BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1528| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- THIRD READING Bill No: AB 1528 Author: Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife IntroducedIntroduced:3/18/15 Vote: 21 SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 7-2, 6/23/15 AYES: Pavley, Allen, Hueso, Jackson, Monning, Vidak, Wolk NOES: Stone, Hertzberg ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 75-0, 4/30/15 - See last page for vote SUBJECT: Public resources SOURCE: Author DIGEST: This bill establishes lace lichen as the official state lichen with supporting legislative findings, and makes numerous technical and clarifying corrections to the Public Resources Code. ANALYSIS: Existing law: 1)Establishes and designates a number of official state emblems, including but not limited to, a state flower, tree, butterfly, reptile, amphibian, animal, fish, rock, grass, mineral, gemstone, marine mammal, fossil, and prehistoric artifact. 2)Establishes the Division of Boating and Waterways (division) and its predecessors as the state regulator of the operation of vessels in the state's inland and coastal waterways. As of AB 1528 Page 2 July 1, 2013, the division became part of the Department of Parks and Recreation. 3)Renames the Department of Fish and Game as the Department of Fish and Wildlife. This bill designates the lace lichen as the official state lichen, makes legislative findings in support of this designation, and makes several technical and clarifying corrections to the Public Resources Code including the deletion of an obsolete provision, and updating references to the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the division. Background Lichens are unique organisms that consist of both a fungus and an algae living together in a symbiotic relationship. The Lace Lichen, Ramalina menziesii, is native to California and commonly found throughout much of the state. It is considered to be beautiful. Currently, the state does not designate a state lichen, but does have a number of other official state emblems, as noted in #1 of existing law. FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.:NoLocal: No SUPPORT: (Verified6/25/15) California Lichen Society OPPOSITION: (Verified6/25/15) None received ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to Assemblymember Levine: AB 1528 would correct out-of-date references to the prior Department of Boating and Waterways in the Public Resources Code and eliminate other obsolete code provisions. AB 1528 Page 3 This bill, in naming the Lace Lichen as the official state lichen will also help to promote appreciation, education and study of lichens, and the important role they play in our natural environment. The Lace Lichen is a good representative of the lichen family for being named the state lichen because it is a beautiful native lichen that is commonly found throughout much of California. Lichens are excellent examples of symbiosis in nature, in which two organisms are dependent on each other. [?] Lichens are important for both wildlife and people. A variety of animals rely on lichens as a food source. Lichens also have anti-bacterial properties and have been used medicinally for thousands of years. Lichens live in many diverse types of environments and are very adaptable. They are also actively being used as biological indicators of air quality and climate change around the world including in California.ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 75-0, 4/30/15 AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Chang, Chau, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Grove, Hadley, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, Wood, Atkins NO VOTE RECORDED: Brough, Campos, Chávez, Gray, Harper Prepared by:Katharine Moore / N.R. & W. / (916) 651-4116 6/26/15 13:28:39 **** END **** AB 1528 Page 4