California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 290

Introduced by Assembly Member Bigelow

February 11, 2015

An act to amend Section 3953 of the Fish and Game Code, relating to mammals.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 290, as introduced, Bigelow. Game mammals: Big Game Management Account.

Existing law establishes the Big Game Management Account within the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. Existing law requires revenue from the sale of antelope, elk, deer, wild pig, bear, and sheep tags, be deposited in the Big Game Management Account, except as provided. Existing law requires funds deposited in the Big Game Management Account be expended solely for specified purposes and pursuant to specified limitations. Existing law requires an advisory committee, which includes interested nonprofit organizations that, among other requirements, have goals and objectives directly related to the management and conservation of big game species, review and provide comments to the department on all proposed projects funded from the Big Game Management Account.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 3953 of the Fish and Game Code is
amended to read:

3953.  

(a) The Big Game Management Account is hereby
established within the Fish and Game Preservation Fund.

(b) Except as provided in Section 709, all revenues from the
sale of antelope, elk, deer, wild pig, bear, and sheep tags, including
any fundraising tags, shall be deposited in the Big Game
Management Account to permit separate accountability for the
receipt and expenditure of these funds. Within 30 days of the date
of the sale, the selling nonprofit organization shall send the
department 95 percent of the total auction sale price of the tag,
with an itemized receipt showing the sale price and the 5-percent
reduction retained by the nonprofit organization as a vendor’s fee.

(c) Funds deposited in the Big Game Management Account
shall be available for expenditure upon appropriation by the
Legislature to the department. These funds shall be expended solely
for the purposes set forth in this section and Sections 3951 and
3952, and Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 450) of Division
1, Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 4650), and Chapter 11
(commencing with Section 4900), including acquiring land,
completing projects, and implementing programs to benefit
antelope, elk, deer, wild pigs, bear, and sheep, and expanding
public hunting opportunities and related public outreach. Any land
acquired with funds from the Big Game Management Account
shall be acquired in fee title or protected with a conservation
easement and, to the extent possible, be open or provide access to
the public for antelope, elk, deer, wild pig, bear, or sheep hunting.
The department may also use funds from the Big Game
Management Account to pay for administrative and enforcement
costs of the programs and activities described in this section. The
amount allocated from the account for administrative costs shall
be limited to the reasonable costs associated with administration
of the programs and activities described in this section.

(d) The department may make begin delete grants end delete begin insert a grant end insert to, reimburse, or
enter into begin delete contracts end delete begin insert a contract end insert or other begin delete agreements end delete begin insert agreement end insert , as
defined in subdivision (a) of Section 1571, with begin delete nonprofit
organizations end delete begin insert a nonprofit organization end insert for the use of the funds
from the Big Game Management Account to carry out the purposes
of this section, including related habitat conservation projects.

(e) An advisory committee, as determined by the department,
that includes interested nonprofit organizations that have goals
and objectives directly related to the management and conservation
of big game species and primarily represent the interests of persons
licensed pursuant to Section 3031 shall review and provide
comments to the department on all proposed projects funded from
the Big Game Management Account to help ensure that the
requirements of this section begin delete have been end delete begin insert are end insert met. The department
shall post budget information and a brief description on an Internet
Web site for all projects funded from the Big Game Management
Account.

(f)  begin delete Big end delete begin insert A big end insert game begin delete projects end delete begin insert project end insert authorized pursuant to this
section begin delete are end delete begin insert is end insert not subject to Part 2 (commencing with Section
10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code or Article 6
(commencing with Section 999) of Chapter 6 of Division 4 of the
Military and Veterans Code.

(g) The department shall maintain the internal accountability
necessary to ensure compliance with the collection, deposit, and
expenditure of funds specified in this section.