BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 988
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Date of Hearing: May 13, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
988 (Mark Stone) - As Amended April 29, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable:
No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)
to establish an Outdoor Environmental Education and Recreation
Grants program to increase the ability of underserved at-risk
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populations to participate in outdoor recreation and educational
experiences by awarding grants to public and nonprofit
organizations. Additionally, this bill:
1)Authorizes the DPR director to develop an advisory task force,
as specified, to assist in developing the program.
Prioritizes funding for programs with specified attributes.
2)Provides that reverted and unencumbered funds from the
California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks,
and Coastal Protection Act of 2002 (Proposition 40) may be
appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of this bill,
if consistent with the requirements of that Act.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Substantial cost pressures, about $1 million annually, to fund
grants awarded by the DPR under the outdoor program. (The
Outdoor Environmental Education and Recreation Fund created by
this bill to include reverted bond funds and private
donations.)
2)Moderate one-time costs, in the range of $200,000 for DPR to
develop the program grant process (GF, special or private
funds)
3)Moderate ongoing costs, in the range of $400,000 annually, to
DPR to administer the outdoor program grant process, provide
technical assistance and perform site visits and audits (GF,
special or private funds.)
COMMENTS:
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1)Purpose. According to the author, in many underserved
communities, outdoor environmental education and recreation
programs provide the only exposure that children have to
nature and the environment. Outdoor environmental education
provides students with memorable real-world experiences which
increase interest in science and environmental stewardship.
Encouraging such interests may also help students increase
their interest and abilities in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, which will help
ensure that California remains a leader in these fields in the
future.
2)Background. AB 1330 (Simitian) - Chapter 663, Statutes of
2003, established a comprehensive research study to examine
the scholastic and behavioral impacts of outdoor environmental
education on underserved populations.
AB 1330 provided the program and evaluation would be
implemented only if the Department of Finance determined that
private funds were available to pay for the program. At the
time, the Sierra Club intended to fund four programs to give
youngsters an appreciation of the diversity of California's
natural environment. AB 1330 sunsetted January 1, 2006.
3)Interagency Network. The California Environmental Education
Interagency Network (CEEIN) is guided by a memorandum of
understanding among a state government consortium of
environmental educators representing entities of the
California Department of Education, CalEPA, Natural Resources
Agency, and Department of Food and Agriculture. The CEEIN
meets monthly.
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The primary goals of CEEIN are to develop a unified response
to the environmental needs of California's educators and local
government. The CEEIN also provides assistance with statewide
educational reform initiatives.
This bill allows CEEIN to advise DPR in developing the
program.
4)Bond Funds. Proposition 40, passed by the voters in 2002,
authorized $2.6 billion in general obligation bonds for the
development, restoration, and acquisition of state and local
parks, recreation areas and historical resources, and for
land, air, and water conservation programs.
According to DPR, there is a total of $26.46 million in
reverted funds that may be used for this program. In addition
to reverted funds, this bill allows for specified private
funding sources.
5)Prior Legislation. AB 1603 (Stone) of 2014, similar to this
bill, was held in this Committee on suspense. Unlike this
bill, AB 1603 did not suggest an available funding source.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
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