BILL ANALYSIS Ó
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de León, Chair
AB 1709 (Frazier) - Wildlife: hunting licenses.
Amended: August 4, 2014 Policy Vote: NR&W 9-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: August 4, 2014 Consultant:
Marie Liu
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill Summary: AB 1709 would increase the eligible age for a
junior hunting license from 16 to 18 years of age until July 1,
2020.
Fiscal Impact:
On-going revenue losses of approximately $270,000 annually
until 2020 to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund from
reduced hunting license sales revenue.
On-going revenue losses of approximately $130,000 until
2020 annually to various special funds from reduced sales of
duck stamps, upland game bird stamps, and wildlife area
hunting passes.
Background: Existing law requires a hunting license for the
taking of any animal or mammal. There are several types of
hunting licenses available, including a license for residents or
nonresidents who are under 16 years of age, commonly known as a
junior hunting license. A person hunting on such a license is
exempt from purchasing a duck validation stamp, an upland game
bird validation, and wildlife area hunting passes.
Currently, the standard resident and nonresident hunting license
is $46.44 and $161.49, respectively. Nonresidents are also
eligible, under certain limitations, to purchase a one- or two-
day hunting licenses at $22.17 or $46.44, respectively. The
junior hunting license for residents and nonresidents is $12.14.
All of these license fees are adjusted annually for inflation.
Proposed Law: This bill would increase the eligible age for a
reduced price hunting license from 16 to 18 years of age until
July 1, 2020. Additionally, this bill would statutorily define
these licenses as "junior hunting licenses."
AB 1709 (Frazier)
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Staff Comments: This bill would result in decreased hunting
licenses revenue by allowing 16 and 17 year olds to buy a junior
hunting license at a reduced price instead of a standard hunting
license. Currently, 3% or 8,000 of standard hunting licenses are
sold to 16 and 17 year olds, which translates to $270,000 in
lost license revenues.
There will be further reduced revenue because junior hunting
license holders are not required to purchase duck or upland game
bird validation stamps or wildlife area hunting pass. The
Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) estimates losses of
$37,500, $45,938, and $45,938 to the California Duck Stamp
Account, California Upland Game Bird Account, and the Fish and
Game Preservation Fund (for the wildlife area hunting pass),
respectively.
Some of this lost revenue could conceivably be offset by a
change in hunting behavior driven by increased eligibility for
the junior hunting licenses, such as increased interest in
purchasing junior hunting licenses and increased retention in
hunting participation because of early experiences.
This bill would also require DFW to modify the Automated License
Data System, which is used to issue most sport fishing and
hunting licenses. DFW estimates that this cost would be minor
and absorbable as the adjustments would be conducted along with
necessary regular updates of the systems.