. `referral-committee`
- **2012-04-09** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended. `reading-2, amendment-introduction, reading-1, amendment-passage`
- **2012-04-09** Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. `referral-committee`
- **2012-04-19** From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 16). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2012-04-23** Read second time and amended. `reading-2, reading-1, amendment-passage`
- **2012-04-24** Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `referral-committee`
- **2012-05-09** From committee: Do pass. To consent calendar. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (May 9). `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2012-05-10** Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2012-05-17** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 4887.) `reading-3, reading-1, passage`
- **2012-05-17** In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. `reading-1`
- **2012-05-24** Referred to Com. on N.R. & W. `referral-committee`
- **2012-06-14** From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: to consent calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 12). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2012-06-15** Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `reading-2, reading-1, amendment-passage, referral-committee`
- **2012-06-27** From committee: Be placed on second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, be amended, and ordered to consent calendar. `committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2012-06-28** Read second time and amended. Ordered to consent calendar. `reading-2, reading-1, amendment-passage`
- **2012-07-05** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 4286.). `reading-3, reading-1, passage`
- **2012-07-05** In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. May be considered on or after August 3 pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.
- **2012-08-06** Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 5758.). `committee-passage-favorable, amendment-passage`
- **2012-08-10** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 12:45 p.m.
- **2012-08-17** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2012-08-17** Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 177, Statutes of 2012.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/fc2491b4-f8c9-4703-aca4-dfa4abd5cc62`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).