BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SB 392
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 21, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                  SB 392 (Berryhill) - As Amended:  August 5, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                             Water, Parks and  
          Wildlife     Vote:                            15-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Fish and Game Commission (FGC) to  
          recommend legislation or adopt regulations before January 1,  
          2015, to clarify the possession limit for game birds or mammals.  
           Specifically, this bill requires FGC to develop recommendations  
          to clarify when lawfully killed game processed into food is  
          considered a violation of the possession limit.  

          This bill also makes a violation of possessing birds killed in  
          excess of daily possession limits subject to punishment as  
          either a misdemeanor or an infraction.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor, absorbable costs.

           COMMENTS  

           Rationale.   Existing law and regulations establish bag and  
          possession limits for various game species allowed to be hunted  
          in the state.  Bag limits are the total number of a species of  
          animal permitted to be killed during a specific time period,  
          usually one day.

          Possession limits are the number of a species allowed to be in  
          the possession of one person at any given time.   Possession  
          limits vary but are usually twice the bag limit.  This allows  
          hunters to possess animals that were killed on different days.

          According to the California Water Fowl Association, the  
          possession limit restricts the ability of hunters to freeze or  








                                                                  SB 392
                                                                  Page  2

          otherwise process game birds killed on different days for future  
          consumption.  This bill is intended to balance the needs of law  
          enforcement and those of law abiding hunters by requiring the  
          FGC to adopt regulations or make recommendations to the  
          Legislature to clarify under what circumstances lawfully killed  
          game birds can be processed into food and maintained for future  
          consumption, without violating the possession limit.




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