BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1844 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AB 1844 (Gallagher) As Amended May 27, 2016 Majority vote ------------------------------------------------------------------ |Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Water |11-2 |Gallagher, Bigelow, |Levine, Gordon | | | |Dababneh, Dodd, | | | | |Cristina Garcia, | | | | |Gomez, Harper, Lopez, | | | | |Mathis, Olsen, Salas | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Veterans |9-0 |Irwin, Chávez, | | |Affairs | |Achadjian, Alejo, | | | | |Brown, Daly, Frazier, | | | | |Mathis, Salas | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Appropriations |20-0 |Gonzalez, Bigelow, | | | | |Bloom, Bonilla, | | | | |Bonta, Calderon, | | | | |Chang, Daly, Eggman, | | | | |Gallagher, Eduardo | | | | |Garcia, Roger | | | | |Hernández, Holden, | | AB 1844 Page 2 | | |Jones, Obernolte, | | | | |Quirk, Santiago, | | | | |Wagner, Weber, Wood | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------ SUMMARY: Requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to reduce the fee required to obtain a lifetime sportsmen, hunting or fishing license by 25% for a person who is a Veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States and was honorably discharged. EXISTING LAW: 1)Requires an annual hunting license to be issued to any resident of the state age 18 years or older upon payment of a fee of $31.25. The current fee for an adult resident hunting license is $47.01. 2)Requires a sport fishing license to be issued to a resident, 16 years of age or older, for a fee. The current license fee for a resident adult sport fishing license is $47.01. 3)Authorizes a disabled Veteran or recovering service member to purchase a reduced-fee hunting license, or a reduced-fee sport fishing license, for a base fee of $4.00, which with annual adjustments is currently $6.95. Defines a disabled Veteran as a person having a 50% or greater service-connected disability and an honorable discharge from military service. A recovering service member is a member of the military, including a member of the National Guard or a Reserve, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy and is in an outpatient status while recovering from a serious injury AB 1844 Page 3 or illness related to the member's military service. 4)Authorizes the purchase of lifetime hunting or fishing licenses, and requires a lifetime hunting license or lifetime sport fishing license to be issued upon payment of a base fee that ranges from $365 to $600, depending on the age of the applicant. The base fee is applicable to the 2004 license year. Current lifetime hunting and sport fishing license fees after annual adjustments range from $517 to $844.50, depending on age. Additional lifetime packages are also available for bird hunting, big game hunting and additional fishing privileges. 5)Requires that the first $20 of fees collected from initial sales of lifetime hunting and fishing licenses be deposited in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, and the balance deposited in the Lifetime License Trust Account, with the principal subject to investment. Authorizes the money in the Trust Account to be invested through the Surplus Money Investment Fund of the State, and for the interest to accrue to the Trust Fund. Further requires that DFW transfer $29.25 from the Lifetime License Trust Account to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund upon issuance of each annual renewal of a lifetime hunting or fishing license. 6)Makes reduced-fee sport fishing licenses available to low income seniors for $6.95, and for free to low-income Native Americans and persons who are blind, developmentally disabled, or mobility impaired. Also makes free motor vehicle hunting licenses available to any mobility impaired disabled hunter who must use a motor vehicle to pursue game, and is either permanently or fully confined to a wheel chair, is an amputee, or depends on the aid of a walker or crutches to walk. 7)Requires the purchase of certain sport fishing report cards, AB 1844 Page 4 validations, or entitlements, in addition to a sport fishing license, to fish for certain species of fish or in certain locations. Examples of sport fishing report cards include a sport fishing ocean enhancement stamp, a steelhead trout report card, a second rod sport fishing validation, and a salmon punch card. FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee: Unknown significant revenue loss to DFW from discount sales of hunting and fishing licenses (Fish and Game Preservation Fund, and Lifetime License Trust Account). According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, there are approximately 1.8 million Veterans living in California, with 331,645 receiving monthly disability compensation as of 2014. This bill increases eligibility from a universe of approximately 331,600 to 1.8 million Veterans. COMMENTS: This bill as amended would require the DFW to offer lifetime hunting or fishing licenses for a 25% reduced fee to a person who is a Veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States and who was honorably discharged. Currently, Veterans with a 50% or greater service-connected disability are eligible to purchase reduced-fee annual fishing and hunting licenses, but such a discount is not provided for disabled Veterans for purchase of a lifetime hunting or fishing license. This bill would require DFW to offer a 25% discount for purchase of a lifetime hunting or fishing license to any Veteran who has been honorably discharged, whether or not they have a service-connected disability. AB 1844 Page 5 To fish or hunt in California, an adult must either purchase an annual fishing or hunting license, or have purchased a lifetime hunting or fishing license. Annual fishing and hunting license fees for resident adults are currently $47.01. A disabled Veteran may obtain an annual hunting or fishing license for a reduced fee of $6.95. Current fees for a lifetime hunting or fishing license range from $517 to $844.50, depending on the age of the applicant. This bill would require DFW to offer a 25% discount on these fees for any Veteran who was honorably discharged. The author of this bill seeks to give Veterans more access to outdoor recreation opportunities in California by providing discounted hunting and fishing license fees to all Veterans. This bill, prior to the amendments taken in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, was much broader and would have required discounted annual fishing and hunting licenses and other required sport cards, in addition to lifetime licenses, to be provided at a discount to all Veterans. As amended, the new discount would only apply to purchase of lifetime licenses. The author intends with this bill to give more access to hunting and fishing opportunities to California Veterans and anticipates that increasing access will expand participation in hunting and fishing by Veterans, their families, and friends. This expanded participation should introduce more people to sport fishing and hunting and could lead to increased sales of licenses in future years. The author acknowledges that one concern with this bill may be its potential fiscal effects on the DFW. However, the author asserts that the decrease in revenue from Veterans' purchases of discounted fishing and hunting licenses should be made up through an increased sales volume. AB 1844 Page 6 This bill, by offering discounted lifetime licenses to an expanded pool of applicants could potentially lead to a deficit in the Lifetime License Trust Account if fees collected for lifetime fishing or hunting licenses are insufficient to cover the costs of those licenses. However, prior language in this bill that would have prohibited DFW from increasing other license fees in order to make up for any potential loss of revenue from sales of discounted licenses to Veterans was removed. Supporters assert this bill will reward American Veterans who have defended our freedom with honor, and assist them with rehabilitation by providing access to recreation for them and their families. Analysis Prepared by: Diane Colborn / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096 FN: 0003311