BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SB 470
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          SENATE THIRD READING
          SB 470 (Evans)
          As Amended  May 31, 2011
          2/3 vote

           SENATE VOTE  :32-6  
           
          WATER, PARKS & WILDLIFE      8-2APPROPRIATIONS      11-5        
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Huffman, Blumenfield,     |Ayes:|Fuentes, Blumenfield,     |
          |     |Campos, Fong, Gatto,      |     |Bradford, Charles         |
          |     |Roger Hernández, Olsen,   |     |Calderon, Campos, Gatto,  |
          |     |Yamada                    |     |Hall, Hill, Lara,         |
          |     |                          |     |Mitchell, Solorio         |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |Nays:|Halderman, Jones          |Nays:|Harkey, Donnelly,         |
          |     |                          |     |Nielsen, Norby, Wagner    |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
           SUMMARY  :  Extends for two years the existing requirement for all 
          persons taking salmon for commercial purposes to purchase a 
          commercial fishing salmon stamp.  Specifically,  this bill  :

          1)Extends the sunset clause on the requirement for purchase of a 
            commercial fishing salmon stamp to January 1, 2014.  The 
            requirement otherwise will sunset at the end of this year.

          2)Deletes the continuous appropriation of funds in the 
            Commercial Salmon Stamp Account (Account) and instead makes 
            the money in the Account available to the Department of Fish 
            and Game (DFG) upon appropriation by the Legislature.

          3)Requires DFG to post on its Internet Web site information 
            about projects funded with funds from the Account. 

          4)Prohibits more than 15% of the funds in the Account from being 
            used for administration costs.

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)Prohibits any person over 18 years of age from taking salmon 
            for commercial purposes, or being on board a commercial salmon 








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            fishing vessel, unless the person has a commercial fishing 
            salmon stamp affixed to their commercial fishing license.

          2)Requires DFG to issue a commercial fishing salmon stamp after 
            application and payment of a specified fee, which varies by 
            statute from $85 to $260, depending on the amount of 
            commercial landings of salmon the prior season.

          3)Requires DFG, after deducting administrative costs, to deposit 
            the fees from sale of commercial fishing salmon stamps into 
            the Account in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund.  The money 
            in the Account is continuously appropriated to DFG for new or 
            expanded salmon restoration and enhancement programs that 
            increase ocean salmon landings.

          4)Prohibits expenditure of more than 3.3% of annual expenditures 
            from the Account from being used for administrative overhead 
            costs.


































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          1)Requires $30 of the salmon stamp fee to be used for the 
            hatchery production of chinook salmon that are to be released 
            into state waters.  Requires DFG to match the stamp monies 
            used for the hatcheries with non-stamp funds.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations 
          Committee, consistent with past stamp proceeds, annual revenue 
          of between $170,000 to $520,000, 15% of which DFG may use for 
          administrative costs.  (Fish and Game Preservation Fund.)

           COMMENTS  :  Current law requires purchase of a commercial salmon 
          stamp to fish for salmon commercially.  The stamp requirement 
          was put into law with support of commercial salmon fishermen who 
          recognized the need for conservation and management of the 
          resource and were willing to, in essence, charge themselves to 
          provide a source of supplemental funding for that purpose.  The 
          stamp fees are used for salmon restoration and enhancement 
          programs.  The fee for the stamp varies from a minimum of $85 to 
          as high as $260, depending on the volume of landings the prior 
          season.  The 2011-12 commercial salmon stamp cost $87.55, which 
          reflects the poor level of last year's commercial salmon season. 


          This bill extends operation of the salmon stamp requirement, 
          which will otherwise sunset on January 1, 2012, for two years to 
          January 1, 2014, and also makes two other changes.  The first 
          change deletes the continuous appropriation and the second 
          raises the ceiling on the percentage of expenditures from the 
          fund which may go to administrative costs from 3.3% to 15%.  In 
          recent years, due to the decline in salmon runs, revenues into 
          the Account have been only about $50,000 per year.  More 
          typically, the stamp program has generated between $170,000 and 
          $520,000 annually and has generated over $14 million during its 
          lifetime.

          This bill is supported by the Pacific Coast Federation of 
          Fishermen's Associations, which includes commercial salmon 
          fishermen responsible for paying the stamp fee.  There is no 
          registered opposition to this bill.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Diane Colborn / W., P. & W. / (916) 
          319-2096









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