SB 818, legislation originally authored by Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil to enhance the public safety of El Dorado County – but which took on hostile amendments in Senate policy committee in April – died in Senate fiscal committee on May 23rd.
Sponsored by the family of Taylen and Wyatt Brooks and originally titled “Taylen and Wyatt’s Law,” SB 818 initially included strong public safety provisions aimed at protecting residents of El Dorado County. However, those public safety provisions were gutted out of the bill in Senate policy committee in April by a majority vote of four urban legislators, against the wishes of the family.
The language was then replaced with provisions which only promoted actions county residents were already taking to protect their livestock – resulting in the Brooks family, and the vast majority of El Dorado County public, quickly pulling their support.
SB 818, as gutted and amended, was then passed out of the Senate policy committee and to Senate fiscal committee, where it died on May 23rd.
In the coming months, Senator Alvarado-Gil will work with the family to craft new legislation next year worthy of the name “Taylen and Wyatt's Law”.
Click below to view the interview where Bill Gaines and El Dorado County Sheriff Jeff Leikauf break down what really happened in the Senate policy committee hearing on SB 818.
Senate Bill 818, “Taylen and Wyatt’s Law” - an effort by Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil to take steps to increase the safety of the public of El Dorado County that she represents - failed to pass out of Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee on April 22nd with the original bill language she had worked with the Brooks family to draft.
Instead, four Legislators who represent largely urban districts that do not have problems with cats, forced hostile amendments to the bill. The amendments totally deleted the core of the bill which was to promote public safety by allowing permitted private houndsmen to haze problem lions away from humans and livestock with hounds - replacing it with language which promotes only actions county residents are already doing to protect livestock.
SB 818 was passed out of Senate committee on April 22nd with the forced amendments in it on a 4-2 committee vote.
The original language of SB 818 was based on studies which documented that hazing nuisance lions out of human-inhabited areas with trained hounds was the most effective and humane way to protect the health of both our public and the lions.
As originally written, by authorizing this practice, SB 818 would have gently pushed nuisance lions out of areas they shouldn’t be, while also restoring their natural wariness of humans and dogs, before they get into real trouble and ultimately must be dealt with via lethal take.
The lion that attacked the Brooks brothers had been in trouble before but had never been hazed by dogs. Had that lion previously been hazed, he never would have challenged Taylen and Wyatt.
Senator Alvarado-Gil is now working with the Brooks family and Gaines & Associates to determine next steps.
To view the language of SB 818 after taking on hostile amendments in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, click the button below.
SB 818 (Alvarado-Gil)
"Taylen and Wyatt's Law"
As amended April 10, 2025, SB 818, "Taylen and Wyatt's Law", authored by State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, would have enhanced public safety and reduced loss of domestic animals in El Dorado County by establishing a five-year pilot program during which permitted private houndsmen with trained hounds would have been authorized to humanely haze problem mountain lions away from areas where they posed a threat to public safety, livestock, or pets.
By implementing this pilot program in El Dorado County, SB 818 would have enhanced public safety and mitigated the escalating loss of domestic animals by pushing nuisance lions out of populated areas and restoring their natural fear of humans.
SB 818 would have offered a compassionate alternative to having to kill problem lions.
SB 818 was sponsored by the Family of Taylen and Wyatt Brooks with the assistance of
To view the language of SB 818 prior to taking on hostile amendments in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, click the button below.
THE OUTDOOR VIEW