BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 711
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          Date of Hearing:   May 8, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    AB 711 (Rendon) - As Amended:  April 17, 2013

          Policy Committee:                              Water, Parks and  
          Wildlife     Vote:                            9-5

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:   
          Yes    Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires nonlead ammunition for shooting wildlife in  
          California.  Specifically, this bill:

          1)Requires nonlead ammunition for the taking of all wildlife in  
            California, including game mammals, game birds, nongame birds,  
            and nongame mammals, with any firearm.

          2)Requires the Fish and Game Commission (FGC), by July 1, 2014,  
            to certify, by regulation, nonlead ammunition for these  
            purposes.  This bill also expands the FGC's existing authority  
            statewide to establish a process to provide hunters with  
            nonlead ammunition at no or reduced charge.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Minor costs, probably less than $50,000 for DFW to develop  
            regulations to certify ammunition as nonlead and distribute  
            educational materials.

          2)Extending current nonlead enforcement would result in minor,  
            if any, additional costs for the law enforcement division of  
            DFW.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale.   According to the author, 50 years of research  
            concludes that lead in the environment poses an ongoing threat  
            to public health and California's wildlife species.  Lead is  
            recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and the United  
            States Environmental Protection Agency as toxic to both humans  








                                                                  AB 711
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            and animals.  Lead is a known toxin that causes serious health  
            and behavior problems for adults and children.  

             Requiring hunters to use nonlead ammunition throughout the  
            state will reduce the amount of lead released into the  
            environment, while not affecting the quality of the hunting  
            experience.  

          2)Background.    In 2007, the Legislature enacted AB 821 (Nava)  
            to require the use of nonlead ammunition in specific areas in  
            and around the habitat of the California condor.   Since then,  
            the number of hunting licenses issued by DFW has slightly  
            increased.  University of California, Davis studies reveal a  
            correlation between the condor lead ban and lower blood lead  
            levels in turkey vultures and golden eagles.  

          3)Support.  Numerous veterinarians and environmental  
            organizations note over 500 scientific studies documenting  
            that more than 130 wildlife species are negatively affected by  
            lead ammunition.  In addition to the negative impact of lead  
            on bald eagles, golden eagles, and condors, humans are also  
            negatively impacted through the consumption of meat  
            contaminated by lead ammunition.  

           4)Opposition.   Numerous firearm and hunting organizations  
            contend there is a lack of affordable lead ammunition  
            alternatives for hunting.  Opponents also claim that some  
            alternatives to lead-based ammunition, particularly for .22  
            long rifles, may be banned by the federal Bureau of Alcohol,  
            Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as armor piercing ammunition.  
              If a significant number of hunters stop buying hunting  
            licenses due to the ban or the  unavailability of nonlead  
            alternatives, restoration funds from license fees could  
            decrease.   
                
            Further, opponents assert the Fish and Game Commission, rather  
            than the Legislature, is the proper forum for a discussion of  
            a statewide ban.   
                 
             

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081 










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