BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                      



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                  AB 1784|
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                                    CONSENT


          Bill No:  AB 1784
          Author:   Monning (D)
          Amended:  6/26/12 in Senate
          Vote:     32 - Urgency

           
           SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER COMM.  :  9-0, 6/12/12
          AYES:  Pavley, La Malfa, Cannella, Evans, Fuller, Kehoe, 
            Padilla, Simitian, Wolk
           
          SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  Senate Rule 28.8
           
          ASSEMBLY FLOOR :  72-0, 5/3/12 (Consent) - See last page for 
            vote


          SUBJECT  :    Mountain lions

           SOURCE  :     Mountain Lion Foundation


           DIGEST  :    This bill makes it unlawful to take, injure, 
          possess, transport, import or sell any mountain lion or any 
          part or product thereof, with limited exceptions 
          (Proposition 117, 1990 Statewide Initiative), and 
          authorizes the possession of a legally obtained mountain 
          lion carcass for display for a scientific or educational 
          purpose at a nonprofit or government owned museum or 
          educational institution.

           ANALYSIS  :    

          Existing law:
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          1. Makes it unlawful to take, injure, possess, transport, 
             import or sell any mountain lion or any part or product 
             thereof, with limited exceptions. (Proposition 117). 

          2. Requires a 4/5 vote of the Legislature to amend 
             Proposition 117, and requires that any amendment be in 
             furtherance of the purpose of the initiative. 

          3. Authorizes the possession of a legally obtained mountain 
             lion carcass for display for a scientific or educational 
             purpose at a nonprofit or government owned museum or 
             educational institution.

          This bill amends Proposition 117 as follows: 

          1. It authorizes Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to grant 
             qualified individuals, educational institutions, and 
             governmental or nongovernmental organizations permission 
             to conduct scientific research on mountain lions if the 
             research does all of the following: 
           
             A.    Contributes to knowledge of natural wildlife 
                ecosystems; 

             B.    Minimizes disruption and movement of mountain 
                lions and other wildlife and impacts to habitat; 

             C.    Supports the sustainability and survivability of 
                mountain lion populations and healthy ecosystems; 

             D.    Prohibits the intentional injury or killing of 
                mountain lions. 

          2. In addition, research projects will be required to meet 
             specified recordkeeping and other requirements which 
             address all of the following: 

             A.    The capture, anesthetization, veterinary medical 
                care, humane treatment, and other conditions as 
                specified in this bill or otherwise required in the 
                permit; 

             B.    Tracking all negative impacts on mountain lions 







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                and other wildlife; 

             C.    The qualifications of onsite personnel, at least 
                one of which has one year of experience with the 
                research conditions contained in this bill; 

             D.    Annual and final reporting requirements. 

          3. Requires DFG to notify the public of authorized mountain 
             lion research projects at least 30 days prior to 
             initiation and to make copies of the memorandum of 
             understanding available to the public upon request. 

          4. Requires that any injury or death of a mountain lion 
             from a research project be reported consistent with 
             Proposition 117. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes   
          Local:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  6/26/12)

          Mountain Lion Foundation (source)
          Animal Rescue Team 
          Defenders of Wildlife 
          Felidae Foundation, Bay Area Puma Project 
          Feline Conservation Center 
          Humane Society of the United States 
          Ojai Wildlife League 
          Public Interest Coalition 
          Sierra Club California 
          The Nature Conservancy

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    The author and supporters, many of 
          whom are the leading mountain lion researchers in 
          California, contend that this bill emphasizes the 
          importance of mountain lion research which benefits both 
          mountain lions and human safety by improving understanding 
          of lion behaviors and movement patterns.  Scientific 
          research is also important in better understanding the 
          roles of apex predators like lions in the ecosystem, and 
          the dynamics of predator-prey relationships such as that 
          between mountain lions and other species such as bighorn 
          sheep.







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           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  72-0, 5/3/12
          AYES:  Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, 
            Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bradford, Brownley, 
            Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter, 
            Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Davis, Dickinson, 
            Donnelly, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Beth Gaines, 
            Galgiani, Garrick, Gatto, Gordon, Gorell, Grove, Hagman, 
            Halderman, Harkey, Hayashi, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, 
            Jeffries, Knight, Lara, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, 
            Mansoor, Mendoza, Miller, Mitchell, Monning, Morrell, 
            Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel 
            Pérez, Portantino, Silva, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson, 
            Torres, Valadao, Wagner, Wieckowski, Yamada, John A. 
            Pérez
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Bonilla, Fletcher, Furutani, Hall, Roger 
            Hernández, Jones, Smyth, Williams


          CTW:k  6/26/12   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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