BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                SB 633
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        SENATE THIRD READING
        SB 633 (Pavley)
        As Amended  August 4, 2014
        Majority vote 

         SENATE VOTE  :Vote not relevant  
         
         NATURAL RESOURCES               APPROPRIATIONS      13-0         
         ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
        |     |        (vote not         |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra,         |
        |     |relevant)                 |     |Bradford,                 |
        |     |                          |     |Ian Calderon, Campos,     |
        |     |                          |     |Eggman, Gomez, Holden,    |
        |     |                          |     |Linder, Pan, Quirk,       |
        |     |                          |     |Ridley-Thomas, Weber      |
        |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
        |     |                          |     |                          |
         ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          SUMMARY  :  Enacts several programmatic changes designed to reduce  
        energy costs, increase revenue generation, and enhance visitor  
        services at state parks, and requires separate tracking of the  
        budget of the State Parks and Recreation Commission (Commission).   
        Specifically,  this bill  :

        1)States legislative findings and declarations regarding recent and  
          ongoing efforts to secure the financial base of the Department of  
          Parks and Recreation (DPR), and clarifying that provisions of this  
          bill regarding pilot projects for sales of park passes through  
          vendors, creation of additional regional passes, and for mobile  
          food and beverage concessions, are based on existing authority of  
          DPR.

        2)Requires the Commission's costs to be reflected separately in the  
          Governor's annual proposed budget to increase transparency.

        3)States legislative intent that the Commission and DPR cooperate to  
          increase public support and participation in the voluntary tax  
          check-off contribution program for state parks by soliciting  
          public input into how the contributions should be spent.  Requires  
          the Commission and DPR to create one or more projects per year to  
          be funded by the voluntary tax-deductible contributions.  Requires  
          that the projects funded be selected through a process involving  
          public input, including one or more public hearings to be held by  
          the Commission, and requires that DPR post information about the  








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          selection process and chosen projects on its Internet Web site.   
          Provides that the projects may include, but are not limited to,  
          the repair, preservation, restoration, or rehabilitation of  
          natural or cultural resources, and programs that facilitate  
          increased park visitation by underserved communities.

        4)Requires DPR to report to the Legislature on or before July 1,  
          2015, on its energy costs, projects that could reduce those costs  
          and potential energy-related infrastructure projects that may be  
          eligible for funding from revenues that may be generated through a  
          market-based compliance mechanism adopted by the Air Resources  
          Board (commonly known as cap and trade).  Provides that this  
          section shall sunset on January 1, 2020.

        5)States legislative intent to increase opportunities for DPR to  
          sell park passes through vendors.  Clarifies that DPR has  
          authority to increase opportunities to sell park passes through  
          vendor contracts, and requires DPR to report to the Legislature on  
          or before July 1, 2016, on its activities to increase such  
          opportunities.  Provides that this section shall sunset on January  
          1, 2020. 

        6)Requires DPR on or before December 31, 2015, from available  
          appropriated funds, to establish a minimum of two additional  
          regional park passes that are available for purchase through DPR's  
          Internet Web site, park offices, or other designated vendors.   
          States legislative findings and declarations that regional passes  
          in the Big Sur-Monterey Bay region, the Lake Tahoe region, north  
          coast beaches, or other appropriate regions may be determined by  
          DPR to be suitable for additional regional passes.  States  
          legislative intent that DPR create regional passes to serve  
          visitors interested in state parks with a shared theme or within a  
          region and to simplify and facilitate fee collection from frequent  
          park visitors.  States that the Surf Explorer Vehicle Day Use  
          annual pass, the Historian Passport Day Use Admissions annual  
          pass, and the California Park Experience Vehicle Day Use annual  
          pass may serve as useful models for future regional passes.

        7)Adds to the conditions upon which DPR may renegotiate a  
          concessions contract, if the services provided pursuant to the  
          contract will have minimal impacts on state park resources, are  
          inherently mobile or transitory in nature, and do not occupy a  
          state-owned structure.  Provides that such services may include  
          but are not limited to mobile food and beverage services.








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        8)Requires DPR until January 1, 2018, and from available  
          appropriated funds, to establish a pilot program for mobile food  
          and beverage services in multiple state parks, as feasible.   
          Requires DPR to submit a report to the Legislature on the results  
          of the pilot program on or before January 1, 2018.  Sunsets this  
          section effective January 1, 2019.  States legislative intent that  
          DPR in implementing this section not compete with existing  
          concession contracts that provide comparable food and beverage  
          services to the public.        

         EXISTING LAW  :

        1)Establishes the California State Park system and vests DPR with  
          control of the state park system and responsibility for  
          administering, protecting, developing, and interpreting state  
          parks for the use and enjoyment of the public.  Requires DPR to  
          protect the state park system from damage and to preserve the  
          peace therein.

        2)Authorizes DPR to collect fees, rents, and other returns for the  
          use of state parks with amounts to be determined by DPR, to sell  
          annual and regional passes, and to enter into concession  
          contracts, subject to specified conditions.

         FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee,  
        additional General Fund costs to DPR to establish mobile food and  
        beverage pilot projects of up to $170,000 annually for three years.   
        All other costs are minor and absorbable.

         COMMENTS  :  The purpose of this bill is to encourage and strengthen  
        ongoing efforts by DPR, the Commission, and the Parks Forward  
        Commission, to develop a broader financial base for state parks,  
        consistent with the mission of parks.  Specifically, this bill calls  
        for a pilot program and other initiatives to be implemented by DPR,  
        including the following:  1) a report to the Legislature on DPR's  
        energy costs, projects that would reduce those costs, and potential  
        energy-related infrastructure projects that may be eligible for  
        funding from cap and trade revenues; 2) a report to the Legislature  
        on activities undertaken by DPR to increase the sale of park passes  
        through private vendors; 3) creation of at least two additional  
        regional park pass options available for purchase by the public; 4)  
        a pilot program for mobile food and beverage services in multiple  
        state parks; and 5) a joint project with the Commission to solicit  








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        public input on projects to be funded with revenues received from  
        voluntary contributions to the tax return check-off program for  
        state parks.
        In 2013, the Parks Forward Commission was appointed to conduct a  
        year-long process to make recommendations to address the financial,  
        operational, and cultural challenges necessary for long-term  
        sustainability of California's state park system.  A second draft of  
        the report was released on July 30th and a final report is  
        anticipated by November of 2014.  
               
         The California State Park and Recreation Commission was created in  
        1927. The Commission has specific authorities and responsibilities,  
        which include the approval of general plans for park units,  
        classifying and naming park units, establishing general policies for  
        the administration, protection and development of the state park  
        system, providing input on deferred maintenance priorities,  
        providing opportunities for public input, and recommending a  
        comprehensive recreation policy for the state.

        As a component of the California State Park Stewardship Act of 2012  
        (AB 1589 (Huffman), Chapter 533), the California State Parks  
        Protection Fund was established to provide California taxpayers the  
        opportunity to purchase a California State Parks pass via their  
        state income tax return and to designate a portion of their state  
        tax refund for a voluntary contribution to support the preservation  
        of state parks.  Taxpayers can make a charitable contribution  
        deduction to state parks for any amount in excess of the price of  
        the State Park Annual Pass received, for the year in which the  
        voluntary contribution is made.  This program generated $396,921 in  
        2013 and $287,547 in 2014.

        This bill would encourage greater public participation in the tax  
        return check-off program by allowing public input into the selection  
        process for projects to be funded from the contributions.  Projects  
        eligible for funding would include projects to preserve or restore  
        natural and cultural state park resources, and to facilitate  
        increased park visitation by underserved communities.  

        The creation and marketing of additional regional park passes, sales  
        of park passes through retail vendors, and the addition of mobile  
        food and beverage concessions are all among the recommendations  
        proposed by the Parks Forward Commission in its draft report as  
        means of enhancing revenue generation and improving public services  
        and visitation in state parks.  








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        Energy costs are a significant cost of operations and maintenance at  
        state parks.  This bill would require DPR to do an analysis of ways  
        to reduce energy costs, including energy saving infrastructure  
        projects that could potentially be eligible for funding with cap and  
        trade revenues. Such projects could have multiple benefits by  
        reducing park operating costs, conserving energy, and potentially  
        leading to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.  Natural resources  
        protected by state parks, such as forests, help sequester carbon,  
        but can also be a source of carbon emissions in the event of forest  
        fires.  Examples of deferred maintenance projects at state parks  
        might include energy conserving structural retrofits, as well as  
        forest management projects to reduce fuel loading and the risk of  
        catastrophic forest fires.

        This bill was substantially amended in the Assembly to change it  
        from a bill that previously dealt with the California Environmental  
        Quality Act, as passed by the Senate, to the current version which  
        relates to state parks. 


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


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