The Overview
If you have a loved one buried at Mount Tamalpais Cemetery in San Rafael, California now has a legal path to transfer the troubled site to a new operator. AB 929 became law when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it on Sept. 27.
KQED reported that families described the cemetery's declining condition while California regulators accused its owners of mismanaging millions of dollars meant for maintenance; the Marin Independent Journal reported the state's Cemetery and Funeral Bureau seized about $52 million in endowment-care funds tied to Mount Tamalpais and three other cemeteries. The law's provisions expire on Jan. 1, 2029.
What the Law Does
If Marin County acquires title to Mount Tamalpais Mortuary and Cemetery, the law lets the county transfer ownership, care, and management to a California nonprofit in good standing or a licensed cemetery authority. Any successor is shielded from debts, fines, taxes, judgments, or recordkeeping failures of any prior owner that arose before the transfer date. The law takes effect only if SB 1312 of the 2025-26 legislative session is enacted.
Legislative Status
Asm. Damon Connolly (D) sponsored the bill. The Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee passed it 9-3 on April 29, 2025; the Assembly Appropriations Committee passed it 11-4 on May 14, 2025; and the full Assembly passed it 45-16 on May 29, 2025. The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee passed it 4-3 on June 24, 2025, the narrowest margin of any recorded vote on the bill. The full Senate passed AB 929 33-5 on Aug. 30, 2026, and the Assembly concurred 66-4 the same day.
Marin County's Sept. 28 news release quoted a speaker saying: "AB 929 is remarkable progress toward restoring Mount Tamalpais Cemetery for the people buried there and their loved ones who visit."
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