BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 197
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 3, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                  SB 197 (Evans) - As Introduced:  February 7, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                             Water, Parks and  
          Wildlife     Vote:                            10-2

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill extends the sunset date on the commercial fishing  
          salmon stamp program from 2014 to 2019.

           FISCAL EFFECT

           1)Increased revenue to the Commercial Salmon Stamp Account  
            (CSSA) within the Fish and Game Preservation Fund (FGPF) of  
            between $50,000 and $500,000 per year for five years.  Average  
            revenue over the last four years has been approximately  
            $225,000 per year.

          2)Annual expenditures from the Commercial Salmon Stamp Account  
            in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars.

          3)Annual cost pressures in the low hundreds of thousands of  
            dollars on the non-dedicated portion of the FGPF to provide  
            the required match for expenditures from the Stamp Account for  
            hatchery production of Chinook salmon.

          4)Annual administrative costs of $30,000 from the Salmon Stamp  
            Account, and annual costs of approximately $50,000 from the  
            FGPF (non-dedicated portion) for administrative costs above  
            the 15% cap.


           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose.   This bill extends the sunset date on the existing  
            commercial salmon stamp program from 2014 to 2019 and makes no  
            other substantive changes to the program.  The commercial  








                                                                  SB 197
                                                                  Page  2

            salmon fishermen who pay the stamp fee support the extension  
            of the program, which provides funding for salmon enhancement  
            and restoration projects, and also establishes the Commercial  
            Salmon Trollers Advisory Committee.  The commercial salmon  
            industry asserts that the program is a result of 30 years of  
            legislative efforts by commercial salmon fishermen who believe  
            the stamp program is important for improving salmon stock and  
            salmon catch. 


           2)Proposed Program Changes.   This bill does not propose any  
            changes to the program, however, stakeholders have been  
            discussing and proposing changes over the last several years.   
            Previous proposals include an increase the salmon stamp fee to  
            a fixed fee of $350 but that proposal was not pursued.  

            There is currently a substantial fund balance in the  
            Commercial Salmon Stamp Account (approximately $1.3 million),  
            but the DFW's annual expenditure authority under the program  
            is limited to $295,000.  

            The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and stakeholders are  
            interested in developing an expenditure plan to for the  
            balance in the Account.  Additionally, DFW's current  
            administrative costs for the program exceed the 15% cap on  
            administrative costs from the Stamp Account.  The balance of  
            DFW's administrative costs is paid from other non-dedicated  
            funds in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. 

            The author's office has indicated an intent to work on these  
            issues while this bill is on this committee's Suspense File.

                    


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081