BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
AB 315 (Committee on Veterans Affairs) - State parks: veteran of
war: Purple Heart recipient.
Amended: As introduced Policy Vote: NR&W 9-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: August 12, 2013 Consultant:
Marie Liu
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill Summary: AB 315 would make recipients of a Purple Heart
eligible to use all facilities of the state park facilities for
free.
Fiscal Impact: Unknown losses of revenue, potentially in the
millions of dollars, to the State Parks and Recreation Fund
(special).
Background: Under existing law, the Department of Parks and
Recreation (DPR) issues the Distinguished Veteran Pass to
honorably discharged war veterans with 50 or greater
service-connected disability, veterans who were prisoners of
war, or recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. The
Distinguished Veteran Pass entitles the holder to free lifetime
access to all facilities of the state park system including boat
launching facilities. DPR has issued approximately 26,000
Distinguished Veteran Passes since its inception.
Proposed Law: This bill would make recipients a Purple Heart
eligible to receive free use of the state park system.
Related Legislation: AB 150 (Olsen) would give free access to
state parks by certain active and former military personnel on
Memorial and Veterans Day.
AB 257 (Anderson) Chapter 129/2007 eliminated the $3.50 fee for
the Distinguished Veteran Pass.
AB 1561 (Assembly Committee on Veteran Affairs) Chapter 499/2000
decreased the percent disability eligibility requirement from
70% to 50% for the Distinguished Veteran Pass.
AB 315 (Committee on Veterans Affairs)
Page 1
Staff Comments: The California Department of Veteran Affairs
estimates that roughly 60,000 California residents have been
awarded the Purple Heart. It us unknown what portion of these
awardees will seek a Distinguished Veteran Pass and which
portion may already be eligible for the pass under the existing
criteria. It is also unknown the extent to which the average
pass holder will utilize free use of state park facilities.
However given the number of Purple Heart awardees compared to
the number of current Distinguished Veteran Pass holders, this
bill could significantly increase free use of the state park
system.
A 2001 DPR survey of Distinguished Veteran Pass usage estimated
that the program resulted in approximately $9 million in lost
revenue annually to the state park system. For illustration
purposes, assuming a 10% participation rate of Purple Heart
recipients and the same rate of usage as current pass holders,
DPR would see an additional $2 million in additional lost
revenue.
Staff notes that the State Park system continues to operate with
a structural deficit with revenues covering approximately half
of the system's operating costs. Additionally there are over
$1.3 billion in deferred maintenance for the system. Under the
direction of the Legislature, DPR is currently developing and
implementing plans to increase state park revenues, including
increasing paid day use of the parks. Any restriction on to
DPR's ability to increase revenues, including the collection of
day-use fees, arguably goes counter to recent Legislative
direction to increase revenues to improve sustainability of the
system.