The California State Assembly today passed SB 18, a sacred sites protection bill entitled Traditional Tribal Cultural Places, by a vote of 72-4. The state Senate will vote on SB 18 on August 19, and passage is expected. The bill will then go to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for signature. The bill requires consultation between county governments and tribes when counties are adopting or amending general plans or specific plans for major developments, and it gives tribes new tools to protect sacred places in California, such as being able to hold conservation easements and to include such places in open space designation. Read the text of the bill.