AB 2402

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law establishes the Department of Fish and Game and the Fish and Game Commission and sets forth the powers and duties of that department and commission. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations regarding the development of a strategic vision for the department and the commission pursuant to Chapter 424 of the Statutes of 2010. The bill would require the department and the commission to develop a strategic plan to implement proposals arising from the strategic vision, any legislation enacted relating to the strategic vision process, and the department's own proposals for reform. The bill would authorize the department and the commission to contract for consultants to assist in the preparation of the strategic plan. The bill would make specified statements of policy relating to the use of ecosystem-based management, adaptive management, and credible science, as defined, and to department and commission partnerships, collaborations, and coordination with other entities. The bill would rename the department as the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and would make related changes, including changing the name of the director to the Director of Fish and Wildlife. The bill would prohibit existing supplies, forms, insignias, signs, logos, uniforms, or emblems from being destroyed or changed as a result of changing the name of the department, and would require their continued use until exhausted or unserviceable. The bill would require the director, in consultation with the Natural Resources Agency, to establish a prescribed formal program, and would authorize it to be called the Science Institute, to assist the department and commission in obtaining independent scientific review, advice, and recommendations to help inform the scientific work of the department and commission. The bill would authorize the department to enter into agreements to accept funds, services, or to assist the department in its efforts to secure long-term private funding sources for purposes relating to conservation programs, projects, and activities by the department, as specified. (2) Under existing law, the changes in the Implicit Price Deflator for State and Local Government Purchases of Goods and Services is used as the index to determine an annual rate of increase or decrease in the fees for licenses, stamps, permits, and tags. Under existing law, the department issues scientific collecting permits, lifetime hunting licenses, guide licenses, abalone report cards, kelp harvester licenses, and marine aquaria collector's permits, and existing law establishes base fees for those entitlements, adjusted annually pursuant to the index. This bill would require the commission to adjust the amount of the fees for lifetime hunting licenses, guide licenses, abalone report cards, kelp harvester licenses, and marine aquaria collector's permits, as necessary, to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the department and the commission relating to those licenses or permits. The bill would revise the scientific collecting permit provisions to extend the general permit period from 24 to 36 months, to add an application fee, and increase the permit fee from $30 to $300. The bill would also revise special student permit provisions for collegiate or commercial fishing class students to add an application fee of $25 and increase the permit fee from $10 to $50. The bill would delete an existing nonresident permit. The bill would authorize the department to adjust the amount of the fees for scientific collecting permits and special student permits as necessary, to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the department relating to those permits. (3) Existing law, except as expressly provided otherwise, makes violations of the Fish and Game Code, or of any rule, regulation, or order made or adopted under that code, a misdemeanor. Existing law sets prescribed fines and penalties for specified violations. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2016, to prepare and submit to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature a feasibility study report on an electronic system to manage citations issued by fish and game wardens, exchange information on citations with the courts, and transfer data on court dispositions to the Automated License Data System. (4) Existing law requires, unless otherwise provided, that all money collected under the provisions of the Fish and Game Code and of any other law relating to the protection and preservation of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, or amphibia be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. This bill would provide that moneys collected or received from gifts or bequests, or from municipal or county appropriations, or donations for purposes relating to conservation programs, projects, and activities by the department are to be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the fund and used for prescribed purposes. (5) Existing law establishes specific accounts within the fund, including, but not limited to, the Big Game Management Account, and the department has established other accounts within the fund. This bill would require the Augmented Deer Tags Account, Bighorn Sheep Permit Account, and Wild Pig Account within the fund to be consolidated and any remaining funds in these accounts transferred to the Big Game Management Account. The bill would require the department, after consultation with the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst's Office, to provide recommendations to the Legislature for consolidation of additional dedicated accounts within the fund if, in the determination of the department, consolidation would serve to reduce administrative costs to the department and enhance its ability to meet current needs, while still preserving the stated purposes of the dedicated accounts. (6) Existing law establishes the Renewable Energy Resources Development Fee Trust Fund (the development fee trust fund) as a continuously appropriated fund in the State Treasury to serve, and be managed, as an optional, voluntary method for developers or owners of eligible projects, as defined, to deposit fees sufficient to complete mitigation actions established by the department and thereby meet their requirements pursuant to California Endangered Species Act (CESA) or the certification authority of the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. Existing law requires that a specified sum of money be transferred, as a loan, from the Renewable Resource Trust Fund to the development fee trust fund and be repaid from the development fee trust fund to the Renewable Resource Trust Fund no later than December 31, 2012. This bill would make an appropriation by extending the date of repayment of this loan to December 31, 2013. (7) Existing law governing workers' compensation provides that whenever any member of the Department of Justice falling within the "state peace officer/firefighter" class or when a harbor police officer employed by the San Francisco Port Commission, as described, is disabled by injury arising out of and in the course of his or her duties, he or she shall become entitled, regardless of his or her period of service to a leave of absence while so disabled without loss of salary, in lieu of disability payments, for a period not exceeding one year. This bill would apply those provisions to a law enforcement officer employed by the department.