BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 985|
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CONSENT
Bill No: AB 985
Author: Dahle (R), et al.
Amended: 4/20/15 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 9-0, 6/9/15
AYES: Pavley, Stone, Allen, Hertzberg, Hueso, Jackson,
Monning, Vidak, Wolk
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 77-0, 5/7/15 (Consent) - See last page for
vote
SUBJECT: Sierra Nevada Conservancy
SOURCE: Sierra Nevada Conservancy
DIGEST: This bill adds four non-voting members of the
Legislature to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy board.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Codifies the creation of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC)
within the Resources Agency (Public Resources Code (PRC)
Section 33320). It was created to:
a) Provide increased opportunities for tourism and
recreation.
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b) Protect, conserve, and restore the region's physical,
cultural, archaeological, historical, and living resources.
c) Aid in the preservation of working landscapes.
d) Reduce the risk of natural disasters, such as wildfires.
e) Protect and improve water and air quality.
f) Assist the regional economy through the operation of the
SNC's program.
g) Identify the highest priority projects and initiatives
for which funding is needed.
h) Undertake efforts to enhance public use and enjoyment of
lands owned by the public.
i) Support efforts that advance both environmental
preservation and the economic well-being of Sierra
residents in a complementary manner.
1)Identifies the membership of the SNC board. Specifically, it
identifies each of 13 voting members and three nonvoting
liaison advisers (PRC Section 33321).
This bill:
1)Adds four non-voting members of the Legislature to the SNC
board as follows:
a) Two members of the Senate, appointed by the Senate
Committee on Rules.
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b) Two members of the Assembly, appointed by the Speaker of
the Assembly.
1)Requires these four non-voting members to meet with the SNC
and participate in its activities to the extent that such
participation is not incompatible with their respective
positions as Members of the Legislature.
Background
The SNC was added by statute in 2004. It is tasked with working
with local government and outside entities to protect and
conserve the region's resources, increase tourism and
recreational opportunities, and enhance public lands.
The SNC is one of 10 conservancies under state authority and
regulated by statute. Of these 10 conservancies, three of them
currently have requirements for members of the Legislature to
participate in conservancy meetings and decision-making.
Comments
Why involve state legislators in SNC board meetings? According
to the author, this bill is intended to bring increased
awareness to the activities of the SNC, and to engage state
legislators in decision-making on issues relating to the Sierra
Nevada region. This involvement is especially important
currently, as the SNC considers the impacts of reduced Sierra
snowmelt on the rest of the state. The state legislators will be
non-voting members of the board.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified6/23/15)
Sierra Nevada Conservancy (source)
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OPPOSITION: (Verified6/23/15)
None received
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: The SNC writes, in sponsorship of this
bill, that AB 985 will align SNC "with other large, regional
conservancies, and afford this critically important region
increased exposure to, and cooperation with, the Legislature."
The author states that "The most direct and effective means
through which to increase exposure of the Sierra Nevada region
within the state legislature is to enact legislation which will
establish a non-voting, advisory role for members of the
legislature, similar to what is currently in statute as it
relates to other large, regional state conservancies."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 77-0, 5/7/15
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom,
Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Chang, Chau,
Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly,
Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina
Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez,
Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones,
Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low,
Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin,
Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Perea,
Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Mark
Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams,
Wood, Atkins
NO VOTE RECORDED: Campos, Roger Hernández, Steinorth
Prepared by:Angee Doerr / N.R. & W. / (916) 651-4116
6/24/15 17:20:57
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