BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    AB 1844


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          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


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          |                |     |Jones, Obernolte,     |                    |
          |                |     |Quirk, Santiago,      |                    |
          |                |     |Wagner, Weber, Wood   |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
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          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  








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            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,  








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            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.    









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          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.  










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          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